Good Saturday morning and Happy World Card Making Day!  I’ll be participating in a few challenges today and having some fun stamping the day away.  I’ve already forewarned Mr. Stodgy that I’ll be in the studio as much as possible today.

Thanks for all the input on the paper!  I’m not surprised that so many of you recommended Gina K. and Papertrey.  What I was looking for was a great colored cardstock and I have decided to go with Papertrey.  I ordered all of it a few days ago and am patiently waiting for it to arrive . . .  okay not so patiently.  I use Neenah for my white and will continue to do so, but I did order some white and cream to have around.  I still have a boatload of Prism and will be looking to fill in some of the colors that I’m out of.  I’ve got a lead on Prism paper, but need to follow up and when I get the link, I’ll let you know!

Last night I was here in the studio putzing around, catching up with blogs on Google Reader, playing games, etc., and suddenly decided what I needed to make.  I’ve had some of Tim Holtz’s Seasonal Grunge Board for some time now.  Actually I think I got it when it first came out and then he gave us some more in a class at CHA.  I’ve looked at it all week trying to decide how to incorporate it into a Halloween card.  Well, I finally figured it out!  I went to Splitcoaststampers’ Resource Section and found Beate’s great tutorial on creating a Stair Step Fold Card.  I’ve been wanting to try this style of card for some time!

There’s no stamping on this card, but I’m very pleased with it nonetheless and will keep it setting out over the next couple of months.  I’ll then add it to my Halloween decorations.

Even though Beate’s tutorial did not call for a back on the card, I added one to it.  I wanted the grunge board house to have a background that looked like a spooky sky.  While I was working on the card and trying to decide what to do with the background, I saw Heidi Blankenship’s latest post on using Tattered Angels Glimmer Screens with the Spellbinders Wizard.  Luckily I just purchased some Glimmer Screens while at the Cincinnati Stampaway Show, and tried it!  Wow what a fabulous result and one that I will use over and over again!  I was given a sample of Raven Glimmer Mist at CHA and used that to spray on the background.  The house, bats and cat were painted with black paint and then covered with Rock Candy Distress Stickles.  The sentiments and pumpkins in the back are from My Mind’s Eye The Spider Web.  I cut the sentiments from one of the pieces of paper and took a section of the pumpkin page and glued it to plain Grunge Board.

• Paper:  My Mind’s Eye – The Spider’s Web; Mini Manila Tag; Basic Black
• Ink:  Ranger Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Black Soot and Vintage Photo Distress
• Accessories:  Ranger Pitch Black Acrylic Paint Dabber, Matte Accents, Rock Candy Distress Stickles, Claudine Hellmuth Studio Matte Multi-Medium; Tim Holtz idea-ology Seasonal and Plain Grunge Board; Tattered Angels Glimmer Screens – Fanciful Stencils and Raven Glimmer Mist; Tsukineko Sponge Daubers; Ribbon

I guess that’s all I have for the moment, but I’m sure I’ll have more for you later tonight.  I hope you have a fabulous day and thanks stopping by!

WOW . . . it’s !  Where is this week going?  Okay so maybe I don’t remember what I did during the first few days of the week . . .

Before I get started on my project for today, let me answer a few questions about the products I use.  I get my May Arts Ribbon from Sharon Johnson’s store, Stamp Simply Ribbon.  She told me last night if she doesn’t stock what you are looking for, she will special order!  All the Ranger product I use, including both T!m and Wendy’s stamps, can be found at eclectic Paperie.  Joy and Daisy are fabulous and so very helpful.  Everything is stocked and they have a quick turn around time.

Now I have a question for you!  Paper?  What do you use?  I have both SU and Prism and know that I won’t be purchasing any more SU.  That leaves the Prism which I find matches BasicGrey DP fabulously, but it is rather flimsy for a card base.  If you use Prism, where do you purchase it?  I’m seriously thinking of switching over to Papertrey.  If you use the paper from Papertrey what do you think about it?

Now that all that is over with, questions answered and if I forgot any that you’ve asked, please let me know.   I try to answer each individual email you send, but sometimes it’s not always possible to get to them as quickly as I would like and then I forget to answer.

Now!  How many of you love the movie Hook?  It’s one of my favorites!  You know how there are certain scenes in movies that you always think of.  Like in the Color Purple, I will sit and watch the entire movie just to see Shug Avery walk her stuff down the road to the church, singing God’s Trying to Tell you Something.  I LOVE that scene!  In Hook, it’s the boo box!  When Glenn Close is placed in the boo box and the look on her face  . . . well it just slays me every time!  So, since it’s that time of the year for Halloween (which is one of my faves to decorate for), I’ve made a Boo Box!

I bought a candle not too long ago that was in this fabulously sturdy box and the lid slides down inside.  I kept the box thinking it would come in handy at some time or another.  While I was making Halloween cards, and thinking about the girls, I decided that treat boxes might be in order.  It will be so easy to slide some the girls fave chocolate in this box!

I had one sheet of Lollipop Lizzy DP and used that covered the box.  All the edges were sponged with Black Soot Distress Ink.  I circled the box with a purple band and tied some ribbon.  I love watching ribbon melt, and used my candle lighter to melt the ribbon to give it a spookier look.  The boo label was die cut/embossed using Spellbinders oval nestabilities.  Since the paper had little skulls on it, I found a small grunge board skull, painted it white and then covered it with Rock Candy stickles.  Way too much fun!

• Stamps:  Just Between Fiends
• Paper:  Hallowhimsy – Lollipop Lizzy from imaginisce; White and Black
• Ink:  Ranger Archival Jet Black and Black Soot Distress
• Accessories:  Ranger White Paint Dabber; Spellbinders S4-141 Petite Scalloped Ovals – Small, and S4-138 Petite Ovals – Large; Tsukineko Sponge Daubers; Tim Holtz idea-ology Elements Grunge Board; May Arts Ribbon and twine; Scalloped Border Punch; Buttons; Candle Lighter; Foam Tape

Oh my gosh, I’m done and it’s time to start my day!  It’s not like I didn’t get up at 4:30 this morning.   I’ve already folded one load of laundry, put in another, written this post, and took the photos.  Anyhoo, have a fantastic day and thanks for stopping in!

Hey y’all!  How’s your weekend going?  Like I had hoped, I’ve been in the studio all day but I haven’t gotten much done!  I have all these ideas and I’ve basically tried to organize myself to get them done.  You know, finding the right image, papers, etc.  I’m on my way after this morning.  I was looking for a picture of a fairy this morning and I thought I had remembered one in a book that I have.  Well, much to my dismay I didn’t find the fairy in that book, but I did find the image on today’s card.   I’ve always loved this image and since I’m in a Halloween mode, well I just couldn’t help myself.

The background paper is from 7 Gypsies Savannah that was stamped with flourishes.  All the edges of the papers were sponged with Papertrey Vintage Cream.  At first I had stamped a sentiment for the inside, then upon realizing that I misspelled hallows, I computer generated the sentiment, Have a Be-Witching Halloween!

• Stamps/Images:  The Mountain by Brian Froud from Once Upon a Time – Some Contemporary Illustrators of Fantasy, A Peacock Press/Bantam Book, Edited by David Larkin; Priceless and Best Fiends
• Paper:  7 Gypsies Savannah and Gypsy Market; Black and Vanilla
• Ink:  Papertrey Vintage Cream and Ranger Archival Jet Black
• Accessories:  Scalloped Lace Punch; Ribbon; Vintage Button; Oval Punch; Foam Tape; Computer; Sponge Dauber

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend and thanks for stopping by today!

I can’t believe it’s Friday already!  I don’t have any big plans for the weekend and if the weather is still blechy here I’m hoping to be in the studio!  So far it looks pretty promising  . . . but I am a little tired of the rain.

Yesterday when I was writing my post I told you I got a little sidetracked.  I found the most awesome site for Edgar Allan Poe . . . PoeStories.com.  If you are a fan like I am, this is the site for you.  I’ve been able to re-read stories I read as a child and refresh my memory on a lot of his works. 

The reason I was searching yesterday was because I wanted a copy of The Black Cat.  Of course, I needed it for a card  . . .

I printed it off after I changed up some fonts and then distressed it with Old Paper Distress Ink.  The tag was made with the Wrinkle Free Distress Technique using Weathered Wood, Vintage Photo and Spiced Marmalade.  The grunge board flourishes were covered with Spiced Marmalade Distress Stickles and the numbers with Rock Candy.  The cat was embossed with Black Soot Distress embossing powder.

• Stamps:  Tim Holtz Collection – Spooky Stuff and Nature’s Discovery from Stampers Anonymous
• Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; River Rock and Basic Black; Mini Manila Tag; Memory Box Twilight
• Ink:  Ranger Archival Jet Black and Vintage Photo, Spiced Marmalade, Weathered Wood, Old Paper, Black Soot Distress
• Accessories:  Ranger Non-Stick Craft Sheet, Mini Mister, Matte Accents, Spiced Marmalade and Rock Candy Distress Stickles, Black Soot Distress Embossing Powder; Tim Holtz idea-ology Swirls/Elements Grunge Board; May Arts Ribbon; Foam Tape; Sponge Dauber; Computer; Candle Lighter; Vintage Button; Scalloped Border Punch

That’s it for today!  I hope you have a good one and thanks for stopping by!

Happy Thursday!  I hope everyone is having a good week so far.  It’s been rainy here and on days like this, you don’t want to get out at all.  Actually, I’ve been putting the shihtz’ on their leashes and I’m standing in the garage  . . . .   I don’t see any reason why we should all get wet.

I’m still in Halloween mode and have more ideas than I’ll ever get down on paper.  Just now I had another and got doing a Google search . . .  I know, I know . . . . BAD!

Anyhoo, I’ve been working on this card for a week or so and decided I needed to finish it up.  It’s just not like me to have more than one project going at a time (well in the past), but these days it seems to happen more and more.  In all honesty, I was talking to Linda Duke yesterday, and she challenged me to finish this one up.  So, I did!

The main image is from the Heartwarming Vintage Collection Calendar that I picked up at CHA.  I cut the pumpkin out and then covered it with Ranger Crackle Accents.   Once it dried, I applied some Vintage Photo Distress Ink over the cracks and then wiped off the extra.  Look at how cool it is!

I distressed some background papers, die cut/embossed a few Nestabilities and kept layering it all together until I was satisfied the result.  The sentiment was found in a book and then printed off with the computer.  Inside is the greeting . . . Happy Halloween.

• Paper:  Heartwarming Vintage Collection – Calendar from Crafty Secrets; imaginisce Hallowhimsy – Wicked Whimsy; Making Memories Halloween; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Soft Suede and Rich Razzleberry; Illustration Board
• Ink:  Ranger Vintage Photo Distress
• Accessories:  Ranger Crackle and Matte Accents; Spellbinders S4-140 Petite Ovals – Small, S4-141 Petite Scalloped Ovals – Small, S4-128 Classic Squares – Large, S4-196 Classic Inverted Scalloped Squares – Large, and S4-190 Labels Four; Computer; Sewing Machine; Foam Tape; Sponge Dauber; Vintage Button from Papertrey; May Arts Ribbon; 7 Gypsies Paper Fasteners; Black Hemp Twine

I just realized that there is no stamping on this card  . . . well I’ll be!  It was still fun to make.

Here’s hoping you have a great day and thanks for stopping by!