CTMH Consultants' NEVERMORE Blog Hop: September 1

It's my pleasure to participate in the Close To My Heart Consultants' NEVERMORE Blog Hop.  Nevermore is one of eight total papers being unveiled by CTMH today, September first.  Six of the papers are in the Annual Inspirations Idea Book, and two special holiday papers -- Nevermore and White Pines -- are included in the all-new Holiday Expressions Idea Book.

Here's the card I made for this Hop:

Nevermore has three double-sided Halloween-inspired designer papers.  The one that caught my eye in particular was this patterned pumpkin print shown in the background of this card that I made for the Hop.  Wondering how I got

those comical spiders for the card?  They're actually floral cuts (stamens) in the new Artistry Cricut cartridge, cut in black and turned on their heels, quite literally.  A circle cut to size tops for their heads.  I gave each arachnid a set of eyes -- two of the smaller have sparkly gems and the larger has watchful googly eyes. The EEK! sentiment -- also cut in the Artistry cartridge -- is inked and mounted on a CTMH Adhesive spring for a little more play.

Don't miss the other ghoulish projects made especially for this hop by five other CTMH Consultants from throughout the country.  Your next stop is with TONYA, whose project is sure to delight.  

UPDATE:  We have been very privileged to have this card and our September Hop featured on the Facebook page of our Corporate Home Office of Close To My Heart. What an honor!  But somehow during the month, Tonya's post got lost. So please skip ahead to Alexandria, using the link below -- and visit the others too with fantastic ways to use the Nevermore paper suite. 

Andrea

Ellen

Tonya

Alexandria

Kimberly

Anita

Halloween Bling Party featuring The Buckle Boutique products!

Welcome to the Buckle Boutique Halloween Bling Party, featuring the Halloween projects made with the rhinestones and products that sparkle, from The Buckle Boutique, where I have the privilege of serving as a Design Team Member. 

The sparkle on The Buckle Boutique bling shines brighter than a harvest moon, and is sure to scare the bejeebus out of any man who thinks you have spent a small fortune on carats!  The Buckle Boutique bling makes any project booooo-tiful!

Here is my project for this Party:

I have blinged out a masquerade mask -- perfect for Halloween as well as Mardi Gras!  I used black Dazzling Diamonds adhesive sheets that cut easily and quickly using my standard scissors. I then punched holes around the perimeter of the mask,  using my Crop-A-Dile, and wove seam binding ribbon in turquoise, in an easy saddle stitch.  I put some more Buckle Boutique rhinestones at the temples of the mask. I trimmed sheets of the rainbow colored Dazzling Diamonds to use as eyelashes and for other embellishments.  Pretty, isn't it?  

Have you seen all the other nifty ways you can bling out your Halloween projects?  Hop over to Pinterest for some great ideas -- just search for "rhinestone pumpkin" or "rhinestone Halloween".  (The pumpkin at right is a Pinterest-featured project.) 

Are you interested in creating your own projects, even those you can easily cut using your Cricut?  

Well, do *I* have a deal for you!

This weekend only (October 19 and 20), receive a 15% off your total order from The Buckle Boutique. Use code friends15 at checkout!  This discount cannot be combined with any other offer, is limited to in-stock merchandise and is not applicable on custom or previous orders. 

For more nifty Halloween projects using The Buckle Boutique products, hop on over to the other Design Team members' blogs as we strut our stuff. 

Your next stop is my good friend, LORI

In case you get lost along the way, here is a full list of the designers featured on this Bling Party.  Please don't forget to leave some love along the way!

Cathie ~ http://thebuckleboutique.wordpress.com
Shawn ~ http://craftychicsblog.blogspot.com
Ellen (CardMonkey) ~ http://cardmonkeyspaperjungle.com
Lori ~ http://scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com
Stephanie ~ http://geekinglasses.typepad.com
Niki ~ http://scrappingwithniki.wordpress.com


DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

REMINDER:  This weekend only, October 19th and 20th, receive 15% off your total order from The BuckleBoutique! Use code friends15 at checkout! Discount cannot be combined with any other offer, is limited to in stock merchandise only and is not applicable on custom or previous orders.

Card Kitchen Witchiness

It's time for another Jillibean Soup's Card Kitchen (card kit) card, this one from the October collection.  And again, I modify them just a bit to make them my own.

This month's patterns use Bella Boulevard paper and tabbed Index Journaling cards from LilyBee Designs. For my changes, I colored in the moon behind the witch with Copic Marker (Y38), added a knot-fringe of baker's twine from The Twinery to the button, and some Close To My Heart Itty Bitty Bling to the bats (gotta have bling!).

Do you celebrate Halloween?  Granddaughter Charlotte is going out as Tinker Bell this year -- and of course, she'll be adorable!  No, I didn't make the costume but I did buy it for our recent trip to Disney World, where it was so stinkin' hot, she didn't wear it. Then it will be perfect for a slightly chillier night for trick-or-treating.



DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

An Enchanting Halloween Card

Boo! 

Did I scare you, or simply enchant you?  We monkeys are not only a crafty bunch, but also magical and enchanting, don't you know?  We release the inner (flying!) monkeys at Halloween, so the holiday is special to .... ahem ... us. 

I made this Halloween card using a file I modified from the Silhouette Online store.  The original file is for a pop-up greeting card of some sort, but I just wanted the neat subway-art-looking "Trick Or Treat To You" framed and set upon some neon papers. I fussy cut the witch, bumpkin and ghost (and the bat, at left) from Bo Bunny Halloween paper and highlighted each icon with mesh.

Best Witches for Halloween 2012

Following SuperStorm Sandy, things are beginning to get back to normal around here -- for some of us, at least. 

We were without power for only about 3 hours, from 8:30 p.m. until about midnight on Monday 10/29.  However, my daughter Emily and her family (husband Josh and 22-month old daughter Charlotte) just got power back about 10 minutes ago.  They camped out with us for the duration.  

We love them ... and they love us ... and of course they are always welcome here. I will say though, we are all creatures of our own comforts. Even Charlotte wanted to go to "my house" after a while, and sleep in her own crib. 

So anyway, Happy Halloween!!   Here are a few cards I've made this year, as well as last. Enjoy!!

(Inside of card, above)

DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

Take one pumpkin ....

Ahh, the lowly pumpkin ...

What other vegetable, and in what other season, do you get to play with your food as you do with your pumpkin at Halloween?

I can't take credit for any of these carvings below, other than that I have been collecting their photos for years now.  I am amazed at the ingenuity of so many people who can see faces in stems, and take the time to expertly carve creative greetings for their haunting visitors. 

I used "PicMonkey" to group these photos in some reasonable way, and to make these collages. The service is free (www.picmonkey.com), at least for now. Love it!  

I hope these great carvings inspire your visit to the pumpkin patch this week!

 

 

 

 

 

DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

With Gratitude: Spooktacular Banner Round-Up

This weekend, three dozen women showed off their crafting ingenuity and generosity by making and donating truly spectacular banners to Pediatric Specialty Care, where I work as Admissions Coordinator in the Bucks County area. 

I am honored to feature a "round-up" of all of the banners today, Labor Day, as this is truly a Labor of Love for all of these women.  In case you missed any, here they all are.

Later this afternoon, I will be posting winners of the fabulous prizes from our six kind sponsors. Stop back to see if you are one of them!

DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,