Happy Holidays - scary ....

... Good morning!  I hope you all had a super weekend - mine was fab!!  I was able to spend lots of time in my craft room and I also managed to edit quite a lot of the outstanding photos!!  Today's card is a bit off the wall.  Rick St Dennis, who draws the most amazing images, is having a Design Team call for his Facebook group as well as for his blog DT.  You have to create two projects using his images - one cute (done yesterday) and one darker.  I think this one is much darker:

Stamps: Rick St Dennis Digi - Creepmas Tree; My Favourite Things - Christmas Banner Builder; WMS - Warm Fuzzies, Frosty in the Meadow
Inks: Versamark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress - Shaded Lilac, Evergreen Bough, Tumbled Glass, Broken China; Stampin' Up! - Smoky Slate
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Wisteria Wonder; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella Brushes; Clear Embossing Powder

I printed the tree on white card and coloured it with Copic markers.  I fussy cut it out and lightly added a touch of Tumbled Glass to make the tree blend with the card background.  I created the background by stamping the large snowflake in grey, and the smaller ones in Versamark and heat embossing with clear powder.  Then I blended the distress inks which revealed the snowflakes (I love this technique).  I adhered the Creepmas Tree directly to the card and finished with a simple sentiment.  The inside has a mat layer of lilac card and a white panel, left blank for my message.  I'm submitting this card to A Step in the Dark Challenge - ASID#12 - Anything Goes. 

I think this is a very particular holiday card, but I've a good idea who it will be going to!!  That's all for now.  See you soon.

Halloween Greetings ....

... I've a Halloween card to share this morning - I've tried to make it a bit darker than some of my recent ones:

Stamps: Rick St Dennis Digi - Pumpkin Witch, Aliens & Mutants Sheet; Waltzingmouse - Spooky Tree Background, Vintage Witch; Stampendous - Halloween Diamonds
Inks: Distress - Mustard Seed, Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord, Chipped Sapphire, Faded Jeans, Stormy Sky; Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - London Fog
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Black Card; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella Brush - Silver, Green, Orange

I'm submitting this card to the current A Step in the Dark Challenge - ASID#11 where the theme is Anything Goes, but with a dark twist.  I think this pumpkin witch is darker than the last two cards I made with her, here and here.  I created the background by stamping the spooky tree in Versafine, masking off an area for the moon and then blended lots of Distress inks to make a night sky.  I removed the mask and lightly blended over the moon to give it a glow.  I printed the images onto white card, coloured with Copic markers, fussy cut them out and then added some sparkle with Wink of Stella brushes.  I love the scary spider monster - I attached him directly to the card and used dimensional tape for the witch and sentiment.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of black and a panel of white card.  I distressed the edge of the white panel (to match the front of the card) and stamped some cobwebs, spiders and a greeting.

I enjoy taking photos of the cards I make, but sometimes it can be really difficult to catch the sparkle and glimmer of glitter on cards.  Also, sunlight makes a huge difference to the photo.  I usually put cards on top of my craft cabinet where the light is really good, but it can sometimes be a little flat.  So l took another photo of with autumn sunlight shining directly on the card - much warmer, a little darker and in the close up you can really see the shimmer and sparkle.

I'm off to check out today's lesson at Online Card Classes; I'm really enjoying the Copic Colouring lessons - see you soon!

Pumpkin witch ....

.... Good morning!  It's a beautiful day here in Northville - bright blue skies, sunshine and really warm - a perfect Indian Summer's day.  I've been playing in my craft room making a few cards and this one is for my Halloween stash.

Stamps: Rick St Dennis Digi - Pumpkin Witch; Waltzingmouse - Vintage Witch, Poo-a-Boo sentiments
Inks: Distress - Mowed Lawn, Wild Honey; Stampin' Up! - Garden Green
Accessories:  White Lustre Card; Graphic 45 DP - Steampunk Spells; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella Brush - Clear

I've used the layout from this week's Retro Sketches challenge - RS#133 (it's been a while since I played along here) and I'm submitting it to the A Step in the Dark challenge - ASID#11 where the theme is Anything Goes, as long as it's on the dark side.  I'm not sure if this is dark enough, but the Pumpkin Witch is a bit sinister!!  I cut a panel of orange paper for the base.  There are no green papers in the Graphic 45 pack, but there is a lovely teal piece which is the one I used.  However, I changed it up by blending Distress ink over the top.  I printed the image onto white card, coloured her Copic Markers and then cut her out.  I added a touch of sparkle with my Wink of Stella brush - you can't really see it above.  I added a fun sentiment.  On the inside I cut another layer of orange paper, and on the white panel, which I edged with green Copic marker, I stamped a Vintage Witch and a Halloween poem.

That's it for now - see you soon.

Halloween wishes ....

....  Good afternoon from a rather grey Northville!  It's beginning to look like autumn really has arrived.  We had more storms and high winds yesterday and today, it's dull and much cooler than lately!  Still, that's a good excuse to play in my craft room and I've been busy, but can't share them just yet!!!

I had fun making a Halloween card this morning.  I found a new challenge blog last week - A Step in the Dark - ASID#10 Anything Goes.  It is a bit different from other challenges; they are appealing to our darker side - emo, punk, goth, steampunk and just plain creepy, but I rather like it!  Here's my card:

Stamps: Rick St Dennis Digi - Strange Doll; Waltzingmouse - Hocus Pocus, Halloween Party, Ciecly at Halloween
Inks: Archival - Jet Black; Distress - Antique Linen
Accessories: Cream Lustre Card; Graphic 45 DP - Steampunk Spells; EK Success - Cobweb Punch; Copic Markers; Ribbon

I love this digi by Rick St Dennis - not too creepy, but definitely not cute!!  I printed her onto white card, coloured with Copic marker and then cut her out.  It doesn't show very well in the photo, but I soften the white by shading with Antique Linen.  I used the sketch from Clean & Simple Stamping - FTL#306, but I turned the sentiment panel so that the sentiment is at the top.  I covered the card with the texty paper, cut a panel of cream card and punched a cobweb edge.  I cut a smaller piece of patterned paper to go on top.  I edged the paper before adhering it to the punched panel.  I stamped the sentiment in black and finished the panel with some black ribbon.  I attached Strange Doll with dimensional tape.  On the inside I cut another panel of design paper.  I added a touch of colour to the cream panel, stamped the verse and added a few bats!

That's all for now.  See you soon.