Goth/Halloween Wedding ....

.... Hello! I'm here this morning with a rather unusual wedding card. Last Friday 13th October we all attended the marriage of our friend Rachel to her partner Barry. They are both complete nerds! They absolutely love Halloween - even to the point of picking Friday 13th. They also share a love of friends, family and all things goth and nerdy. It was a wonderful evening and I can now share the card that I made for them both:

Stamps: Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz - Day of the Dead 2; Waltzingmouse Stamps - Hocus Pocus; Winnie & Walter - Moonlight, The Big, The Bold & You; SU - Cheers to the Year
Inks: Distress - Milled Lavender; Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Black Onyx; Memento - London Fog
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Perfect Plum; Copics; Wink of Stella - Clear; Clear Embossing Powder

The inspiration for this card came from Rachel and Barry's wedding invitation (see the end of the post). I stamped the old fence along the bottom of all the pieces of card in pale grey. I added some bats, spider's web, and spider to add atmosphere. I used my MISTI to stamp the word 'congrats' and embossed it with clear powder. I finished the front by stamping the Day of the Day wedding couple, colouring it lightly with Copics and added sparkle with a clear Wink of Stella brush. I lightly inked the edges of the white card with some pale lavender and black ink, layered it on plum card and attached it to the card base. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of plum card and on the white panel added the smaller Day of the Day couple along with a simple message. I also decorated the envelope to match.

I'm submitting this card to Love to Craft Challenge Blog - LTCCB#15 where the theme is Anything Goes.

Before I go, here's a look at the invitation that inspired the card:

I don't think I'm ever likely to make another wedding card like this, but I had such fun making it! That's all for now - see you soon.

Sweet Sixteen .....

.... Good Morning! It's Kat's 16th birthday today. By some strange miracle Kat was up early this morning :) We wished her a Happy Birthday, she spoke to her Nanny in Leicester and she's opened her card. She loved it!!! Yea. To celebrate we're having a birthday brunch at Fox Hill Golf Club - they do a wonderful spread. Kat started her birthday weekend with dinner on Friday night with her best friend Alyx at The Cheesecake Factory in Novi (we dined there too, but at a different table). The girls spent yesterday together at The Heritage Festival in Northville and then at home - I think they spent the day chatting, laughing, listening to music and just enjoying being together. Last night I finally made Kat's card:

Stamps: Visible Image - Sing, Tomorrow Doesn't Exist, Rays of Light; Uniko - Simply Said Birthday; Winnie & Walter - Moonlight; Your Next Stamp - Whatnot Sentiments One; Stampin' Up! - 25 Days
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Cherry Red, Black Onyx; Distress - Black Soot
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Basic Black; Clear Embossing Powder; Wink of Stella - Clear; Lindy's Starburst Spray - Rudolf's Nose Red; Dylusions Stencil - Cobweb Lg

I got the idea for this card from Kat, she sings all the time, she loves all things Goth and Halloween, and she's very fond of black and red. I spritzed Lindy's red spray over the cobweb stencil. Once dry, and after cleaning the stencil, I lightly sponged over the edges of the stencil with black distress ink. I rubbed over the surface with an antistatic bag and then stamped the number and singer in black and heat embossed with clear powder. I positioned the musical notes to come from the microphone, stamped and embossed that image. Then I stamped the star burst and word 'birthday' in cherry red ink. I finished the front by stamping the word 'happy' and adding just a touch of sparkle to the dress with a clear wink of stella brush. I used a sponge to define the edges of the card. On the inside I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel I stamped some cobwebs, some pumpkins, added a greeting and finished with some stars.

I'm submitting this card to Inkspirational - INK#143, where they have a photo for inspiration. My take on the photo is to use a silhouette image of a singer (another of the arts), the musical notes floating in the air, and to create an overall background that suits my daughter. I'm also playing along with Love to Craft Challenge Blog - LTCCB#14 where it's Anything Goes!

Before I go, I have to share few photos of my gorgeous girl:

Our Goth Girl - it's actually a handbag she's holding! Taken by Alyx.

Kat - photo taken by Alyx, her best friend.

And this one is Kat, Pluto and Alyx - taken in April when we went to Disney. They're still little girls at heart!!!

That's all for now. Have a great day.

AC - Trick or Treat ....

.... Good morning!  I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and warm.  Winter arrived in Northville yesterday - we had about 3" of snow - I know that's not much by comparison with some, but it's more than enough.

Anyway, moving on, it's my turn to host a post at Airless Chambers, where we share some of Rick St Dennis's darker images.  I managed to get a bit of time in my craft room yesterday evening to finish a card that I started on Friday when it was still warm and sunny!  I've decided that it's not too early to make a start on next year's Halloween collection:

Stamps: Rick St Dennis Digi - Smiley Bill the Monster Clown; Winnie & Walter - Moonlight
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Soft Sky, Rich Razzleberry, Tangerine Tango; Versamark
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Tangerine Tango; Graphic 45 DP - Rare Oddities; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella - Clear; White and Clear Embossing Powders

I know that many people like clowns and actually enjoy watching them.  But I really, really don't like them much - and when they look like Smiley Bill here, I like them even less!  I think he makes a wonderful zombie clown!  I printed him on white card, coloured him with Copic markers, cut him out and added a subtle shimmer to all his greenish skin.  I used tangerine card to make the base and stamped some spiders webs at the corners, embossing them with clear powder to give a tone-on-tone effect.  I cut a piece of purple design paper, stamped on some more spiders webs and embossed them with white powder.  I adhered the panel to the card, attached the clown and finished with a simple sentiment.  I also added a couple of little spiders in the webs.  On the inside I cut a panel of white card, stamped on a greeting and added a few more spiders webs.

I used the colours from this week's Colour Q challenge - cQc#317, as I think they're just perfect for a Halloween card!

If you want to get a head start on next year's Halloween cards, then may I suggest a visit to Rick's Zibbet shop where he has hundreds of images from cute to down right scary!!

I'm not planning on going out at all today - well, I'll have to clear the drive, but apart from that I'm staying indoors and playing in my craft room.  Be safe.  Thanks so much for dropping by, see you soon.

Happy Halloween ....

...  Hello, time for another of my scheduled posts - it's kinda nice to get posts scheduled ahead of time!!

This morning I've another Halloween card - I'm on a bit of a roll - Kat needs some for her friends at school and I'm sending some back to the UK.  I will get my friends in the UK to get this party started!!  Here's my card:

Stamps: Winnie & Walter - Moonlight
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Real Red, Tangerine Tango, Pumpkin Pie; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Copic Markers; SU DP - Pumpkin Pie

This really is ultra CAS and very bright.  I used my MISTI to stamp the word Halloween several times down the front of the card.  I started with red in the middle, tangerine and then pumpkin pie.  I didn't quite leave enough space between the last two rows!! Darn!  I stamped the pumpkin on white card, added the word 'happy' inside, coloured it with Copic markers, cut it out and adhered it with dimensional gel.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of pumpkin pie design paper and added a fun greeting to the white panel.

I used the sketch from this week's CAS(E) this Sketch! - CTS#145 for the layout and the colours are from CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#146.

Yesterday, I told you that we were going to see Kat sing at her school concert.  Well, it was an amazing concert.  Northville High School has fantastic choirs.  The senior choirs sang some really complicated choral songs, and it was just fantastic!  That's all for today.

Dotty Bat ....

.... Morning!  I've another Halloween card to share with you this morning - I'm having such fun making them all.  This one is really clean and simple:

Stamps: Winnie & Walter - Moonlight
Inks: Versamark; Stampin' Up! - Elegant Eggplant; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Memory Box - Distressed Windham Collage; Poppy Stamps - Swirly Bat Cutout
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Black; SU DP - Elegant Eggplant, Pumpkin Pie; Wink of Stella - Clear

The colours at Just Us Girls - JUGS#315 are so perfect for a Halloween card that it just had to be done.  I cut a panel of black card slightly smaller then the card base.  I die cut the distressed corners and swirly bat and added purple and orange design paper behind.  Before attaching the purple paper I covered it with clear Wink of Stella so that the bat shimmers!  See the photo below.  I stamped the sentiment in Versamark and heat embossed with white powder - I was very careful to make sure there were no stray bits of white powder.  I adhered the panel flat to the card - easy to post!  On the inside I cut a mat layer of orange design paper and added a fun sentiment and some bats to the white card.  As I've got a Halloween theme, I'm also submitting this to the current challenge at AAA Cards - AAA#50.

I've just been told about another super Halloween challenge over at Poppystamps Challenge -PSC#03 where the theme is Trick or Treat.  As I've used the lovely bat swirl on my card, I'm going to submit over there too!  Thanks Marybeth!

Here's the photo of the sparkle and shimmer on the bat - it's so pretty in real-life, but in order to show it in a photo, I have to take an out of focus shot - but you can see the shimmer!!

It's so nice to have Ben and Sophie with us.  They are still a little jet-lagged, but getting used to it now.  We were out shopping yesterday and will probably be doing some more today.  This evening we are all going to see Kat's school concert - "Earth, Wind and Choir" - should be fun!  That's all for now, have a good day.

AC - 31 Days of Halloween ....

... Morning!  We're at Day 18 of the scariest blog hop around - 31 Days of Halloween, organised by Smeared Ink.  It's my turn to host our post over at Airless Chambers.  I've made a really quick and easy Halloween card:

Stamps: Rick St Dennis Digi - Voodoo Doll (from Voodoo Digi Sheet Smeared Ink); Winnie & Walter - Moonlight; Stampin' Up! - Endless Birthday Wishes
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; SU - Pumpkin Pie; Memento - London Fog
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Graphic 45 DP - Rare Oddities; Graphic 45 Journal Card - Rare Oddities; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella - Clear; Glossy Accents

I printed the little Voodoo Doll on white card, coloured it with Copic markers, added Glossy Accents to various areas and then covered the whole image with clear Wink of Stella - it shimmers so much in sunlight!  I really wish you could see it in the photo.  I fussy cut the image and edged it with a black marker.  I used one of the journal cards from my new Graphic 45 pack to cover the card (so simple) and then attached the Voodoo Doll with dimensional gel.  Did I mention it was quick??  On the inside I cut a mat layer of design paper to match the card, and added a greeting and some decoration to the white panel.

The photo inspiration over at at the new FUSION challenge - FUSION#41 is Halloween, so I'm submitting this card to the challenge.

If you like this cute Voodoo Doll you can find it over at Rick's Zibbet shop - there are lots of images on the digi sheet.  Rick also has a fabulous colouring book called Day of the Dead - full of wonderful Halloween images - which you can get at Zibbet or via Amazon.  It's brilliant - I've got it!!

Our son, Ben, and his girlfriend, Sophie, are flying over today for a two week holiday.  They've timed it to coincide with Halloween.  It's entirely possible that my blog will be quiet, apart from a few scheduled posts, during their visit.  That's all for now.  See you soon.

TMR - Theme .....

.... Good morning!  It's time for our new challenge at The Male Room and, as it's October, there really could only be one theme - HALLOWEEN.  I was going to make an art journal page, but didn't have any pages with just oranges in the background, so I decided to make a card and just channel the journal feeling.  Here's my card:

Stamps: Winnie & Walter - Moonlight; Dylusions - Mischie vous Malcolm, Day of the Heads
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress - Antique Linen, Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon, Hickory Smoke; Memento - London Fog
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Tangerine Tango; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder

After my crafting weekend with Dyan Reaveley, I really wanted to make an art journal page, but I didn't have time.  So I made a large card instead.  I stamped the cobweb border in black Versafine ink and heat embossed with clear powder.  Next I stamped the scary old tree, embossed with clear powder and watercoloured it with antique linen.  I shaded the background using Distress inks and a blending tool to create an eerie orange sky.  I added the date and owl and heat embossed them with clear powder.  I stamped all the other elements on white card, coloured them with Copic markers, cut them out and edged them with a black marker.  I adhered the skull over Malcolm's face and added a witch's hat.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of orange card and added a fun greeting to the white panel.

I used the colours from this week's Colour Q - cQc#312 challenge - they're perfect for a Halloween card.

I know exactly who this card is for - our son Ben.  He and his girlfriend, Sophie, are coming over to the States on Sunday for a couple of weeks' holiday.  They timed their visit to coincide with Halloween as Northville township really goes all out to decorate for the event.  There are skeleton displays all over downtown Northville and the surrounding area and on the night itself, a whole section of town is closed to cars so that the children can go trick or treating!  It's a really fun event.

Don't forget to visit our blog to see what the rest of the team have created to inspire you.  You've got two weeks to play along - deadline for submission is midnight (BST) Tuesday 27 October (that's 7.00pm EDT).  Have fun!!