Witch's Potions

 

Hello all!  I haven't exactly been able to keep up with my posts or crafts as I had hoped.  So much going on even with a newly empty nest.  The hubs and I have been working on the house and yard so my creative endeavors have been elsewhere the past couple of months.   However, it has gotten me more in the mood to create, re-create, re-decorate and re-furbish on all levels.  To see what I have been up to, you can check out my newest blog Restoring My Soul where I plan to document and share all my redecorating/recycling/refurbishing ideas and projects.

Now on to my paper crafting!  I went a little more out with my Halloween decorating this year, decorating inside with a creepie/Dr. Frankenstein kind of mode.  I found these little bottles at Michaels and with the use of alcohol inks, DP and stamps, turned them into "potion bottles".  I placed a couple drops of alcohol ink inside each bottle and then rolled the ink around and upside down to cover most of the bottle.  I had to play with the inks a bit to get the look I wanted.  Then, using my emboss dryer, I dried the ink a little more since some of the ink tended to pool in the bottom.  I Modgepodged the labels onto the outside of the bottles.  I really like the way they turned out.

SPIES:

Stamps:  'Phantom 24" by Pinkpaislee

Paper: Oct 31 DP by Fancypantsdesign.com

Ink: Staz On Jet Black; Cranberry, Caramel, and Stream alcohol inks, Tim Holtz.
Extras:  Decorative bottles with cork; Spellbinders Shapeabilities and Nestabilities for labels; Modge Podge.

CHALLENGES:

All Sorts - Halloween
Cropstop - Halloween
Just Us Girls -  Halloween template/3D
Stampin' For The Weekend - Spooky

N.E.D.

N.E.D.

Rosy Wishes

Happy Tuesday!  So glad it is cooling down a bit here in the Carolinas. I love the summer, but I am definitely ready for fall weather.  And with the winding down of summer our nest will soon be empty as we move our youngest onto campus at UNC/Chapel Hill this weekend.  Chapters are ending and new ones are beginning for all of us.  This time next week, the house will be emptier and quieter but I am actually looking forward to it and some time for me and the hubby.   My bucket list and domestic list are both miles long!   Yet my first endeavor will be to get back into some routine of crafting!  I did have a bit crafty time in the past couple days.  So I wanted to post this card before I must take leave again to help my son shop and pack and move in.

SPIES:
Stamps:  Rose - Heartfelt Creations.
Paper:  DP-Recollection; Black and white cardstock
Ink:  Versamark and black embossing powder
Extras:  Black/silver brads; crystal stickies; clear plastic butterfly; metal sentiment - Tim Holtz; white lace netting. scalloped circle die; black felt swirl stickers.


CHALLENGES:
Just For Fun:  Black & White
Bugaboo Catch The Bug Challenge:   Distressed Shabby Chic
Truly Scrumptious - #63 Lace It Up
Ellephantastic - Layers

Friend

A bright and cheery card for a bright and cheery challenge over at Colour Queen today!

SPIES:
Stamps:  Friend
Paper:  DP from My Mind's Eye; black, white, tangerine, melon and light blue cardstock.
Ink:  Hampton Arts.
Extras:  buttons, twine, scallop border punch, Royalty emboss folder, label die.

Just Coastin'

Coasters

Large Trivet

Yet more gifts for the bride to match the frame and her kitchen dinnerware --- coasters and a trivet.  The bride chose Fiestaware in Chocolate, Turquoise and Lemongrass, so I made coasters and a trivet that would go with each color.   And I thought it fit nicely with Moxie Fab's Tuesday Trigger this week.

Moxie Fab's

Tues Trigger - Squares to Cherish

Supplies:   
Tiles from Home Depot;  Patterned Paper:  My Mind's Eye 'Stella & Rose'; turquoise, chocolate and Tim Holtz shabby shutter cardstock;  Taylored Expressions Leafy Branch die; Modge Podge for paper; clear polyurethene spray. 

CHALLANGES:
Moxie Fab World:  Tuesday Trigger's Squares to Cherish
All Sorts:  #114 Free and Easy

Tropical Bulletin

Another gift for the bride........fabric framed bulletin board. I saw this idea from Pinterest and this fabric went perfectly with the bride's dish selection for her kitchen. I used an 8x10 gold frame and used this tutorial and the following video tutorial to make my fabric framed bulletin board.

I wanted to make some custom tacks to go along with the board. Do you know how hard it is to find flat round thumbtacks anymore? I looked everywhere and could not find them anywhere! I only had two myself so I used them to glue on the back of two prima flowers for decorative tacks.


SUPPLIES: 8x10 frame or frame size of your choice; Fabric Modge Podge; sponge paint dabber; fabric; scissors; cork; decorative tacks.

Moxie Fab - Fanatical About Botanical Challenge

CHALLENGES:
Moxie Fab World Challenge - Fanatical About Botanical Challenge
Just For Fun: Soft and Gentle Fabric or Fiber
All Sorts: #114 Free and Easy

Wedding Keepsake

I've been busy this summer redecorating and crafting other than cards.  Here I made a wedding keepsake for the daughter of a long time friend (we have been friends for 40 years!).  I took patterned paper and adhered it to the back of cardboard for a t-shirt frame.  The wooden letter and numbers I bought at AC Moore already painted white.  I adhered the invitation and then blinged it up with several crystal flourishes and a white silk rose and enclosed it all in the frame.  I am hoping they like it!


SPIES:
Stamps:  None.
Paper:  DP from Die Cuts With a View; wedding invitation.
Ink:  None.
Extras:  Crystal flourish stickers, wooden letter and numbers, white silk rose.


CHALLENGES:
4 Crafty Chicks:  Get Your Bling On
All Sorts - Week 114 Free and Easy

Commencement 2011

Graduation announcements I made for our youngest son's high school graduation this past June.  Haven't had a chance to post them until now.  I liked the masculine feel of the squarish Quickutz embossing folder.  I printed his name and '2011' from the computer on ivory cardstock.  Rolled up some white paper, tied a green ribbon around it and added green ribbon on the bottom. Simple and elegant.

Celebrate Neutrals

My first post on my new blog is for Our Creative Corner's challenge, light and dark neutrals.  I got some new DP paper and loved this door image on one of Bo Bunny's Timepiece Collection.  I cut it and rounded the top corners then distressed and inked around the edges.  The branch style flourishes were cut from the Sizzix decorative accent die and bark roll.  I then twisted it through some wired raffia all around the door.  I continued the bark roll with the bird and 'ribbon' strip behind the sentiment.  The bark roll was not the simplest thing to work with let me tell you, but I love the effect it gives!


SPIES:
Stamps:  Crackled background on DP by Rubber Stampede.  Sentiment by TLC printed in black and brown.
Paper:  Cream and brown cardstock; DP-Antique Dark by pebblesinc.com.; DP door paper - Bo Bunny Timepiece Collection.
Ink:  Timber brown, black.
Extras:  Cream wired raffia; Sizzix decorative accent die; Tim Holtz Bird die; Nestability label die; antique metal brads; corner punch; bark roll.


Challenges:

Our Creative Corner:  Au Natural with a Twist - Light and dark neutrals only

Until next time --- Happy Soul Stampin!


Nance