more Halloween envelope art

Hand drawn envelope art with PITT pens, stamped with Envelope Sentiments and colored in with Paper Crafter crayons.

Simon Says: Create A Scene

One of my favorite cards, I just love the fact that retail always lets us know when the next holiday is around the corner. There should never be any excuses to not getting your shopping done early and on time...there are reminders everywhere like Christmas is next folks before your pumpkin is even carved, lol

A bit classier Halloween card, or maybe just for the person who doesn't appreciate the bright orange associated with Halloween.

The next time you decide to take the time to mail a card to anyone special in your life, try sending it in a personalized envelope made especially for them. Whoever receives it will not only love it to bits but it will be something for that person to cherish and hold on to their whole life.

stamps, gel prints and doodles...oh my!

Look at this background on the envelope art. Wowzers, thats really cool and a bit scary! LOVE my 5x7" Gel Press® plate and distress paints, I think I've said this a couple hundred times now but I am in serious infatuation with this combination!

And then there is the cartoonist in me ( that's what I wanted to become when I grew up, not a doctor, or an astronaut...a cartoonist! ) so I get my fix by drawing fun characters instead: using PITT pens, Paper Craft crayons, and Tombow markers. 

...or by adding small doodle people and stuff along with stamps like I did here with the Tumbleweed house stamp set.

Spooky little greeting

I am up on the {my sweet earth} blog today with a Halloween card that I created to send to my nephew. I am loving the tiny house stamps from the Tumbleweed Houses from Susan K. Weckesser. One of the things I like the most is doodling little people or objects between the houses.

Here is another card which I created using the same doodling process. I really like stamps that allow you the freedom to use them for more than one theme.

I hope you bebop on over to the {my sweet earth} blog and check out my Halloweenie card, I'm sure it won't scare you!

BOO - tiful pumpkin

Recycling some Halloween projects that I made last year over on the Helmar blog today! Would love some of your spooktacular comments over there!!

How to make glittery spiders and spider web doilies

Halloween cards

This has got to be one of the easiest cards to make and so cute too. Just tear and inks strips of paper!

 I love the gelli print eyes, they have so much more character because of the paint layers! I just cut the circles from the left over scrap from a pull. LOVE!

This might be the scariest thing yet about Halloween! ;)

And for a little one, something fun and not too scary! I enjoyed using my Susan K. Weckesser Insta Cute stamp for the photo strip.

I love you more than...

Simon says ...Make your own background

I say...yesssssssss

I love my Gelli plate!

I think collaging in my art journal has now crossed over into my card making!! I took 2 different stickers and put them together for this funky little Halloweenie image! Not sure how I would feel if I found him walking around in my pumpkin patch, but I love him on my card!

 My favorite part of this Gelli print is really along the edge

Gnomey in disguise

Playing along with the Unity {be inspired} Challenge and I chose the color portion of the challenge. Love Halloween colors and it's right around the corner too...eeks!

I love my What's Up Gnomey stamps and just can't get enough of this cute little guy! I mean, seriously, he is adorable!

So I dressed him up for Halloween!

I also used the sentiment "smile" from the Insta-Cute stamp set.

Don't forget, we have an awesome contest going over on the {my sweet earth} blog. Real easy to play along!

Helmar is spider-licious!

Happy Hallow Eve!

A short, quick and easy post for Helmar today!

I love making little spider web doilies for my Halloween decor! 

Take a piece of wax paper and "draw" your spider web design on top of the wax paper with your Helmar Craft & Hobby PVA Glue.

After "drawing" your spider web pattern, dump a whole lot of glitter on top making sure all the glue is covered. Set it aside to dry. I usually leave mine alone for a couple of days just to make sure that even the thickest part of the "strands" are completely dry.

Next, peel off your web and take it outside to spray with Helmar Crystal Kote Gloss Varnish to seal all that wonderful glittery goodness so that you don't leave glitter everywhere...unless you like that...lol

Next, every web needs a glittery spider to go along with it, after all who's going to guard the treats? I "painted" the plastic spider first with Helmar Craft & Hobby PVA Glue with a paintbrush ( you can use your finger too ) !

Next, the glitter application! ( that is one glittery mess!! )

And then comes the sealing process!

Last but not least,  a few pearls for eyes....all the better to see with you with!

Helmar makes Halloween a "snap"

It doesn't have to say Halloween in order to be considered spooky, take this fabulous quote by Morticia Addams, the fictional matriarch of "The Addams Family" created by cartoonist Charles Addams. 

( This was one of my favorite shows as a kid!! Did you watch it? )

To get you in the mood, feel free to trip down memory lane with by watching this:

Are you snapping your fingers and singing along with me? 

Helmar Craft Glue worked beautifully adhering the pearls and rhinestones to the plastic spider.

I added glitter over the glue to add more sparkle.

Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots was perfect for adhering the spider's body to the board. Since he was hollow, I filled up the space with the Liquid Scrap Dots and then smooshed him down to the board and released. When it was released the Liquid Scrap Dots filled in the gap between the board and the spider's body.

I used the Helmar Crystal KOTE Gloss Varnish
to seal in all the inks and sprays that I used creating the background.

Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots

Helmar Crystal KOTE Gloss Varnish

other well enjoyed products:

Really Reasonable Ribbon
Want to Scrap - pearls
Martha Stewart - glitter

I love it when I make something and it sells within 24 hours, 
it was barely hung in the shop before it went home with someone!

entering this snappy sign in:

Simon Says Monday Challenge - spooky
Rhedd and Rosie's challenge blog - #18 Anything Goes 

TIOT - Halloween

Challenge - Halloween

Our sponsor for this month is  Smeared Ink. 

They are offering a $10 store voucher
to our monthly winner.

Mr. Kooky Grungy Pumpkin

I used lots of distress ink on this, just playing around and trying to "loosen" up a bit.

Ranger - distress ink
Copics - marker
Faber Castell - PITT pen
joint tape
Cricut - Stretch Your Imagination p. 44

also entering Mr. Kooky Grungy Pumpkin in:
Sparkles - #49 Halloween or Colors

Cut it Up - Halloween or Day of the Dead - Challenge #30 

Jo's Scrap Shack - FFC#22 "Anything Goes" Challenge
Bitten by the Bug - Pumpkin Time Challenge

May Arts - Halloween Challenge

I have to say that I was very excited to be in the top 20 that gets to compete in the Halloween Challenge over at May Arts. It's an honor to be chosen and I sincerely hope I hold my end up because there are some AWESOME ladies over there designing some amazing projects with ribbon. We got to choose 4 ribbons to work with, these were my choices:

http://www.mayarts.com/halloween-craft-challenge/

I made the center of my flower by knotting the black silk ribbon repeatedly until it formed the size I needed. I stamped 'hocus pocus' onto the wide orange ribbon accenting between the words with white pearls, I just love the tiny pom pom trim on it!!

The sheer spider web ribbon was looped into a big bow and then shredded for texture. The fuzzy black burlap string was wound around the box and knotted on the sides with orange pearls accenting the knots.

A big dangly spider hanging from the burlap string guards the treats within!

Cricut Craft Room - free cut -spider
BugBites - Magic Spells stamps
StazOn - ink
Tim Holtz - grunge paper
Helmar - 450 Quick Dry Adhesive, Craft & Hobby Glue, Gemstone Adhesive
Frosted Designs 2013 October Mixed Media Kit - 
( Deco Arts - Orange, black paint, Fancy Pants corrugate paper )

Entering my Halloween treat box in:
Anything but a Card - #28 Orange and Black
Craftin' Boutique - #12 Halloween

Guest Designer - Craft It Up & Link It Up Linky Party

I am posting today as a guest designer for Craft It Up & Link It Up Linky Party hosted by Tara of Craftin Desert Divas! Every other Monday will mark the beginning of a new semi-weekly linky party and you could win fabulous prizes!!

This linky party theme is Halloween!!! 

The sponsors are Too Cute by Jessica - $20 giftcard

and

Stinkin Cute Paper Piecings - $25 giftcard . 

The more you link up, the better chance you have to win.  Visit Craftin Desert Divas for all the rules and to play along.

Here is what I created for this linky party....A party cup made from a recycled fruit cup from the grocery store.
I love re-cycling!
 So many things are 'old' products, like the embossed scallop die, the purple metallic fiber ( yes, I do collect stuff like that just for certain occasions like Halloween!! ) and the orange magic mesh.
It's now sitting on the Art MoB counter offering little treats to all our customers!

I love embellishing my die cuts with a little glitter and fiber and embossing around the edge of the moon.
Cutting tiny strips into the broom add more fun detail!

Cricut - Happy Hauntings p. 34 ( witch )
Paper Trimmings p. 61 ( moon )
Ranger - stickles
fiber,mesh, paper, sticker letters - from old stash
Helmar - Craft Glue ( awesome for adhering things to plastic! )
Helmar - Craft & Hobby PVA Glue

Hope you will Craft It Up & Link It Up!!!

also entering this in:
Little Scrap Pieces - Fun Friday Linky Party
All That Stickles - Halloween Linky Party
Creative Inspirations - Inspired by Halloween

Guest Designing - An Inky Situation

Janis invited me to be a Guest Designer over at An Inky Situation 
and we are playing dress up today, how fun!!!!!!!!!!
Come on over and play along with us ♥

Linky Party #12
Begins: Thurs, Oct 10
Ends: Wed, Oct 16

I added a cute wizard hat to my owl and put him on a broom flying over the hills of North Carolina...

I gave the paper around the moon cut out a good sanding to give it that wonderful spooky distressing!

I also had lots of fun playing around with creating a shadowing background to stage my photo in, I was trying to get a creepy shadow hand in the background but it didn't work out too well, but I had a lot of fun trying! lol

Cricut Craftroom - free cut ( owl )
Helmar Acid Free Glue
Helmar Liquid Scrapdots
BugBites - Magic Spells stamp
paper, stickers - from stash

entering this in:
Little Scrap Pieces - Fun Friday Linky Party
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Use a rubber or clear stamp
2 Creative Chicks - #7 Halloween Week 2
Craftin' Boutique Challenge - Halloween Challenge #11

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Did you know I am giving away a Frosted Designs Mixed Media Kit?
You didn't?
Did you know that you can get 30 percent off in the Frosted Designs store?
No one told you??
Well, you can go here and find out all the deets!

Deco Art Blogger - Halloween wall hanging

My first Deco Arts Blogger post!!

I wanted to create a Halloween wall hanging using a Gelli print background and I wanted to experiment with some different paints to see how they worked together.

Deco Art Paints:
Americana Neons - Thermal Green
Dazzling Metallics - Royal Ruby
Americana Frost Gloss Enamels - Black
Paper Effects -Black Pearl
Bright Accents - Gloss Acrylic, black

The metallic and neon paint did exceptionally well together. The metallic subdued the neon a little bit but still leaving enough of it to pop out without being obtrusive to the overall design. The frost glass paint applied well but was a little harder to clean off the gelli plate, but still highly doable.

I fell in love with the Paper Effects Writer with it's dual tip. The fine tip was excellent for writing words and for fine detailing. I did make sure to clean the tip well before storing it.

I used the Paper Effects 2 ways along the border. I doodled a fine line and squiggly marks using the tip, and went back and added larger drops using just the bottle's tip. I also love my little spider, I set him up on the Helmar's Liquid Scrap Dot Adhesive for some dimension and used glossy accents over his body. The stem of the broom was painted with the Neon Green and Deco Arts Bright Accents in black.

This great little wood accent from Prima was balanced on top of the broom using Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots. This is a favorite use of this specialty glue, fixing odd pieces in hard to hold areas. I love, love, LOVE this stuff!

I used the neon green on the broom by brushing it lightly on top.

I think one of the favorite parts about the gelli print background was using my kitchen utensils ( better used here than in the kitchen! Can you tell I don't cook much any more?) It's small plastic thingy ( technical term ) with sharp edges that I raked through the paint in a wavy pattern. It gave me a defined writing line to follow which I appreciated since I always have a problem keeping my lines straight!

Products used and enjoyed:

Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive, Liquid Scrap Dots, Craft & Hobby PVA Glue
Prima - Anna Marie Wood Embellishment
Gelli Plate 12x 14
May Arts - black twine, ribbon
Jillibean - green twine
Cricut - Happy Haunting, p. 54

entering my 6X12" wall hanging in:

Carolyn Dube - October’s Colorful Gelli Print Party

 ( a place to link up those gelli prints!! )
Die Cuttin Diva's - #134 Fall Colors
Craftin Desert Divas - Anything with a Sentiment #16 Linky Party
Craftin Boutique - Anything Halloween Challenge #9 
2 Creative Chicks - Spooktacular Linky Party