Witch's Boot!

It's been a while since I last posted - I know!

I haven't really done much crafting lately but I have been busy doing other stuff for my husband and kids as well as around the house.  I just replaced my smoke detectors all by myself (2 of them hard wired), primed and painted my daughter's room (from school bus yellow to "sanctuary" blue), and some other stuff around the house!

I even reorganized my craft room a bit and found a great temporary storage solution for my embossing folders.  Now I can keep these on the shelf next to my Big Shot!

Check it out!

 I put the folders in alphabetical order so I can find it when I need it - I just have to remember the name!

This one is almost full so I'm on the lookout for another one - it's a stationary box with a hinged lid.  I don't remember where I got it from originally (probably Home Sense, Winners or maybe Superstore) but I used to keep my Copic Ink Refills in it until I outgrew it!

While I was reorganizing I found all kinds of things I'd forgotten I had.  Do you do that?

Anyway while I had my Big Shot, folders and dies out I decided to make this cute Witch's Boot project.

Here are some close ups for you:

And I loaded it up with some Hershey Nuggets that have wrappers on them!

I made these with Stampin' Up!s My Digital Studio It's a Wrap - Holidays brush set and Avery 8160 address labels.  But they are pretty easy to make with just stamping or digital paper!

Now I won't re-invent the wheel and repeat the instructions for this project here. 

I got this idea from other demonstrators' blogs that got the idea from someone who was at or attended Stampin' Up!s recent Founders' Circle get together.

Anyway here's some links:

Tami White

Patty Bennett

Sandi McIver

The only things I did differently was I made myself a boot template (which I hand cut) rather than die cut a stocking and circle each time and I used the Box#2 die but adhered it top up (without the top).

 I made my template of white cardstock and just traced onto the black cardstock.

Isn't this a fun project?

Until Next Time!
Marie

NEW CATTY Swap - My Cards

I just hosted a swap for Stampin' Up! Demonstrators called the NEW CATTY Swap (Stampin' Up! New Fall/Winter Catalogue that is!).

It's a mountable card front (4 x 5 1/4) cascading swap - participants send in 11 or sets of 11 and they get back a variety of 11 or sets of 11. Maximum for this swap was 4 sets of 11. There are no preset groups - so if swaps don't show by the due date the overall swap is not affected.

I had 38 participants signed up for this swap. I like to participate as well so I made a card for everyone for each spot they signed up for.

So in the end I made 4 different designs for a total of 70 card fronts - enough for everyone based on the number of sets of swaps they were sending.

I know it sounds like a lot of work for me but the bonus is that I get to keep one of EVERY card that comes in and by hosting I'm not paying for postage!

Below you'll see my cards and I'm posting them as FULL cards - with bases - although this swap was just for mountable card fronts (4 x 5 1/4). I really like swapping this size of card front because then I can still display the swaps on boards or mount them on bases and actually USE THEM!

I made 38 of this first design using House of Haunts and the new Ghostly Greetings Designer Series Papers. Each participant will get one of these cards!

I stamped the greeting with white craft ink on the patterned paper but I was disappointed in how it turned out so I went over it with the White Gel Pen and I like the end effect!
This is a close up of the "eyeball" tree.

Not my original idea - I've seen this done before with google eyes but one of the criteria of this swap is Stampin' Up! ONLY so I made the eyes using the White Gel Pen, black marker and then a dab of Crystal Effects.

This is another version -

I made so many of these that I ran out of the patterned paper and had to make different variations!

For THIS sample I used a black gel pen to go over the black ink.

BUT for the swaps I just left it with the black ink - got to stick to criteria of ONLY Stampin' Up!

I made 24 of this design - participants that sent in 2 sets of swaps got this card as well as the first one. My scalloped edge punch started acting up - I was going to scallop both sides of this patterned paper piece but I kept messing it up. Is anyone else having problems with theirs?

In the end I just did the bottom edge and I think it looks kind of like a shop awning but that's ok...

The black strip is cardstock - leftover from the first card! The polka dot background is the Polka Dot Background stamp from Stampin' Up! stamped in the new Pink Pirouette in-colour ink.

Check out the image - that's one of the new Hostess sets called Punches Three - I stamped it with the NEW Stampin' Up! Basic Black Classic ink pad.

It is really BLACK now and not purpley-black anymore. If you've got one of the old Stampin' Up! Basic Black ink pads I highly recommend you get a new one.

You'll be amazed at how nice it is! This the third design - I made 6 of these.

I used Kiwi Kiss paper and ink and the New Urban Garden Designer Series Paper. I also used the new Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla two sided ribbon.

Below is a close up of the layers. I had a hard time trying to match up that blue patterned paper - it's NOT Not Quite Navy although that's one of the colours listed as a match for this set of papers. In the end I decided on a layer of Night of Navy with a Kiwi Kiss card base.

What do you think?

This is the last card and my fourth design for this swap.

I only had to make 2 of these for the swap but I liked it so much I ended up making 6!

I used the new Holiday Lineup stamp set - love the snowmen in this one and the reindeer one too!

I also used the Red Riding Hood Patterned paper and new tafetta ribbon (with vanilla edges). The base and mat colour is just plain old Kraft paper.

I admit it I'm ribbon impaired! I cannot tie a proper bow so I try different things to get around it. You'll see a lot of ribbon glued across my cards (as in above) or just tied in a knot or a bow glued on but not very often a tied on bow....

I decided to do a slip knot thing on this one and it turned out ok!

Check out the non-fraying edge - yes I "torched" it!

This is a close up of my colouring.

Apparently, I'm not the world's best colourer either - it looks so messy up close (and I need some help with my Crystal Effects aim too!) but from a distance it looks good!

Well that's it for tonight! I've got to get the puppy out to pee and then down for a sleep.

Check in tomorrow - I'm almost ready to post the rest of the NEW CATTY Swap Sneak Peeks.

Scrap Arts Halloween Card Contest

Scrap Arts in North Vancouver is having a Halloween Card Contest.



If you're in the area - make sure you drop a card off for a chance at a great prize!



This is the card I contributed:

I actually made it last year for a Stampin' Up! Demo only card swap but now I'm glad I kept one!

Click HERE for a link to the original post and all the details - plus a close up!

Halloween Votives

I saw these on Melanie Muenchinger's blog and decided to give them a try using Stampin' Up! supplies only!

I gave this one to Susan - Hi! Susan! - when I dropped off her order this morning.

Here's a view of the inside -

I'm going to try another adhesive because the TOMBO was kind of messy!

I used the new Scalloped Edge Punch and the new House of Haunts Stamp Set as well as Spookacular Greetings (a retired SU! set).

Aren't they cute?

This year's Halloween Project

Each year I try to make a Halloween project.

Having kids a little older (12 & 14) and being in Canada, Halloween is not as big a deal around here as it was when the kids were younger.

However I like to make something - not fancy or complicated - just a little something that I can use as a centre piece or counter "treat" for the store.

To make this project I used an empty prima flower bucket and covered it with a strip of patterned paper, then a layer of black with the SU! wheel in white ink, and some images from Spooktacular Greetings (retired SU! stamps).

I tied some ribbon scraps in black and orange on the handle to finish it off.

Inside are individually wrapped googly eye gum balls.

Halloween Treat Ideas

Last year I made this super easy centre piece for Halloween.

The ghosts are suckers/lollipops wrapped in white tissue, with some googly eyes glued on and then stuck into a terra cotta pot.

I also made these simple little kiss holders for my co-workers.

I'm not much into the whole Halloween thing but I do like to make a little something. I'm still looking for some ideas...

If you have any ideas to share please leave me a comment and if you're looking for ideas go to Craft Critique. They're doing a Halloween Craft Carnival this week.