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

Pumpkin Patch for Color Hues

Hello friends!  The first of the month has rolled around again (can you believe it???) and Color Hues has a new challenge.  The lovely Karen is hosting and has chosen a lovely color combo of orange and green.  Hmmm, rather fall-ish to me...🍃🎃.

Color Hues

As you can tell from the title of my post, I definitely went for a fall scene and used a sweet Bundle girl from Stamping Bella.

The scene was stamped, then before coloring with my Copics, the sky was stenciled using a light orange ink and a cloud stencil.  I completed the coloring, stamped the sentiment and die cut the panel with a rectangle die.  The panel was then added to a green matte that was barely larger than the colored panel.  

I added that to the card base, then as I was photographing it, I wondered to myself, where is all the green?  Frankly, there wasn't much because I opted to color the little girl's outfit in brown rather than green, and the leaves and the mat didn't provide much.  I think I lost my mind for a short time while creating this card lol!  Anybody else have those days?

A plaid cover die to the rescue!  It was cut with a Tim Holtz cover die, adhered to the card base, then the main image was added to finish the card.  Finally!

Thanks for taking time to stop by! I encourage you to pop over to the challenge blog where my very talented teammates have a variety of card design using these colors.  The challenge remains open until Sunday, 9/14 at 3pm EDT.  I hope to see your card in the gallery!

Stef

• Stamping Bella Bundle Girl at the Pumpkin Patch and Frightful & Delightful sentiment set stamps
• MFT Mini Cloud Edges die
• Hero Arts Nesting Rectangle die
• Tim Holtz Simple Plaid cover die
• Copics:  Pumpkin - YR18, 24, 09, 07, 16, Y38 E57, 35; Leaves YG67, 17, 03; Skin E11, 21, 00; Hat, Jacket and Boots E77, 74, 71; Scarf T2, 0; Ground E31, 41

Full of Thanks for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  I just want to thank everyone who joined in my theme challenge at the Paper Players last week - we had some amazing cards in the gallery!  And now it is time for a new challenge that the wonderful Claire is hosting.  It's a color challenge and she's chosen a beautiful palette that makes me think of fall.

Paper Players

In looking through my autumn/fall stamps and dies, I found one that hadn't been used in a couple of years and thought it would work perfectly with these colors.  Except for a slight booboo I made...and fixed.

I began with stamping and Copic coloring the autumnal spray with the challenge colors, except I forgot that the only green was Old Olive.  I finished up and then it dawned on me that the bright yellow green I used on some of the leaves wasn't going to work.  Fortunately, alcohol markers are transparent, so I was able to use another color to glaze over the parts that weren't olive and avoided a redo.  After that, the image was die cut.

I wanted to keep things simple, so a panel of white was trimmed down and lightly ink blended with a brown at the bottom and the orange above.  The sentiment was stamped and die cut before both pieces were added to the panel, which was then mounted to the card base with foam tape.  All done!

What do these colors bring to mind for you?  My wonderfully talented teammates have a wonderful array of designs with these colors, so I encourage you to pay a visit to the challenge before heading off to your crafty space.  Our challenge will remain open until Friday, August 15th at 3pm EDT.  I hope to see your card in the gallery!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stef

• Simon Says Stamp Full of Thanks stamp and die
• Simon Says Stamp/CZ Design Clean Line Gratitude stamp and die
• Copics - YR18, 09, 07, 15, 21, R59, 39, 37, 35, YG99, 97, 95, 67, 63, 61, 17, 11, 05, 03, 01, V09, 06, 05, 01, E59, 57, 55

Thankful for The Paper Players

Hello friends!  This is theme week at The Paper Players and the lovely Elizabeth has chosen an appropriate one for this time of year.

The Paper Players

 

I created a card that could be used for a number of occasions during the fall.

Three weeks ago I attended the Altenew Stay Cozy retreat and I've used some of the products from that were used to create this card, with the exception of the octagonal rectangle die.

I started by gold heat embossing the pumpkins and the sentiment.  I used the coordinating stencil to color the pumpkins and leaves, then everything was die cut with the matching dies.  It was fun to color the pumpkins in different colors - in fact I think it would be fun to used unexpected colors like pink or aqua on another card! 

The background panel was embossed with the pumpkin folder, trimmed down then I painted gold metallic ink around the edges to make it stand out a bit more before adhering to the white card base. After die cutting the white panel, I splatter it was a bit of gold paint as well before adding the pumpkins and sentiment.   

I hope you'll join us this week, it's the perfect time to create cards to send to friends and family during this month of Thanksgiving.  As always, my delightful and talented teammates have created some beautiful cards to inspire you, so I encourage you to stop by the challenge blog before heading off to your craft room!  The challenge remains open until Friday November 8th at 3pm EST.

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

• Altenew One-Go: Sweet Pumpkins stamps, dies, stencils and 3D embossing folder (not yet released)
• Pinkfresh Studio Blanket Stitched Octagons die
• Altenew Mandarin Burst, Red Jasper, Raw Amber, Lemon Ice, Sagestone & Onyx Green
• Altenew Gold Metallic Paint and Antique Gold embossing powder

Gratitude for The Paper Players

Hello friends!  It's the fifth Sunday of the month and that means we have a Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge at The Paper Players this week!  The amazing Claire is hosting and created this fun TTT board to inspire you!

The Paper Players

My initial choice was to go across the top row, but in the end, my card also fit left to right diagonal as well as the center column.

I couldn't decide which way to go but then I challenged myself to use some patterned paper.  I don't have a lot (I purged most of it years ago) but have since acquired some through card kits or very selective purchasing.  

The background is a piece of that pp that was included in a card kit about 3-4 years ago. This piece a pretty vintage style collage and even after trimming it down I was able to capture a sunflower and pumpkin for the background.  For the "table" I found a piece of brown from another paper pack and embossed it with a woodgrain folder, although you really can't tell in the pictures.  

Next, I went to my Fall dies and found the pumpkin already ink blended and assembled. The same thing happened when I was searching through my Autumn themed stamp sets.  The stamp set I pulled out had the leaves colored and die cut, and the sentiment already stamped, so I just used the coordinating die for it.  I used a rounded corner punch for the base and pp, then assembled all the elements, including the three enamel dots.  And I was really happy with how this turned out!

Claire's TTT board has many opportunities for a variety of cards.  I hope you'll find a column or row that suits your fancy and play along!  The challenge will remain open until 3pm EDT, Friday October 4th.  

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

• Simon Says Stamp Layered Pumpkin die
• SSS/Memory Box Beautiful Moments Collaboration set (Stamptember 2022?)
• Tim Holtz Lumber embossing folder
• P13 Autumn and Honey Bee Stamps Harvest Festival patterned papers
• Spellbinders Corner Rounder punch
• Altenew Warm and Cozy Enamel Dots

All the Best

Hello friends!  I'm back with a card for the current challenges at The Paper Players and Just Us Girls.  I'm also sharing my card at the Four Seasons Challenge, where their October challenge is Anything Goes - Fall.

PP662

JUGS 701

Four Seasons - AG Fall

I decided to give some love to an older stamp set from Impression Obsession called Fall Pumpkins - so perfect, no?

The pumpkin/floral scene was colored with Copic markers.  I'd forgotten how small and detailed this stamp was, with all the tiny leaves, berries and flower petals, but it still didn't take too long to color.  I used browns to ground the image and at first was just going to use a blue marker around the edges above the "ground" but then opted to color in the rest of the background.  When done, the panel was trimmed down to 3.5" x 4.75".

Next, I tried to stamp the sentiment onto the panel, but wouldn't you know it, my paper moved ever so slightly in my Misti and it blurred!  No worries, I just stamped it again on a piece of white scrap paper, die cut it along with another piece for a tiny bit of layering, then added it to the card front.  The panel was layered on a dark brown panel, then added to the white card base with foam tape.  I hope to get this card and a few others in the mail to some out of state friends.

I hope you're having a great week with some decent weather because soon enough, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, we'll be looking at things turning colder.  I think we'll have our last hurrah of high 70's by the end of this week, then brrrr lol!

It you have a chance, check back on Thursday when I'll have a Halloween card to share.

Take care!

Stef

Stamps and die:  Impression Obsession Fall Pumpkins, Pink Fresh Studio Wonderful Sentiments

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, SU Early Espresso

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Clair Nocturne

Copics:  Pumpkins - YR09, 16, Y38, 15; Flowers - YR27, 24, 15, 11; Leaves - G28, 17, 05, & G46, 43, 40; Stems, flower centers and ground - E59, 57, 55, 53; Sky:  B000, 0000; Berries: RV69, 55