Happy Halloween!

Yeah, I know - Halloween was YESTERDAY!  It also happened to be Jeremiah's FIRST birthday...so we were a little bit busy around these parts.  :)  I cannot believe he's already a year old, and that he's been a part of our family for 7 days shy of a year!  Wow!

Even though I'm a day late (and usually a dollar short...or lots of dollars short, as the case may be!), I did want to show you a couple of Halloween projects I made using Authentique's Glowing line, for my post on Craft Test Dummies yesterday. Really, you need to go check it out, because in my post, I explain how I made everything.  Both projects were super easy, and I think a Christmas version of these cans will soon be in order!

Burlap-covered tin cans, with
Authentique Glowing line embellishments

Scrapbook layout, ready for photo, made with
Authentique Glowing line

Anyway, we took all the kids to Knotts Berry Farm on Friday - in their costumes, of course - and we had a great time.  Then yesterday, we all visited the BRAND NEW HOBBY LOBBY that just opened.  It's about 40 minutes from here, but YAY for having Hobby Lobby!  And last night we started off at our church's Hallelujah Night, but after standing in one line for 15 minutes to get a couple pieces of candy, we changed plans and went trick-or-treating back home in our neighborhood...which turned out to be a much better plan.  The twins were hilarious...this was their first year trick-or-treating, but once they got the hang of it, they were hamming it up!  Mackenzie in particular was so cute - she would get her candy, and then just keep standing there, saying "trick-or-treat" over and over, with her bag open, until the people at the door, confused as to why she wasn't leaving, gave in and gave her more candy!  She was really working the neighborhood...and by the time we got home, she was dragging her bag on the ground because it was so heavy - she ended up with almost double what the others got.  (It's all good - we always pour all the candy into one big bowl.)  The kids are satisfied with their new stash of lollipops, and mom's satisfied with the new stash of chocolate!

In other news, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's new 30 Days In Your Journal class starts today - are you taking it?  I'm getting it as an early birthday gift from a friend.  I think it's a great deal for the amount of information she's providing.  I love all of Julie's work, and I am addicted to the stencils she designed for The Crafter's Workshop (you can see some of them in my project for the Halloween blog hop I participated in a couple weeks ago).  Anyway, I think it will help me with my art journaling...I kind of feel like I'm all over the place and need to get in a groove.

That's all for now.  I have some other projects I've made for Craft Test Dummies that I still need to show you...later this week!

Catching Up With Fall

Grab a cup of coffee - this may be a long one!  We've been quite busy around here, soaking up as much "fall" as possible...even if it hasn't really felt much like fall outside (at least not until TODAY - yay for cloudy, cool weather).  We've taken trips to two different pumpkin patches, taken time to paint some pumpkins, decorated the house, collected quite an assortment of twigs and pine cones and nuts for a nature tray...and had more than our fair share of pumpkin pancakes!  Man I love this time of year!

So this is my painted pumpkin.  I have to tell you...I used to HATE my "doodling" type drawing and painting...but I recently took Stephanie Ackerman's online Random Creative Scrapple Doodle class, and I just love her!  Highly recommend her classes!  (And her blog - she's so encouraging and uplifting!)

The girls had fun painting their pumpkins too.  Like their easy-clean-up outfits?  LOL

Jeremiah really enjoyed the second pumpkin patch we went to (yeah, the pics are all out of order...sigh...I'm too lazy to fix them!).  The ground was all covered in straw, and I let him have free reign.  He had to taste it, of course!  

And if the straw tasted good, surely the pumpkin would too, right?

I am amazed when I look at pictures of the kids - they always look so much older than when I look at them every day.  They're growing up so fast.

We had actually met a couple other moms from our homeschooling group at this pumpkin patch and had lunch together.  The kids had a great time playing together (and running from the swarms of bees!).  No one got stung, thankfully.  And they all had a great time on the tire swing.

The other pumpkin patch we went to was much larger - and though I hate that they end up making you spend a bunch of money on rides and jumpers and such for the kiddos, I do love the eye candy they have in their vast array of pumpkins, gourds, indian corn, etc.  Tables and tables and tables of gorgeous fall colors!! And what a difference a year makes - last year, all three kids fit in this wagon!

The kids were enthralled with the animals - from afar.  They had no desire to go into the petting zoo.  Ha ha.

Climbing on the hay castle is always fun - and free.

We splurged on a pulled quad ride.  The kids thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was a bit bumpy for my suiting.  LOL

Ahh...these tables just make my heart go pitter patter!!

Even the girls were enthralled with the freshly picked and washed gourds that were being brought in from the field.  

And we all took our first trip into and out of a corn maze.  There were 4 hidden boxes in the maze which we had to locate and do crayon rubbings on to form a completed picture...we thought we were NEVER going to find them all!  (And it didn't help that there weren't crayons at some of the stations, so we had to use pieces of corn stalks and rocks to do parts of the rubbings!)  Glad to have experienced it once...but I left feeling all scratchy on my arms, with flashbacks of detassling corn in high school during the summer, and don't think I'll ever need to repeat the corn maze experience!  

So there you have it.  Our fall activities thus far.  What about you?  We'll continue this weekend with a trip to DisneyLand on Friday, to celebrate Jeremiah's first birthday (which is actually on Monday)...and then attend our church's Hallelujah Night on Halloween.  I've got a couple of cute Halloween projects to show you on Halloween, too, so stay tuned!

Spooktacular Signs - The Trick-or-Treat Blog Hop

Welcome to the Trick-Or-Treat Blog Hop! 

October 8-10, 2011

 

Crafter's Workshop and Clearsnap have teamed up for the next three days to create hauntingly inspiring projects for this Halloween season. It's all tricks, treats, and techniques so join us on a fright night jaunt to remember, hopping from blog to blog. Leave your "Trick-or-treat" comment on each blog in the hop in hopes of winning candy, blog candy that is! For every 50 comments posted on this blog we're giving away a set of inks and accessories to spook up any crafter's projects!!! We'll choose the winners from the blog comments posted on all the blogs in the Hop. 

The Clearsnap prize includes Smooch Spritz in Frosted Grape, Green Olive, and Carrot Cake, ColorBox Pigment InkPad in Spooktacular, Glitter in  Grape Fizz, Design Adhesives in "Trick or Treat" and "Eeeeks!?", plus our new Design Foils in Lime Burst. That's alot of spook to go around!

Plus Crafter's Workshop is giving away this fabulous assortment of templates worth over $35!! This is some serious blog candy!!

Receive extra entries in the Hop for following Clearsnap and Crafter's Workshop on Twitter and Facebook and for tweeting or posting on Facebook about the Hop - just post here afterwards that you have followed us or posted about the Hop to increase your chances to win. 


Here are the artsy spooksters to visit:

Clearsnap - http://clearsnap.blogspot.com

Crafter's Workshop  http://www.thecraftersworkshop.com/The_Crafters_Workshop/Blog/Blog.html

Jaime Echt - www.thecraftersworkshop.com

Sabrina Alery http://sabrinaalery.blogspot.com/

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer - http://www.balzerdesigns.typepad.com/

Charlotte Jenkins http://suepup.blogspot.com

Mary Dawn Quirindongo -http://mypinkmexico.blogspot.com/ Karen Grunberg- http://www.karenika.com/

Jennifer Priest http://hydrangeahippo.blogspot.com

Jen Clark - http://mycraftyfriendjen.blogspot.com/  YOU ARE HERE

Daniela Dobson http://danieladobson.blogspot.com/

Happy Hopping!!

We recently visited our local pumpkin patch as a family, and while there, I saw a large family or possibly a group on tour - at any rate, they had some signs on wood sticks to identify their group.  I thought they were really cute, and that some similar Halloween-y signs would make super cute decorations...and that my kids would probably enjoy carrying them while out trick-or--treating (OR just around the house for the next several weeks, as is proving the case...).  So before we left the pumpkin patch, I made sure to gather several twigs - we live in the desert and certainly don't have any twigs in OUR yard!  My kids couldn't wait to see what I was going to do with them!

I started out by cutting cardstock to 5.25" wide by 6.5" long.  I ran each one through my Zutter Distrezz-it-All to distress the edges.  I used the 6x6 Crafter's Workshop trees template and the Clearsnap MetalXtra Platinum ink pad with a blending tool to apply ink to the cardstock to create just a shadow on the background.

After drying the ink, I applied some Glue Gloss to a tree stamp and stamped it over the background trees.  I rubbed some Lucky Penny and Plum Crazy Designer Foils over the Tree (you have to let it get tacky a bit, then rub a bit and apply several times since it's not really meant to be used with the Glue Gloss).  Then I re-stamped the tree using Clearsnap Pigment ink to give it more definition.

I used the Crafter's Workshop numbers template to highlight the number "31," using Clearsnap Espresso pigment ink.  I just love how easy the Queue's are to use - both the chalk ink and the pigment ink.  (Just a note - the chalk ink dries very quickly, the pigment ink a bit more slowly, but both are easy to use.)

I added a word sticker, going around the edges with Dark Brown chalk ink, and went around the edges of the entire sign with the same ink pad.  I added some accents with a Viva Pearl Pen, and my sign was complete.(I punched holes in the top and bottom to put it on a twig.)

On this one, I used the triangle plaid template to create a background, added the clocks over it using that template, and I used Glue Gloss to cover the witch in black glitter.  I *LOVE* using Glue Gloss for glitter - it ROCKS.  If you've never tried it for glitter, flocking, etc. - you are really missing out!!  I again used the MetalXtra Platinum ink pad - to ink the skull and to add highlights to the houses - I just love that ink pad!!  A little goes a long way.

On this third one, I started by using black ink with the tree template, and then used Design Adhesive flourishes in the corners with Plum Crazy foils.  You can see the shimmer somewhat - but it's really hard to see in photographs JUST how shimmery the foils really are!!  I added the skeleton and the Halloween card - inked with Lavender chalk ink - and the "spooky" word sticker.  I went around the edges of the sticker and sign with Espresso pigment ink.

Finally, the last sign.  I started by using the damask template, and sprayed using Wine Berry and Silver Foil Smooch Spritz.  Then I applied some Glue Gloss on the house, and again applied the Designer Foils, a little at a time.  While it didn't work perfectly - it sort of has a spooky, haunted look to it, which is fitting with the theme!  I finished it with a greeting.

For now, the signs are gracing our entry-way table, along with a few other Halloween decorations...though I had to fight my children off to get them to leave them be long enough for me to snap photos!  I have no doubt they will be missing soon, and there will be 3 little monsters running through the house sporting spooky signs!

Now on with the blog hop!!

Reversible Decoupaged and Embossed Metal Monogrammed Necklace

Whew...that's quite a title, eh?  Maybe it should say...one ONE side, the pendant is decoupaged, and on the OTHER side, it's an embossed metal monogram!  At any rate, you should definitely run over to Crafts Unleashed today to check out my tutorial for how to create this super easy necklace!!

And what I did NOT show on Crafts Unleashed is that on the reverse side, you can add a piece of cardstock, cardboard, or grungeboard (which is what I happened to use here), and then dress it up to your heart's desire.  I used E-6000 to adhere a rectangle piece of grungeboard, then used a paint dabber to paint it white.  I went over it with a chalk queue to add just a bit of ink to it, and then added my girl-image with Mod Podge (the girl and the words are from Cosmo Cricket's Odds & Ends line - SOOOO cute!).  Then I cut out all the words and added them with Mod Podge as well, and added a couple top coats of Mod Podge over the entire piece.  Final result - LOVE!  And what makes this piece SO easy is that the actual necklace part comes prepared (ribbon, beads, clasp and all)...all you have to do is make the pendant, add a couple jump rings to attach it to the necklace, and you're done!

Enjoy!  This entire month is jewelry month over at Crafts Unleashed...so if jewelry is your thing, you might want to keep checking in over there for lots of inspiration and giveaways!!

Elmer's Craft & Tell Party - Altered Cricut Cartridge Boxes

While I was at Winter CHA 2011, I had the opportunity to meet Meghann Heft from Elmer's and learned of their new Craft & Tell program.  Basically, Elmer's wanted to send some crafty bloggers like me a big box of crafty goodness to use for hosting a craft party, and then tell the world all about it!  Since I am certainly not one to turn down free craft products, I signed on the dotted line right away!

I decided to invite my friends over for a craft night this past Friday, and planned a project involving altering old Cricut cartridge boxes.  I prepared an example box, and I incorporated a few flowers that some of my friends had been wanting to learn how to make so that I could demonstrate how to make them.  (And check out these GORGEOUS new Pink Paislee House of Three papers - from the Daily Junque line!!)

My sample - an altered Cricut cartridge box

And boy oh boy did Elmer's send the crafty goodness!!  Check out my friend Shelia and me setting up for my party...there were circle cutters, craft knives, swivel knives, scissors, corner punches, glue pens, glue sticks, glue dots, adhesive runners, scrapbooking tape, adhesive squares, photo corners, decorative scissors, gel pens, paint markers, gel pens, foam board, liquid glue, and paper cutters.  There were even a few extras thrown in...some scrapbooking paper, ribbon, sequins, pom-poms...so much fun!

My island looked like an Elmer's and X-acto store display!!

Sheila helping to pack the VERY full swag bags

When my friends arrived, I had everything set up for them - an empty Cricut cartridge box for each person, a huge stack of scrapbooking paper and cardstock, paper punches, flowers of every kind, my Big Kick and Sizzix dies, and all of the Elmer's and X-acto products.  We got so busy crafting that we almost forgot to take very many photos!  Everyone wanted to learn how to make the rosettes using the Sizzix dies, so I demonstrated that, and almost everyone added one to their boxes.  Everyone also wanted to learn how to make the crinoline rose from my box, and I had received prior permission from Tammy Tutterow to use her tutorial to teach them how to make the rose.  It was fun watching my friend Monica, who thought the rose would be "impossible" to make, actually make one of her own for her box - and then take several more die cut crinoline flowers home with her to make more at home!  

Me demonstrating the crinoline rose and new Distress Stains

Kathye covering her box with paper

Allison's box - rosettes, crinoline rose, and layered butterflies

Shelia punched the top layer of her butterflies
from a soda can

My kiddos were appreciative of the sturdy
boxes the goodies arrived in!

All of my friends had a GREAT time - and so did I!  It had been a while since I'd hosted a craft night (I used to hold them regularly, though they used to be "everyone bring your own project" types of craft nights).  All present were in agreement that I needed to start hosting a monthly craft night again, but they'd like them to be more project-based like this one was, so that they could continue to learn new techniques and how to use different tools.  They want next month to be a spring banner!

I'm SOOO thankful to the folks at Elmer's for the fantastic products they sent - and because they were SO generous, I actually have some extra goodies to give away here on my blog!  So...this being the last week of National Crafting Month, you just might want to check back here TOMORROW to see what's in store!!  Just sayin'...