Trick or Treat for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  Today the Paper Players has a new theme challenge.  The amazing Claire is hosting and has chosen a fun one for the season - Halloween Costumes!

Paper Players

If you've followed me for any length of time you know I LOVE making Halloween cards and for this one I used a new Tim Holtz/Sizzix die set.

Isn't that a hoot?  I love the cute/creepy costumed kids with a cat and an umbrella (???)!  

I started by masking off the moon, then using a number of Distress inks to create the atmospheric setting.  I splattered it with a bit of water and when that was dry, I used a stencil to lightly color in the moon.  

All the images were die cut with black cardstock, then attached to the background.  The only thing that took time, other than making the background, was just figuring out the placement of the sentiment, limbs and bats.  Not hard to make but I like how it turned out.

I'll have a couple more Halloween cards to share in upcoming posts (one on 10/12, the other on the 16th), so please come back and take a peek if you enjoy these types of cards.  Or consider yourself forewarned if you don't lol!

What are you inspired to create using Claire's fun theme?  The other DT members have created some fabulous cards and I encourage you to visit the challenge blog and check them out.  This challenge will remain open until Friday October 10th at 3pm EDT.  I hope to see your card in the gallery!

Thanks for visiting and take care.

Stef

• Tim Holtz/Sizzix Trick-or-Treat and Vault Fright Night dies
• Hero Arts Nested Circle die (for moon mask)
• Villainous Potion, Wilted Violet, Crushed Olive, Peeled Paint, Antique Linen and Black Soot Distress Inks
• Picket Fence Haunted Moon Blending Stencils

Joyful Bouquet for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  The Flower Challenge is back for the month of October and this time we'd like everyone to add purple on your floral card.  Since I love purple, I didn't have to think twice about that!

I have a sweet bouquet stamp purchased during Stamptember that I decided to use.  It was a collaboration stamp between Simon Says Stamp and Altenew.  Since I keep adding to my NBUS collection, I guess I better send it over to Darnell's NBUS blog lol!

I used mainly blue violets but I did manage to add a pop of yellow along with the purple flowers.

The pretty floral spray was colored with Olo and Copic markers, then die cut with the matching die.  I love the angle of the stamp, it could fit so many ways on a card, but the placement I used seemed to make the most sense so I could add the sentiment, which also from the same stamp set.

The cover panel was die cut from SSS Lavender and adhered to the card base.  Another die from the same set was cut from white and popped up with foam tape.  After adding the spray and the sentiment I added a few Opal Dazzling gems to finish things off.

Okay all you purple and flower lovers, we'd love to see your cards in the gallery this month!  Be sure to stop by the challenge blog (linked above) to see all the gorgeous inspiration from my oh, so talented teammates.  So many beautiful cards!  The challenge will remain open until Saturday October 25th.  Please join us this month!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stef  

• Altenew/SSS Joyful Bouquet stamps and dies for Stamptember 2025
• Honey Bee Stamps Spring Vine Layering Frames dies
• SSS Opal Dazzling Gems
• Olos - BV1.7, 1.4, 1.2, 1.1, BG2.7, 2.5. 2.4, 2.1, YO 2.5, Y2.3, 2.2, 1.1
• Copics - YG67, 17, 03, E37, 33, V17

Trick or Treat

Hello friends!  I'm popping in with a card to share with the lovelies over at the Time Out Challenge.  It's the "Pick 2" challenge, which is always a fun one to play along with.  This time I chose spatter and season.

TOC #298

 

I love making Halloween cards, so my season choice is fall.  I have to admit this one is a bit more on the creepy side, but I had a blast making it because I love getting inky.

I started with the background using a panel of Distress watercolor paper.  After masking off the moon, I used Distress Spray Stains to cover the panel.  It was a lot of water, spray, dry to get what I wanted. I dried, that, removed the mask then sprayed water on the moon so the spray stains around the edges would seep across the moon and create that spooky atmosphere. 

I learned out this technique from watching a video by Amy R. who credited it to Stacy Hutchinson here. I used it on a couple other Halloween cards I'll be posting in the next couple of weeks.

In the end, the background turned out much darker than I originally planned because I ink blended Black Soot on the foreground so the pumpkins looked less like they were floating in space.  They still do a little bit, ha ha - spooky floating pumpkins!

The pumpkins were colored with Copic markers, die cut, then I used gray markers to color in the white from the die cut.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set and the bats from another TH die set.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it!

Stef

• Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Pumpkinhead stamps
• TH/Sizzix Vault Coffin bat dies
• Simon Says Stamp Pumpkinhead dies
• Distress Spray Stains - Black Soot, Fossilized Amber, Rusty Hinge, Cracklin' Campfire
• Distress Inks - Black Soot, Scorched Timber, Antique Linen

Fall Wreath for Color Hues

Hello friends!  Another month has rolled around and therefore it's time for a new challenge at Color Hues.  The lovely Marcia is our host, and she's chosen some perfect fall colors for this challenge.

 

Color Hues

Yep, I went with leaves, these colors were too perfect not to.  

The leaves were all die cut from white cardstock, then I used Copic markers to color them in a variety of yellows, light reddish brown and rust.  Coloring wasn't anything fancy but when the colors are all blended, they look so nice.

A panel of C & 9th Sunflower cardstock was die cut with a postage edge die, then stamped in a similar color with a plaid, creating a subtle, tone-on-tone background.  The panel was added to an ivory card base, then the wreath was assembled, layered on two additional wreaths cut from SU Cajun Craze.  A few extra leaves were die cut, colored, then mounted slightly askew on top of the same leaves.  The sentiment was die cut and added, along with a few gems, and that completed the card.

That's it!  Please spend a minute visiting the challenge blog, my talented teammates have some amazing cards to inspire you.  The challenge will remain open until October 14th at 9am EDT.  I hope to see your card in the gallery!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stef

• Simon Says Stamp Fall Wreath dies
• SSS Autumn Leaves dies
• SSS Postage Edge die
• SSS Soft Plaid Background stamp
• Honey Bee Stamps Birthday Wishes stamp and dies
• HBS Vintage Love gems
• C & 9 Cayenne ink
• SSS Honey ink
• Copics - Brown - E99, 97, 95; Rust - E19, YR18, 14; Yellow #1 - YR24, 19, 15, 13; Yellow #2 YR27, 24, 23, 31