Something Wicked This Way Comes

Hello folks! Even though it isn't evident here on the blog, I *have* been puttering around in the studio all summer. It's just been puttering, though, so there are a number of unfinished projects.

I do have something to share today!

I found a cool 7 Gypsies chipboard triptych at Tuesday Morning and put it together with Graphic 45's Steampunk Spells line. I'll be honest and tell you I'm not a huge fan of this collection because of all the orange in it. It does have some great graphics perfect for fussy cutting, though.

I've used G45's hinges to hold the triptych together. There are bits of metals from Finnabair and Tim Holtz on the panels, too. 

 I used Mod Podge to glue the roughly-cut bats to a thin scrap of cardboard. Once dried I cut them out and inked the edges with a black marker. I'm trying to stop using foam dots on projects I want to last a really long time so the bats are popped up using 3D Zots. I had to trim the super sticky Zots to fit - use nonstick scissors if you do the same... once they stick it's hard to get them off from anything, including fingers.

The cat is cut from one of the journaling cards. One thing this collection has is a great selection of journaling cards (hint: mini album just might be in the future for the rest of my Steampunk Spells!).

I used a Sizzix "Branch Tree" die for the  barely-visible tree and the Sizzix Movers and Shapers die for the branch sticking through the window. 

The clock was cut from a Sizzix die - both in plain cardboard and black. Can you see the black shadow behind the red one? The first layer of the red one is Barn Door Distress stain. Ater that dried I used a crackle gloss *then* re-stained the back with Wild Honey Distress Stain to orange it up a bit. As it turns out, Barn Door is really really red. :)

The blue swirly is a Dusty Attic vine and spritzed with a brownish sparkly spritz. (Does anyone remember Tattered Angels?) That was too brown so I painted over with a blend of Lumiere blues and greens. It helps carry that teal color across each panel nicely.

So that's it. I'm going to put this in the Etsy paper shop shortly. thanks for visiting today!

Cheers,
Susan

A Lovelorn Halloween

The months fell away and he never returned to her.

Happy Halloween, folks! I'll be having chocolate and wine for dinner as the neighborhood kids shiver up to the front door. Bad example? Meh. :) Something has to keep me warm!

Cheers,
Susan

Graphic 45 Little Darlings Mini Album

Hiya friends! As you might know, I've been in a G45 crafting frenzy nigh on a month now, what with the audition (I made the Final 30!) and then my three projects shipped to G45 on Monday. I posted the Communique shadow box HERE, and I want to show you another project included in that shipment.

I used G45's newest line - Little Darlings. Such beautiful graphics! Here's a very chunky 4"x4" mini album.

Not a lot of embellishment on the front since the mother and baby are so darn cute!

The little girl is a pull-out tag, and the right side has space for a photo. I still have to make the coordinating photo corners before this goes to it's new home. :)

More pull-out tags on these pages. Don't you just love that little baby face?

A single tag on the left and two on the right side.

I don't have a photo of the back (gasp!) but it's covered with the blue "B" paper. I used a combination of 12x12 sheets and 8x8. Also the sticker sheet and chipboard pieces from both sets. It's a Little Darlings embellishment extravaganza!

I'll post my last project in a day or two, as well as the Little Darlings one that didn't make the cut. :)

Thanks for visiting today! It's a gorgeous day and I'm going to go outside for sun and yard work. Next week we're headed back down into the 60's (*still* higher than normal temps) so I'm going to take advantage "soak up" the vitamin D while I can.

Cheers,
Susan

TBS DT: Spooky September Sketch

Hello hello my pretties... It's Monday and time for another project from me! Happy Labor Day to all my US friends. I hope you can relax today!

This week the design team is continuing with samples --and perhaps a little inspiration! -- for our brand spankin' new Beary Sweet sketch challenge. I got a little witchy with Authentique's "Glowing" 6x6 pad.

I used 4 different designs from the pack, including the polka dot spider. I stamped the sentiment onto scraps created by one of the layers. The stamps are individual letters that I laid out askew for a fun, messy effect. Actually, that's a lot about this that's distressing, including the chewed edges, sewing lines all over the place and pulled edges of the lace and tulle.

I have to give big props to Lori for inspiring me to make my own rosette for the very first time! Her card last week featured a rosette and I whined a bit about not having a rosette die. She pshaw'd me and showed me the way with a strip of paper and a handy dandy Scor-Pal. We don't need no stinkin' rosette dies! Thanks, Lori! We'll share a tutorial on it soon. :)

I was thinking of just using "tea party" and reveling in the double entendre, but decided to steer it in a less *ahem* political direction. The off-white threads behind the top text is a bit of cheese cloth.

Inside includes a ton of space for a spooky sentiment as well as more lace and a fun diamond pattern design from the stack. 

Card Recipe

• Image: vintage image found online and spiced up for a lush print
• Paper: Authentique "Glowing" 6x6 paper pad; vintage witches printed on ivory Canson Mi-Tiente paper (I love the texture for vintage images); Bazzill basics in black and orange; Rosette is made from a random strip of paper found in my stash
• Medium: Stickles Diamond on spider; Ranger Distress Ink in black and vintage photo on edges
• Embellishments: Hand made rosette; Kaisercraft black pearls; lace, cheese cloth and mirrored bird from stash
• Adhesives: Scor-Tape and Fabri-Tac 

Thanks so much for visiting today! We'd love to see what you can create using our September sketch - you could win a $20 gift voucher from The Beary Scrap!

Cheers,
Susan

CLP DT: #30 Halloween

Hello hello! So happy to see another month roll around... er, that doesn't sound right, 'specially since time flies faster the older I get. Let's rephrase that, shall we?

Hello hello! So happy to show you another CLP challenge. The first of the month is always exciting, and this one even more so since we have a  fabby challenge sponsor: Spesch Designer Stamps! It was wayyy cool to play with the new release - I used the Halloween girl digi created by Max. Thanks, Tracey, for letting us play with your adorable images!

Isn't she delicious? (Haha, if I do say so myself...) I love her so much it's almost painful. Really! The colors on the Bo Bunny and 7 Gypsies papers are a perfect foil for her wild pumpkin skirt. The layering turned out well - next time I use her I'll add another hat layer. I do love my layers!

Here is Chelsea's gorgeous sketch. Doesn't it get your creative juices flowing?

So, how can you play along? Use Chelsea's CLP #30 sketch for your project and upload it HERE by October 31st. You could win 4 digital images from Spesch Designer Stamps!

Challenges, Please

• Practical Scrappers (10/1): Use a stamp
• Fashionista Friday #49 (10/7): Orange

Card Recipe

• Stamp: Halloween Digital Stamp by Max at Spesch Digital Stamps
• Paper: Bazzill Basics black; Bo Bunny's "Mama-Razzi"; 7 Gypsies "Nottinghill"; My Mind's Eye Night Light "Halloween Wishes"
• Medium: Prismacolor pencils with OMS; Copic for skin; Stickles Star Dust, Diamond; Colorbox Fluid Chalk Charcoal
• Embellishments: Prima corner pearls; American Crafts "Eek" ribbon; May Arts black webbing ribbon from the FABULOUS Patricia - thanks sweetie!; Copper brads from stash

See you there!

Cheers,
Susan