Happy Halloween Something Wicked Skull

Coffee/Tea of the Day - White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice coffee

Happy Halloween!
We aren't big celebrators of the day, but as I have mentioned in prior posts, I do try to make cards to send along with candy to our sons and the ladies in their lives. I wanted to make a card for hubby, too. yesterday was a rough one, with me spending most of the day in bed, so I quickly finished this card this morning.

The bg piece is the same as what I created for the cards for the Candy Crow and Skull Couple cards. Distress oxide sprays and distress inks were applied over watercolor paper, then stamped with images from the Tim Holtz Tiny Things 2 and Regions Beyond sets. the TH flame stencil was then used.

for this card, I also used the TH crossbones stencil and grit texture paste. I love how the paste absorbs colors from the bg! the sentiment is from the TH Regions Beyond set and embossed on black cs. the skull image is from the Simon Says Stamp and TH Stamptember 2019 collaboration set.  it reminds me a bit of an alligator, which is fitting since we lived for 10 years in Florida and met up with quite a few of those critters. ;) the skull was loosely watercolored and fussy cut before distressing with ink.

vintage buttons are from my stash, tickets are from a Jellibean ephemera pack, and ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon. the rose is from Wild Orchid Crafts. I added some touches of ink and also used my SU! ink squirty tool to spray some black speckles. did the same on one of the little ephemera tickets.

I was so excited that this sentiment was included in the TH Regions Beyond stamp set. when Dave and I were dating, this was one of the first movies we watched together, and quickly became a favorite. if you haven't seen it or read the book, I highly recommend it! :)

enjoy your day! thanks for stopping by. :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
SSS Wed Ch and SSS Work it Wed. - anything goes
Crafty Gals Corner - Halloween colors
Little Red Wagon - scary it
Paper Funday - anything goes w/Halloween twist
A Place to Start - create your own challenge:
1. image, sentiment, solid paper (mat and sentiment pieces as well as card base)
2. embossing, wet or dry (wet)
3. embossing powder
4. buttons, flowers
5. ribbon
Dream Valley - add a sentiment
Pammie's Inky Pinkies - anything goes
Aud Sentiments - anything goes w/sentiment
Krafty Chicks - orange and black

Day of the Dead Skull Couple Halloween Cards

Top 3 Pick at Always Fun Challenges
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Tiramisu coffee

Happy Wednesday to all of you! :)
So I managed to finish the cards for my sons and their significant others and get everything in the mail, hopefully in time. well, I should say that hubby got it in the mail for me. ;) what a guy! I am working on his card today and will try to post it tomorrow if all goes well.

The bg for both of these cards is the same as what I created for the Halloween Candy Crow card I shared a few days ago. I tried to streamline the creative process as much as I could since crafting takes me so very long these days.

for a recap, distress oxide sprays as well as distress oxide inks were applied to watercolor paper. I used the Tim Holtz flame stencil over this, as well as the Prima messy script mini stamp. House stamp (and some of the sentiments) is from the Tim Holtz Regions Beyond set, owl and mushrooms are from the Tim Holtz Tiny Things 2 set, and the wonderful Dia de los Muertos skull couple are from the Tim Holtz Day of the Dead set. the other sentiments are from the Simon Says Stamp and Tim Holtz Stamptember 2019 collaboration set.

The skull couple comes in two sizes in the stamp set. I used the smaller ones and embossed with black ep. I then lightly watercolored the images after fussy cutting. edges were distressed with ink. with a last name like Scull, all of us in the family tend to gravitate toward and collect skull images.

sentiments were embossed with white ep onto black cs. each was then distressed with black ink.

moth images are from The Graphic Fairy. roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts and have had black soot distress stickles added to them. ribbons and trim are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. the mirrored hearts were first colored with a sharpie marker and then lightly sponged with timber brown Stazon ink to tone down the red as well as add some aging. (sorry for the glare in the photos)

this time I remembered my vintage buttons! :)  I also added these cool little seed pod shell fragments that I found out at Camp a week or two ago. they have been messy painted with distress crackle paint, I think in Shabby Shutters. I have had this a while, obviously, since the colors of distress crackle paint have all been discontinued. that was a sad day, as was the day they retired all of the distress stickle line. :( needless to say, I stocked up as much as I could.

Have a most amazing day! thanks for your continued support. :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
TTCRD - anything goes
Always Fun - Halloween
Crafting Happiness - Halloween
Crafty Cardmakers - Halloween
Double Trouble - color (orange, red, purple, brown) and optional twist of something that flies (moths and owl)
Pattie's Creations - autumn or Halloween
Sweet Stampers - autumn or Halloween
Tales From the Craftroom - Halloween
Creative Crafters - anything goes
SSS Wed Ch and SSS Work it Wed - anything goes

'Candy Made Me Do It' Halloween Crow

Top 3 at Sweet Stampin'
Winner at Fabrika Fantasy
Honorable Mention at Lavinia World
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Hazelnut Vanilla coffee

Hello to all of you!
I am sharing a card that I made for one of my son's and his wife for Halloween. we always send them candy for the holiday, even though they are all grown and have moved away. some traditions just last long beyond the nest. ;)

my crafting is extremely slow these days, so it's taking me lots longer to get these made. hopefully I will have the others finished tomorrow so they can get in the mail.

I had a great time creating the bg on this card. it's a combination of numerous distress oxide sprays in addition to regular distress ink. the main images were stamped with Memento ink. in lighter ink that matches the card base I stamped the Prima script stamp I have been using lately. it might not show in the photo, but irl it peeks through ever so slightly, which is exactly what I wanted. :) stamps used are from the Tim Holtz 'Regions Beyond' and 'Tiny Things 2' sets. the Tim Holtz flame stencil was also used before distressing the edges.

The crow was embossed with black ep. both it and the sentiment are from a special collaboration stamp set between Simon Says Stamp and Tim Holtz. I actually bought the set because of these stamps. :) it originally was one stamp, but I cut the sentiments apart from all of the images. that way I can get more use from them and it's easier to stamp one or the other. I lightly watercolored the crow after fussy cutting. it is popped up on a double thickness of foam tape. sentiment is embossed with white ep on black cs.

the candy bingo card is by Jenni Bowlin and is a digital download from Snap Click Supply. if you don't yet, check them out every Wednesday for their dollar specials. it's the best deal around!  they also have some kind of promotion that runs every weekend, ranging from 50% off certain brands to a sale on new products. I am not a rep for them, just a very happy customer! :) the card is edged in black soot distress stickles. they are also added to the flower by the sentiment.

both moth images are from The Graphics Fairy, ribbons and trim are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, flower is by Wild Orchid Crafts, and little candies are from a QuicKutz die. boy howdy, did those little goodies almost do me in! I also added a few twigs for the crow to rest upon. gosh, I just realized that I didn't add any vintage buttons! what is up with that?! :)

I hope all of you have had a wonderful weekend! bring on Monday. :)
take care!
Jennifer

Challenges:
SSS Monday Ch - spooky
Dragonfly Dreams - use black
Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes
Allsorts - make your own bg
Crafty Calendar - Autumn colors/Halloween
Crafty Friends - embossing, wet or dry
Di's Digis - Halloween or Harvest
Sweet Stampin' - Halloween or black and orange
Shopping Our Stash - Halloween
Daring Cardmakers - make it spooky
CRAFT - Halloween/Thanksgiving/Bonfire Night
Lavina World - anything goes using stamping
Fabrika Fantasy - Halloween

A Skull Wreath for Halloween

This is my second post for today. :)

I want to thank both Avril and Teri over at Delicious Doodles for having me as their Guest Designer this month! I was blessed to be a previous challenge winner from their fun blog, so they invited me to be a guest with them for October. isn't that fun?!

the theme for the month is Halloween, and while we don't typically celebrate this holiday, I couldn't let the opportunity go by to create a skull wreath card. doesn't everyone need a skull wreath as a decoration?! grins! maybe it's just those of us who happen to have a similar last name!

I started with the Skully Christmas Wreath image, printed it multiple times, popped up a few skulls on foam tape for more dimension, and then added it to my little mausoleum crypt. this was created with a Spellbinders die that I added embossin paste to a  Crafter's Workshop stencil.I inked the paste after it dried and then used my ink squirty tool.  another Spellbinders die adds the laurel at the top.

the grasses are a My Favorite Things die. pretty border die at the top is from Whimsy Stamps and sentiment comes from Create with TLC. orange satin ribbon is from SU! while orange twine is a Michael's find. paper is from Echo Park.

and while we're on the subject of skulls, since this is our last name, my sons decided that it was time we all got a family tattoo. so each one of us is getting a skull tattoo, unique to the individual. I had mine done last week. I also had a Winnie the Pooh one done on my arm to represent me with my sons. yes, I am the enigma - a skull and Winnie the Pooh all at the same time! :) but I love them both dearly!

Tyler had his tattoo done at the same time I had mine done. Mick had his done yesterday. I think it's neat that they all want to do something that unifies us as a family! :)

well, that's it for me.... all of you have a most amazing weekend! and I hope you get a chance to play along in the Delicious Doodles challenge this month. :)

Challenges:
Choux Choux Paper Art - Halloween linky party
Anything Goes with TLC - anything goes with a TLC image/sentiment

Hot Dog, It's Halloween! ;)

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice, of course!

Hello, everyone! Happy Halloween to you! while I'm not so big on this holiday, (please don't throw your rotten pumpkins at me!) we do have a great time over at our friends' house each year giving out free hot dogs to all of the trick-or-treaters in our town. we loving call it the 'Hot Dog House,' and it's great fun!

this is a tradition that has been going on for over 12 years. we give away free hot dogs, fresh off of the grill, along with hot cocoa and water. it's wonderful to see people stop by year after year and catch up with old friends.

I, personally, haven't been able to attend since my cancer diagnosis, so this will be  my first time to go in a while. I'm really looking forward to it!

I know there hasn't been anything crafty posted in a week, but behind the scenes I am a busy little worker bee! some fun stuff will be coming soon, I promise. :)

enjoy your weekend, whatever you do. :)

I'm Going Batty over this FUN News!

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Nut Creme

Today I get to share with you some most amazing news - I have been accepted onto the Really Reasonable Ribbon Design Team!!!!!

if you have ever been to the RRR blog or played along in the challenges, then you know that this team contains some of the most talented people in all of crafty land! that they would want little ol' me just knocked my ever lovin' socks right off! I probably screamed and squealed loud enough to startle the folks in Canada when that email message came through. ;) thanks to Bonnie for giving me the chance! :)

to start off my term in proper fashion, I have a little project to share with you.

several weeks ago I won some cute dies by Lawn Fawn, courtesy of Lori at Choux Choux Paper Art. I thought they would make great treats to give/send to friends and family for Halloween.

using free  digital papers I found at Far Far Hill, I die cut the pillow box bat bodies and bat wings. faces and ears were cut from solid black cs and then googly eyes were added for a fun touch. edges were distressed with black ink before assembling. little goodie bags filled with Harvest M&M's are inside.... yum yum! :)

the bats are decorated with orange burlap string, black burlap string, orange plaid ribbon with black stitching, Gladys black crochet lace, and Catherine white crochet lace.

some of the little bats were packaged together in cellophane gift bags tied with itsy bitsy spider grosgrain ribbon. I love the way it looks as if their wings are covering their eyes for a game of hide 'n seek! :)

Please be sure to stop by the RRR blog to say a big hidey ho to all of the Design Team members! check out the store for some wonderful ribbons, too. they are sooooooooo lush! :)

Eek! A Zombie ATC

I'm back with my 2nd Simply Betty zombie ATC, as I had mentioned this morning. This time I'm using the Singing Betty Apocalypse zombie image that was given free for that particular challenge. Even though today is the last day to get entries in, I bet you still have time to request your image. all you actually have to do is color the image and get it uploaded to the proper album. not so hard to do in just a few hours. :)

As before, I still haven't tracked down the mfg. of the paper scraps I found on my desk. will do that soon and try to update the posts. 'eek!' journaling circle and ric rack are from the same Making Memories Vintage Findings kit I used before, pretty purple flower is from Michael's, washi tape is from my stash, and button is vintage.

edited to add - paper is digital offering by Crafty Secrets.

I will have the purple themed blog candy winner later, after the other winners from The Hop to Stop are posted over on The Damsel of Distressed. I want to try to spread the winnings out to as many people as possible. :)

 Enjoy your weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

Challenges:
Crafting with Friends - anything goes
Crafty Catz - anything goes
Pattie's Creations - fall or Halloween image
Simply Create Too - Halloween colors
Stamping Boutique - purple, orange, and black
Wicked Wed ATC - witches, bats, and/or black cats
Star Stampz - Halloween or Harvest
Crafty Gals Corner - witches, ghouls, and goblins
Get Creative - Halloween
Pile it On - funky or freaky
Robyn's Fetish - lots of orange

Beware the Zombie! ATC

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Happy Friday to each of you! I hope you have had a wonderful week and have great things planned for the weekend! :)

my week has been CRAZY! between car shopping, another son in a car accident, a sick dog, and life in general, things have sure seemed whacky around here.

we did get another vehicle, so thanks for all of the happy thoughts on that front. here is a photo of Dave and Tyler with our 04 Jeep Grand Cherokee. (taken at Camp) it's in pretty good shape. just needed new tires and a front end alignment, at least so far! a few other small things to do to it, and then we'll feel set for winter.

speaking of which, snow is in the forecast for this weekend. time to bundle up! :)

I have SO MANY craft projects percolating behind the scenes, some of which are holiday gifts. in the mean time, I played along in a quickie challenge over at the Simply Betty Facebook Fan Page. if you requested the free image, you just needed to color it and then add to the group album. I figured I could do that! I'll post another one later today once I get it finished.

I turned it into an ATC. sorry I don't know the paper right off hand. it was a scrap sitting on my desk and just too perfect to pass up! the bat, ric rack, and beware tag come from a Making Memories vintage findings kit. I really hate that they retired that line. they were always so much fun to  play with! :) little flower and button are real vintage and washi tapes are from my stash. the metal accents on the image were highlighted with a silver glitter gel pen.

edited to add - paper is digital offering by Crafty Secrets.

As I mentioned before, I'll be back later today with the other Simply Betty image. I'll also announce then the winner of the purple themed blog candy. :)  see you then!

Challenges:
Wicked Wed ATC - witches, bats, and/or black cats
Dragon's Lair - Halloween
Left of Center - old fashioned horror (can't beat Romero's zombies!)
Aud Sentiments - Halloween
Moving Along with the Times - Halloween
Quoth the Raven - color challenge
Crafting By Designs - Halloween
Dream Valley - Halloween
Our Crafty Corner - getting ready for Halloween
ATC Around the World - Halloween

Happy Pumpkin Day!

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice, of course!

Wishing all of you a Happy Pumpkin Day/Halloween!

We have our annual Hot Dog House for trick or treating this evening. for those of you not familiar with our tradition, we go to a friend's home and pass out hot dogs, coffee, hot chocolate, and water to all of those who are trick or treating in our community. We've been doing this for more than 10 years now, and it is always a big hit! We give away more than 200 hot dogs every year. Dave will go over about 5:00pm to help get the tables and grills set up.

Whatever you do for the holiday and weekend, stay safe!

I'll be back later this weekend with some projects I have been working on. don't forget that tonight is your last chance to enter my Pinktober Blog Candy! :)

Guess What I am Doing Today?

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (kinda obvious on this one... grins!)

So what do you think I am doing today?

Hubby is getting himself ready for the big Hot Dog House we do every Halloween. in case you aren't familiar with this, we get together at a friend's house and grill hot dogs to pass out to families trick or treating. no charge, just a way to say 'hello' to all of the friendly people in our little town! we usually give away several hundred hot dogs in addition to hot chocolate and water every year. we've been doing this for over 10 years. I haven't been able to go the past few. it is such a wonderful tradition and we really have such a great time! :)

but I am getting envelopes of blog candy goodies ready to mail out!!!! I'll most definitely have 6 winners. after I get busy today, there might be more. I'll just have to see. you have until midnight tonight to get yourself linked for a chance to win! the majority of the entries are from outside of the USA, so don't let living across the pond stop you from entering! :)

yesterday I wrote about some of my crafting complaints. today you get the flip side. I am going to tell you about some FABULOUS stores and people who make this world a whole lot brighter! see, I'm not always a Debbie Downer. ;)

for customer service, you CAN NOT beat Stampin' Up!  I don't order from them as often as I would like, and yes, I do miss the days of being a demo. but if I ever ever have a problem, they are speedy fast to fix it with the happiest of people on the phone. if it's spilled re-inkers, broken stamp cases, or whatever, they go out of their way to make sure I AM HAPPY. their orders routinely ship out pretty fast, and replacements seem to ship even faster.

my son, Tyler, had a problem with something he ordered from Amazon a while back. he created a ticket on their website and actually received a call from their customer service dept within a few hours. here it is a few days later and an upgraded part has been sent. they told him they will call to make sure not only that the part arrived, but that it works properly. he is so very impressed!

now for some stores that go above and beyond......

I received, out of the blue, a package a few days ago from Simon Says Stamp. it's been a while since I last shopped with them. as far as I knew, they had no clue who I am.... inside this box was the most beautiful collection of pink crafty goodies - glitters, inks, perfect pearls, and stickles! you know I was beside myself!!! tucked inside was also a gorgeous handmade card. written inside it said, 'We were thinking of you and thought we'd send some things to help brighten your day.'  boy howdy, did it ever! last year my friend Lisa had sent me a wonderful box of things from their store when I was in the midst of chemo. Heidi and the people who work with her at SSS actually remembered that! and the really cool thing is that this box arrived right after I received my letter from the hospital, so I was needing a bit of cheering up. talk about God's timing! :)

next we have Unity Stamps. they are so very kind and generous! I wrote to them as soon as I was asked to be a hostess for Hope You Can Cling To and had my challenge approved. the 'Brave Boots' comes from one of their stamp sets. I just wanted to tell them what an inspiration that stamp set had been to me, and hopefully would be to someone else going through any kind of a battle. well, they sent a fabulous box of stamps (sets and individuals) for me to give away here on my blog! those of you who win prizes through the blog candy will be winning stamps that Unity has donated! how cool is THAT?!?! and just so you know.... I have kept one single sentiment stamp for myself. all of the rest are being given away. I want to be sure to pass along the kindness to all of you.

there are also multitudes of YOU who have sent me cards and care packages. my friend, Tracy, just recently sent me a zombie card that has me giggling every time I look at it! I never forget that I am blessed. really. I just need a bit of a break right now. there is a part of me that is weary. the sun still shines somewhere, the birds still sing. none of that has changed.

see you in a few days with the winners! :)

Zombies Need Pumpkin Spice Lattes!

Yesterday began a new challenge over at The Stamping Boutique - Halloween. while we don't really celebrate Halloween as such, you know I love me some zombies! So when I was looking through the store trying to figure out what I was going to do, I came across 'Zombie Girl with Tea.' perfect! only to me she looked to be needing her pumpkin spice latte fix..... I typed up a quick little sentiment on my compy and we were ready to go! :)

papers are from the Authentique Apothecary Emporium collection, cool pumpkins die is Cheery Lynn, flower is Prima, sparkly trim is Making Memories, and everything else is from my stash.  the zipper across her mouth is accented with shimmerz paint.

btw - I have seen World War Z 4 times now... it is so amazing and gets me pumped up every time I see it. poor Dave gets more and more freaked each time he watches it. he likes the slow moving zombies of The Walking Dead much better. tee hee! :)

Challenges:
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
Crafter's Cafe - just a bit out there....
Paper Pretties - purple, green (leaves on cup as well as leaves of Prima), orange
Bearly Mine - Halloween
Inky Chicks - 2 different die cuts
Paper Minutes - bizarre/ weird
2 Creative Chicks - Spooktacular linky party
2 Creative Chicks - Halloween linky party
Cupboard Trilogy - Halloween or fall
Created with Love - Halloween
Corrosive - cute and creepy

Ghosts and Goblins Don't Scare Me.....

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice, of course! ;)

Happy Halloween to all of you, if you celebrate the holiday that is.... Please read to the bottom of my post for my costume this year. it still gives me the giggles, but then y'all know I'm kinda twisted. ;)

(image from The Graphics Fairy)

Every year for Halloween, we get together with several other families at one of their houses to set up what has grown to be called 'The Hot Dog House'. rather than give out candy, we grill hot dogs, pass out hot cocoa, water, and chips to everyone out trick or treating. it is a HUGE hit in our little town. one year because of illness in the homeowner's family we weren't able to do it. there were so many concerned people the following year who were worried we had stopped. We don't charge a penny for anything we pass out - it's all free. and oh my gosh, is it ever so much fun! Still waiting to find out if we're doing it today or not because of the weather. still raining and oh so, cold, but then again, we've done this in the snow. we DO live in northeast Ohio afterall..... I won't be able to go this year, which makes me sad, but hubby and Ryan are really looking forward to it.

So on to my costume for this year.... I haven't worn a costume in years. really. just not a fan of Halloween and all it's become. but that is a story for another time.
while checking out an online t-shirt store for Walking Dead stuff..... yep, zombie love rules!, I came across this one. cracks me up! (click on photo to see all of the saying....)

I'm working on the 'surviving' part, but boy howdy, ain't this the truth!

have a great day! love to all of you! :)

p.s. today is the last day to enter my Hope You Can Cling To blog candy. thank you to those of you have played along & are sending cards to MD Anderson!

Halloween Candy Treat Boxes - finally finished! :)

Coffee of the Day - Texas Turtle (pecan, chocolate, & caramel)

whew..... I finally finished the last of the Halloween candy treat boxes for everyone. and a good thing since the whole family will be together later this afternoon! ;) I am counting Jocelyn in this, too. I like her box best since I got to frou frou it up a bit more. still could have added a lot more stuff to all of them, but being sicky icky has taken it's toll on my crafty mojo & time as I've said before.


All images are from A Day for Daisies and stripe paper is Michael's Recollections. paper for wonderful skulls is Basic Grey Eerie. trims came from JoAnn's in their Halloween craft area. the fabby felt flower for Jocelyn's box is from Etsy. I'll be more than happy to connect you with the exact store if you are interested. :)


Paper is adhered using Mod Podge to drink carriers that were first spray painted. An additional coat of Mod Podge goes over the top to help seal. it really helps give a finished look to whatever project you are working on. images were for the most part printed onto SU! vellum cs. only those for tags were printed onto SU! whisper white cs. baker's twine also came from Etsy, since I long ran out of my A*Muse tying all of the candy cones. will need to place an order with them before the holidays for more treat gift boxes I plan to make!

everyone have a wonderful weekend! love ya bunches!
Jennifer

Delightful Challenges - orange, black, green, & purple
Glitter Geeks - ghosts, ghouls, spiders, spooks
Paper Play - Halloween/witches
Pixie Dust - spooky
Rainbow Lady - spooky and witches
Paper Craft Journey - use a digi
Sassy Studios - fave movie theme (Zombieland, of course! anyone got a twinkie?! tee hee!)
DYSU - Halloween
Divas by Design - spooky
Crafting for all Seasons - Halloween
Fab 'n Funky - Halloween
IBFC - Halloween
Fresh Brewed - spooky sweet treats
Paper Variety - Halloween
Sisterhood of Crafters - Halloween
Paper Shelter - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Pattie's - Halloween
Crafty Catz - spooky

Halloween Candy Treat Box

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Happy Weekend to you! I hope you have some wonderful plans for this weekend! :)

We were blessed to spend some time with Mick on Thursday night and then again yesterday morning visiting him at school. how truly glorious to see him again! he is turning into such a phenomenal young man that makes me so very proud every time I see him! :) yep, proud mom talking over here! grins! I decided a few weeks ago to make some special treat boxes for my guys for Halloween, and of course a unique one for Jocelyn, being the only girl in the bunch. she's one of mine even though she isn't an official Scull..... YET! tee hee! this is the one I made to take to Mick. it's a bit on the simple side 'cause Mick isn't one for the extras and frou frou..... not to mention I learned at the last minute that we were going to see him so I had to hurry to get it finishes! ha!


I'll show you each of them as I finish them up..... Tyler's will be delivered next week and Jocelyn & Mick will be here for the Halloween weekend to help with a fall retreat at Camp. They are made from drink holders that have been spray painted and covered in various scrapbook papers. All digis come from A Day for Daisies. the spiders in their web were printed onto vellum so the paper underneath would still show through. when I saw this Sizzix skull die a while back, I immediately picked it up. it is a necessity in this family with a last name like ours! :) baker's twine is from A*Muse, which came from my friend Nancy. I was the winner of a prize pack of hers a few weeks ago. love this twine! the cone bags are filled with various candies and fit perfectly in each slot of the holder. some wired orange ribbon is tied at the handle and finished with a fun mummy tag, paper pieced similar to the card I made several days ago.

Raise the Bar - orange & black
If the Shoe Fits - Halloween
Poodles Parlour - spooky Halloween
Stampin' for the Weekend - spooky
Delightful Challenges - Halloween
Stamp Insanity - trick out a treat
Allsorts - Halloween
Craft Your Days Away - Halloween colors
Di's Digi - Halloween
Just Some Lines - Halloween

Putting on a Costume with Jellypark!

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Hazelnut

Today marks new releases and a new challenge over at Jellypark Friends Friday Challenges. the theme is to use any kind of image that shows your person or cutey critter wearing a costume. it can be Halloween themed if you would like.


I chose to use one of Claire's new digi images, Boy in Pumpkin Costume, for my card. papers are from the Cosmo Cricket Matilda collection. I used a sketch from Fetch-A-Sketch for my layout. the seam tape is some from my big big dyeing adventure the other day with the multiple shades of glimmer mist. The pretty Spellbinders die is so decorative, I kept everything else pretty simple.

I hope you have a most wonderful weekend! love to each of you! :)

Paper Crafting Journey - orange, black, and white
Card Makin' Mamas - Halloween
Pattie's Creations - Halloween
Sassy Studios - Halloween

Fear of Spiders....

Coffee of the Day - Maple Pecan

I wanted to share with all of you that I am stepping down from almost all of my DT commitments since I am not getting any better right now. haven't been able to keep food down for going on 2 weeks & my fever just won't come down. blech! it just isn't fair to the stores and challenges that I was with to have someone who can't give them the full attention that they deserve. When I am healthy, it is no problem, but man, when the illnesses hit, my body lets me know that crafting falls to the bottom of the priority list. on a positive note, my term was almost complete with several of the teams, so I did give it my best shot of making it through. I really do hate leaving. it's hard for me to write that email to someone telling them I am stepping down.


I was finally able to do a bit of crafting yesterday. it felt good, but it took me not just all day, but into the late night to finish one card. I loved this cute senti that Paulette from Create with TLC released as a freebie last week about spiders. while Mick and I happen to love spiders in all shapes & sizes, Ryan and David are scared to death of them. I mean, seriously freaked by them. (kinda like me and monkeys!) so it just seemed perfect to use this senti on a Halloween card for David. I combined 3 wonderful images from Tammy over at A Day for Daisies with Echo Park Apothecary Emporium papers, authentic vintage seam tape (from an antique store even!!), rhinestones, gorgeous trim, and Prima rose. the seam tape, senti tag, and rose were sprayed with glimmer mist.

Crafty Cardmakers - cute with a dark twist
Creative Stamp Friends - Halloween
Paper Creations Ink - Halloween
Paper Pretties - Halloween
Dream Valley - Halloween
Gingerloft - Halloween or fall
Paper Sundaes - Halloween or fall
Desert Island Crafters - Halloween, candy colors (orange slices & licorice), shades of grey, spiders, undead (a family fave!)
Tiffany Doodles - paper piecing
Challenge Up Your Life - Halloween
D2D - cute Halloween (well I think they are cute anyhow!)
One Stop Craft - Halloween
Card Makin' Mamas - Halloween
Crazy Challenge - Halloween

Spooky Halloween Tags at Party Time Tuesday

This challenge for Party Time Tuesday is courtesy of our very own Peggy! She has picked....TAGS as our theme. So lets see those tags. A plus if they are Halloween themed! But we want to see them all! From Birthday to Christmas. We want you to tag it!

Here are our fabulous sponsors for this week:

One (1) Winner will receive a $20 Gift Credit To Circle B:



One (1) Winner will receive 2 digis from Stamp Insanity!

One (1) Winner will receive a $15 Gift Certificate to Mo's Digital Pencil!


We sure hope you play along in this fun challenge!


My tag uses an image and senti from Stamp Insanity. since I studied Shakespeare all through school, it just seemed appropriate to go with this wonderful quote! ;) paper is from the Cosmo Cricket Matilda collection. lots of shimmerz and stickles were added to give this cutey some sparkle in the moonlight! the tag base is a piece of cardboard that was inked with white craft. I love to use these for tags!

Paper Crafting Journey - color
Art Impressions - tag or bookmark
Sassy Studio - Halloween colors
Stamp Insanity - anything but a card
Pals Paper Arts - photo inspiration
Paper Pretties - Halloween
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Halloween
Ladybug Crafts - tag
My Craft Spot - color

My Namesake Witch! :)

A fun post for you to show my 'other side'..... tee hee!



some of you might not realize that the Princess Jennifer Latte line of images over at The Stamping Boutique are named after yours truly and my ahem..... 'intense' love of coffee! ;) so while I am being featured on the challenge blog today, I thought it only appropriate to show you a card with one of my namesake images. and what better image to show than one that showcases my darker side! grins! hopefully my family will refrain from leaving snide tacky comments here.....

I used papers from the Basic Grey Eerie collection. what a fun group of papers! I love the colors and designs! there is a lot of sparkle and shine on here thanks to my stickles, glitter pen, and shimmerz paints. the wonderful crow in a cage clear sticker comes from Jolees. I so rarely use stickers, but these just screamed out to me. isn't that black flower drop dead gorgeous?!?!?! couldn't resist that one either..... my witchy friend cackled in delight when I added it! ;) of course I needed to add some vintage trim and buttons to complete the card!!!

please check over at The Stamping Boutique challenge blog to meet other members of the Design Team. there are some wonderful people being introduced!

Charisma Cardz - black and orange
MelJen - Halloween
Crafting for All Seasons - fall flowers and pumpkins
Fresh Brewed - pumpkins
Little Darlings - fall or Halloween
Paper Shelter - Halloween
Clear it Out - Halloween
Tuesday Throwdown - Halloween
Karen's Doodles - Halloween

Friendly Monster Feet

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice


Today I want to share a fun card with you that shows one of the best things about true friends- we love each other for who we REALLY are, warts and all, good times and bad! ;)

this great image comes from The Stamping Boutique and is called 'A Crowded Mash'. papers are Cosmo Cricket Matilda. flower was made with a SU! punch and Prima, centered with a brad. buttons are all from my vintage stash. more of that fabby Etsy baker's twine makes an appearance as well. the little 'friends' tag was punched from a scrap of vintage book paper. some faux stitching with a black glitter spica pen was added around the card base, while stickles cover the witchy shoes and werewolf slipper's polka dots.

Dutch Dare - bingo (punches, distressing, bling)
Moving along with the times - spooky Halloween
Paper Crafting Journey - die cuts/punches
Stampin' B's - Halloween
Sassy Studios - fall colors
Little Darlings - fall/Halloween

Ribbons, Tim, & Fibers, Oh My!

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

We have a fun new challenge starting over at Party Time Tuesday - ribbons, trim, & fibers! you know this is right up MY alley! ;)

Our sponsors this week are:

Jen's Digi's

I would like to tell you a little about myself and my company. My name is Jennifer and I am the owner and creator of Jensdigistamps.com. I have been drawing ever since I could hold a pencil. I have done many jobs in my life including being a hair dresser for the past 20 years but art has always been my passion and my love. I am in art galleries through out Ohio with my fine art but cartooning is a huge passion of mine. I have created jensdigistamps to give creative people fun images to work with. I also love meeting people who use my images and I am always looking for new ideas.
Be sure to check out my work at www.jensdigistamps.com and feel free to contact me with any questions or ideas you may have.

Tiffany Doodles

Hi! I'm Tiffany, owner of TiffanyDoodles. My background is web design, graphic design & photography. I have been self employed for nine years and have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my work! Since childhood, I've always been creative and taken great pleasure in drawing and painting. In 2009, I discovered the stamping and paper crafting world and just fell in love!! In a very short order, I began transforming some of my drawings and doodles into "digis". It has truly been a joy to share them with folks. I get so thrilled every time I see something new that someone has created with one of my stamps!! Each design is like a child of mine and it's really neat to see it all grown up and out in the world being all it can be... LOL
All of my digital stamps are originally created by me and of the multiple styles I offer, most are hand-drawn images. Some are brushed up in Photoshop using the pen tool to produce very clean lines and others are left with a sketchy, rustic, hand-drawn look. An additional digi-style is one that I've dubbed as PhotoSketches and these are images from my photographs which I transformed into sketches with a little help from Photoshop. These beauties make splendid realistic images for stamping!

One of the ways that I wish to say "thank you" to all of the folks that follow Tiffany Doodles is by offering a brand new Freebie every Thursday. I've received a hefty response from this, which has encouraged me to continue creating even more!! I hope you find something you like here!

Circle B Enterprises

My name is Veronica Baker thou I am known in the Scrapbooking world as Just A Pac Rat. I am the owner of Circle B Enterprises Scrapbooking and more store and Spur's Computer Cures in Webb City, MO.
I used to have around 4000 Scrapbook related items listed on Ebay for almost 10 years, but about 8 months ago I decided to go strictly my own website and store front. This decision was mostly made because of Ebay's new price increase. I like to keep my prices low (presently 50% off retail prices) and just couldn't afford to do it on Ebay anymore. I am slowly but surely getting all my inventory listed online at http://www.circlebenterprises.com
I hope you will come visit my little store often and watch it grow! Also visit me at my creative blog http://circlebenterprises.blogspot.com where I show what I have created for challenges and Operation Write Home!


For my card, I decided to get funky for Halloween with this great dress image by Tiffany Doodles. Papers are Cosmo Cricket Matilda, and the witchy legs & boots one just cracked me up! I knew I had to come up with something fun to do with that sheet! so a bit of paper piecing, some great orange stickles, a little Prima baby flower here and there, buttons (of course!), finished off with wonderful baker's twine and this wonderful ribbon from Circle B, and we have a fabby card to send to our fave party girl!

Hope you will play along with us this week!

Bearly Mine - button up
Paper and Such - tic tac toe - flower, designer paper, twine
Creative Craft - buttons and bling
Whimsie Doodles - photo inspiration