Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge with Clearly Besotted

I have a Halloween card to share today made with the, oh so cute, Clearly Besotted In Print stamp set. I just love this stamp set and I use it a lot to send cards to my grandkiddos. I love it because you can use your fingerprint to make the body of the images in the stamp set. If you don't want to get your finger inky there is a fingerprint stamp included in the set.

I'm entering this card in the Anything Goes Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge featuring Clearly Besotted stamps as well as the SSS Monday challenge for ombre. I did a little ombre look on the bottom of my card using Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmalade and Wild Honey. I love it when a card comes together quickly. After I inked the bottom of the card I did a little splattering on the top with the same ink colors. Next I stamped the adorable spider image and drew a line attaching him from the top of the card. I added a thin piece of black gingham washi tape for him to stand on. Then I added a sentiment using Lawn Fawn's Owen's ABCs stamp and die set. A few sequins from Pretty Pink Posh finished the card off.

Cardz TV Gallery Halloween Treats

So glad you stopped by today. I'm sharing some cute little Halloween Treat containers using Cardz TV Stamp sets More Spooky Sayings and Frankly Frightful. For my first set of containers that will be going to my two granddaughters I decided to go with a ghost image (from My Creative Time). I used one of Mary's newer stamps sets called Let's Face It to make the ghost faces. I stamped the eyes, colored them in with a green marker to coordinate with my paper colors, then added the mouth. The eyes have a little shine to them thanks to a little Glossy Accents. I added the BOO sentiment onto a tiny tag and tied it onto the goodies with some twine.

For my next two containers I used a gift bag die (again from My Creative Time). Next I added the Dracula images (My Creative Time). I colored them with my Copics. So here's a question for you, which face do like best, the one colored with a pale grey or the flesh colored face. I did the flesh colored face first and then I thought to myself that it might look better with a very pale looking face so I used light gray markers. Dracula doesn't get out much and spends daytime hours sleeping in his coffin, so naturally he would be pale. I added the Frankly Frightful sentiment onto a couple of tags and tied them onto the bags.

Now I have a confession to make. As I planned this card out I was thinking my image was Frankenstein. I'm not much into Halloween or spooky images so it didn't occur to me that this was Dracula until I started to type up this post. Oh well, Dracula is Frightful, too. Good thing my grandsons are too young to point out to me that this is not Frankenstein. So glad I figured it out before I posted it saying I used Frankenstein's image. Duh, I don't know where my head is sometimes.

Well, actually I do know. It's been steeped in construction here at my house. Our new addition is almost complete. All that needs to be done is the trim inside the room, crown mouldings and floor mouldings, window sills and door frame mouldings. My new furniture has been ordered and will be here in about three more weeks. For those of you who have heard me talk before about living in a tiny house (500 sq. ft.) in an adult RV resort, we now have an additional 300 sq. ft. I'm so excited that I'm now going to have a work space (desk and craft storage). I'll post pictures of the inside when it's finished, but here is what it looks like on the outside.

The Cutting Cafe

Welcome! It's Cutting Cafe post day and I have two different projects today showcasing The Cutting Cafe File Folders Box Holders. This file has two different size boxes and I've made one of each. The smaller box is the perfect size for storing A2 size cards and envelopes and the bigger box is just the right size for holding 6x6 paper pads.

I decided to use the smaller box as a recipe card holder. I used a fun kitchen print paper from DCWV to construct my box then I chose solid color cardstock colors to match and cut my dividers from them. I used my Brother Labeler (love, love, love) to print my labels for my dividers.

For my paper holder box I used a cute bird print paper from DCWV. I love having something to store my 6x6 paper pads in and I plan on making more of these because I pretty much use only 6x6 paper. Since I am mostly a card maker I really enjoy the smaller pads. I just don't have the space to store larger 12x12 paper pads. I do have a few left over from my scrapbooking days and I usually only pull them out when I have bigger projects like this to make.

Cardz TV Stamps Just For You

Today is my day to post in the Cardz TV Gallery. I decided to do a little inking in fun summery colors before we are too entrenched in the colors of fall. I used Hero Arts Medium tone dye inks in Soft Pool, Lemon Yellow, Lime Green and Dark Quartz. Before adding the inked stripes I stamped an Impression Obsession background stamp using some Hero Arts pigment ink in Unicorn White. When it was dry (with a little help from my heat gun) I taped off the stripes on a diagonal using Post-It tape. I left a section in white so I could stamp my sentiment. I used the Cardz TV Stamp set Basic Borders for the stitched line and stamped it in Momento Tuxedo Black ink. Then I added the Just For You sentiment from the Cardz TV stamps Big and Bold Sentiments stamp set. I wanted to add the words "my friend" to the card so I looked at my other Cardz TV stamp sets and found just what I needed in the Cardz TV stamp set Encouraging Thoughts. For a finishing touch I added a small die cut heart that I inked with Soft Pool to match. If you would like to order any of these stamp sets you can find them HERE.

Pink & Main Challenge #1 Mermaid Birthday Card

Another family birthday calls for a FUN handmade card. I love making cards for my granddaughters because I know they really like them and they know that I made it especially for them. For this card I used a stamp set from a new, to me, company called Pink and Main. I discovered the stamps and their owner/illustrator, Michelle, at Stampfest 2015 in Lakeland, FL back in June. Michelle was a very inspiring lady and I really enjoyed meeting her. She did the most adorable Make and Take card using this cute little mermaid and I knew I had to have the stamp set to make cards for my granddaughters. Tell me this isn't the cutest mermaid you've ever seen. The stamp set is called, what else, Mermaids. I decided to make a wonderful scene using her as the focal point. The dolphin and fish are also part of the stamp set, as well as the rock the mermaid is sitting on. I colored all the images using Copics. I'm entering this card in the first Pink and Main challenge. I hope you'll check out the Pink and Main website and blog. I bought several other stamp sets so you'll be seeing more cards on my blog using these adorable images.

The Cutting Cafe Milk Carton

This week at The Cutting Cafe the Design Team is making projects with Milk Carton files. I used the Plain Milk Carton, but Regina also has some themed for Easter, Halloween/Fall, Christmas and Assorted Shapes. All of Regina's cutting files come in various forms-PDF, SVG, and WPG. I used the PDF file this time and cut it out by hand. Sometimes, if you are using a dark colored paper that has a white core, the scoring lines show a lot when you cut it with a cutting machine (Silhouette, Cricut Explore, etc.). When I want to avoid that I often cut it by hand. I added some die cut leaves to the front of the carton, a die cut label with a stamped sentiment, then used some orange tulle, to make a bow. This would be fun hostess gifts for your Thanksgiving table. You'll want to be sure to stop by The Cutting Cafe Blog on Monday, September 7th, to see the Design Teams projects for more inspiration. Thanks for stopping by today.

Guest Designing for Paper Sweeties

I'm just thrilled to pieces to be Guest Designing for Paper Sweeties this month. Thank you, so very much Debbie, for allowing me the pleasure. I am so honored to be chosen.  Paper Sweeties is a wonderful home industry company run by "sweetness" personified, Miss Debbie Marcinkiewicz. She designs all her amazing clear cling stamps and steel dies and they're made in America. This month's Inspiration Challenge uses the picture below. My design projects were inspired by the beautiful colors and that jar of pencils.

As a retired educator, I used to love "decorating up" my desk. If I was still working, I would be so excited to add these projects to my desk. Today I'm showcasing a banner, storage box and pencil holder. The box is made using a cutting file from The Cutting Cafe. It's called Book Box Set 2 Template and Cutting File. To decorate my book box I used Paper Sweeties Abigail and her coordinating die. To dress her up in her school outfit I used Paper Sweeties So Proud of You stamp set.

Next up is my banner. Again, I used Abigail and the So Proud of You stamp set. Abigail needed a friend to join her on this banner so I used Jake and his coordinating die. Jake is wearing clothes from Paper Sweeties Happy Fall Ya'll. I've also used Sweeties Wagon for Jake to put his school books in. The books are from the So Proud of You stamp set, as well as the A+ Student sentiment.

Last, but not least, is my pencil jar. The sentiment on the tag tied onto the jar comes from the So Proud of You stamp set.