Boo!

It't time for a Halloween card using my new Free Spirit ghost dies! At Just Us Girls it is Die Week: Use a Halloween-themed die. I can't wait to see the gallery this week! Here's my surprise-front card. Also, be sure to visit the team's blogs and that of our October Guest Designer Carrie Sheridan to read all about their Halloween-inspired cards.

What I used to make my card:

• Hero Arts Free Spirit die set
• My Favorite Things Watercolor Wash Free Form die
• Simon Says Stamp Circle dies
• Stampin' Up! Spooky Bingo Bits stamp set, Speech Bubble dies, Classic Ink pad, Designer Series papers (All of these SU supplies are retired.)
• Tear Tape

This inlaid flower ghost is fun to make. It comes with extra flowers as you can see. I was perusing Pinterest and saw some acetate-front cards for other occasions and thought why not make this ghost card with one. I have hidden a white die cut circle on the teal DSP for a second sentiment or a hand-written note. A note could also be written on the back of the card.

To make the card I cut a 4 1/4" x 6" white panel out of sturdy white card stock and scored one end at 1/2" to make a flap. 

The teal designer series paper is adhered to the front side of the white panel below the score line. 

Next, I sandwiched the acetate between the folded down flap and a strip of the DSP with tear tape.

I die cut the free form shape out of some long hoarded kitchen-themed paper for the ghost to fly in front of and to cover any adhesive on its back side.

After adhering the completed popped up ghost and flowers to the free form shape I die cut and stamped the speech bubble. It is popped up on foam tape too. 

The gingham shape is adhered to the acetate with tear tape as well. I cut a second free form shape to adhere on the back side of the gingham one to hide the adhesive on the front one.

I hope that was clear. It was fairly easy once I figured out how I should make the card base.

We are anxious to see your Halloween die cut creations this week! Happy cardmaking!

Carol

You're the Apple of my Pie

We're back at Time Out with our Pick Two Challenge #323 with the following words:

Gingham, Circle, Basket, Harvest, Baking Apple

I used all the words but basket. You only have to use two, but you may use more! 

I used all the words but basket. You only have to use two, but you may use more! 

Fall baking is just around the corner and apple pie sure sounds good to me! I've made this pie in a box before here. It's a fun project but I have to make the box from scratch, so it did take a good portion of my day. (I didn't buy the die at the time) We hope you will join us with a fall card over the next two weeks!

Lawn Fawn is our wonderful sponsor offering our winner of the challenge a $25.00 gift card to their store. The winner will also be invited to be a future Guest Designer at Time Out.

We are joined by Cathy Preissing of MARKERS, INK & PAPER, and winner of Time Out #317 as Guest Designer. Cathy is a very talented crafter with a great eye for design and who has mad coloring skills! 

Here's what I used to make my card:

• Spellbinders Sky View Pies, Dish It Up and Delicious Decorations die sets, Perfect Pie Sentiments stamp set
• Pink & Main Spring Ginghams Patterned papers
• Altenew Obsidian Black ink pad
• Silver mirror card stock
• Acetate
• Twine

The box took the longest to make because I had to do math, make a prototype, make the real one, and figure out how to complete a couple of steps that I did out of order and still make it turn our correctly.

Making the pie was so easy... just die cutting, adding ink blended "browned crust" and assembling it. I decided to put the gingham on an angle and then also added the box off-kilter. I love cutting the fork and knife out of mirror card stock to look like the real deal.

It took me a dozen or so tries to stamp the sentiment and not smudge it or get a partial stamping from it. It stamped fine on scratch paper!!

So, see you in the gallery??!!

Carol

Happy Halloween

The Global Design Project #GDP567 has a Halloween theme this week and I just made this card with new products from Simon. I went with trick or treating ghosts and a pumpkin house! I love the Jack o' lantern candy bucket.

What I used to make my card:

• Simon Says Stamp Costume Ghost Parade dies, Little Pumpkin House, Reverse Spooky Halloween EZ Strips
• Stampin' Up! stars wooden stamp, plaid designer series paper
• My Favorite Things Watercolor Wash Free Form die
• Altenew Obsidian black ink pad

I wanted to go non-traditional colors for the card and did as much as I could. A pirate and Count Dracula need to have their real colors though. I also wanted to make a nighttime trick or treating scene, so I went with a teal sky to go with the aqua plaid and the aqua pumpkin house.

Well, I am off to make another Halloween card and will post it soon. Thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Collab with a Photographer

A new friend and a talented photographer jack.dw asked me to do a collab where I remake one of his photos into a card. I knew right away that I wanted to try my hand at one of his desert landscapes from Valley of Fire in Overton, Nevada. Here is the abstract view of the curving road between the bold colored rock formations.

Here is a link to Jack's photo on Instagram.

What I used to make the card:

• Spellbinders Colorbock Landscape dies (desert scenery)
• Papertrey Ink Build a Sailboat dies (clouds)
• A Stamp in the Hand (wooden stamp of a "cool guy")
• Altenew Obsidian black ink pad
• Copic markers

I gathered the colors of card stock first, then did the die cutting. There is no white card stock, just greys, black and oranges. I pieced it all together and popped the scene up on foam tape. Then I stamped the skateboarding guy ( I drew his skateboard with a Sharpie) and fussy cut him. He is popped up too. I mounted the scene on a diagonal grey/black mat I made that purposely avoids the gray part of the mat blending into the grey of the scene. I did the same with the black portion of the mat. I think I successfully created a "guy card," which can often be difficult.

I hope you will give Jack's Instagram and Etsy shop a visit to see his incredible photography from all over the world. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Carol

A Happy Hello

This garden background that I stenciled has a little mushroom house peeking out of it. I made it for our Just Us Girls #842. It is Anything Goes Stencil Week, hosted by our teammate Sue. I didn't use all of the openings in this three piece layered stencil set to keep it simple. The house is so easy to piece together and is a cute set from Poppystamps.

Here's what I used to make the card:

• Poppystamps 2655 Large Mushroom House craft die
• Altenew Blooming Flower Bed stencil set
• Lawn Fawn free gift sentiment, Stitched Hillside Borders die
• Concord & 9th ink pad
• Ranger distress ink pads
• Patterned paper scraps

I built the house first to know which inks to use for the stenciling. I shaded many of the parts of the house, the chimney, and smoke with blending brushes. On an A2 panel I stenciled with a light hand in order to avoid overpowering the house. I die cut the lawn to ground the house and stamped/die cut the sentiment on a banner. I matted it to separate it from the white background.

While I didn't make the stenciling the main event on the card, I had it cover most of the card to be obvious for the challenge. What will you make? Can't wait to see!

Thanks for visiting!

Carol

Corner Bakery

A few years ago we were visiting family in the St. Louis area and they took us to St. Charles one evening where we walked on actual cobblestone streets and where all the little businesses had decorated their store fronts and windows with pumpkins and other Halloween props. I took a few photos and have not forgotten how cute it was there. (See below) 

Here's a bakery I made today for our Just Us Girls Challenge #841 mood board with our hostess Vicki. I liked the pumpkins and takeout cup on the bottom of the mood board and went from there. Coffee and pastries, why not? (Chai for me, please!) Be sure to take some time to visit the blogs of our design team and our guest Julia to see how everyone was inspired to make their cards.

Real pumpkins carved to decorate a store inside and out. I remember the pastel decor inside this store and all of the fun decorations outside. I made a bakery because we visited one and got some yummy things to eat along the way down this street.

I used Concord & 9th Pop Up Shoppe dies and Poppystamps Pumpkin Patch dies. My card includes copper metallic card stock, thick acetate and card stock scraps. I stamped the bakery sign with Altenew Obsidian black ink. The card base is A2 and top folding. The bakery pops up, but folds flat to mail. I have made quite a few of these using different themes. It takes a lot of steps, but it's fun to see it come to life.

Thanks for stopping by and I can't wait to see what you create!

Carol

Wish You Were Here

We have a fun idea for you at Time Out Challenges #322 with our latest Inspired By theme. What are the Seasonal Colors Where You Live? I live in Florida, USA, where we do not have distinct seasons...sun and warmth almost all year, with less humidity in winter and it might get cool in winter (60 degrees F.) for a week or two in January or February. So I made a card with the pretty sunset and water colors we have most of the year.

We look forward to cards in our gallery from all over the world! The different hemispheres will give us a fresh perspective on seasons in other places. It should be an interesting challenge! You can take this current season or make a four seasons card if you like. Be sure to explain your card so we understand what you are portraying.

Our wonderful sponsor, Gina K, is generously offering a $25.00 store credit as a prize for our Challenge Winner, who will also get an invitation to join us as Guest Designer for a future challenge.

We are joined by Donna Phelan of Crafting By The Beach, and winner of Time Out #317 as Guest Designer. 

What I used to make my card:

• Pink Fresh Studio Coastal Paradise stamp, stencil and die sets
• Distress ink pads
• Concord & 9th ink pads
• Altenew Obsidian black ink pad

I am in love with these Pink Fresh products! They stamp and stencil perfectly, cut beautifully! I can't wait to make more things with them. 

Thanks for visiting!

Carol