DogGone Delightful Stampin'

Terrific Tuesdays ~~ Happy Halloween and Fall

Hello Fellow Stampers ~~

Happy Halloween!!!!  We're having a "semi-white" Halloween here in Colorado as we had a rather large first snowfall over the weekend.  We had 11" here at the house; but as is typical in Colorado, the sun has come out and things are melting quickly!!  So although the trick-or-treaters will need to be bundled up tonight as it will be brrrrr-cold, they at least will have dry sidewalks, streets and steps to walk on!!

 

As we transition through Halloween into the middle of the Fall season, and Thanksgiving on the horizon, today's featured card design is "Simple" and fun, featuring the Pick of the Patch bundle.  What I love about this bundle is it is a Punch bundle!!  Everyone loves the ease of punches.  I also think this set is just plain cute, and lends itself perfectly to the season at hand!  🎃🎃🎃🎃

 

This was the last card we made at class this past Saturday.  I love that this set includes the ability to create a Jack-o-Lantern pumpkin and includes a cute Halloween sentiment.

As I said, this is a simple card, on a Thick Basic White card base, 11" x 4-1/4", scored at 5-1/2". 

The front layered panel features Pumpkin Pie for the mat (4" x 5-1/4"), and another wonderful design out of the Them Bones designer series paper (3-7/8" x 5-1/8").  I love this herringbone-feel design that just screams Fall to me.

The off-set panel is also matted with Pumpkin Pie (2" x 4-1/2"), so that the focal Basic White panel (1-7/8" x 4-3/8") can shine with the showcase stamping.

Different size pumpkins are stacked using Pumpkin Pie and Copper Clay inks, slipping in some fun vines using Old Olive ink, and topped with a fun Crow stamped using Memento Tuxedo Black of course!

The "rock-n-roll" technique was used to ink the cute little Fall leaves in Crushed Curry and Old Olive inks.

Even more fun -- the Dark Wild Wheat Stampin' Blend was used to color the 1/4" Black & White Ribbon bow.  And the fun panel is finished off with the Speckled Dots.

The inside features the cute sentiment, another Crow stamped and die cut using the Stylish Shapes Dies, and a strip of the same designer paper to bring the bring that cohesiveness to the front and the inside.

 

I created a second card for this "set" of fun.

This one leaves the Jack-o-Lantern face off, and adds a whole bunch more leaves this time "falling" down the panel, as well as a few additional vines to the pumpkins.

And this time the Crow is die cut with the new Deckled Circles Dies, and the sweet "harvest of Blessings" sentiment finishes off this sweet Thanksgiving card.

I hope you have enjoyed this sweet and simple set of cards, and haven't passed up the cute Pick of the Patch stamp set.

 

 

Things are picking up here at the Studio.  In a few short weeks it will be time for the Annual Christmas Stamp-a-Stack, and there will be a FULL House for that one!!  Lots of very busy crafters, laughter, and Christmas Cheer!!

And in-between, we'll be popping in and out here to share creative fun!

 

I Love to hear from you.  Leave your questions or comments below!!

Hugs, . . .

Mix-It Up Mondays! ~~ A Trick. A Treat. A Modified Z-Card for Halloween!

Hello Fellow Stampers ~

Getting this post up a little late for a "Monday" -- but we'll go with it anyway.   The Annual Halloween class was this past Saturday, and we had loads of Spooktacular fun!!  👻👻👻

 

As always, I like to do several gift bags or boxes (something special); and then we do a couple of cards as well.  I wanted to share some of those with you this week.

 

When perusing the new Holiday Mini catalog back in August, I really didn't think the Tricks & Treats bundle was going to be up my alley.  Nevertheless, I have to "think outside the box" when I'm planning for class and what my customers may like.  And it never ceases to amaze me but that something I didn't think I'd like, I see other's ideas, and all of a sudden that product grows on me.

 

This design uses the wonderful dies in this bundle, combined with the Alphabet A La Mode Dies to create a spooktacular Modified Z-Fold card.

The inside incorporates some of the fun images in the stamp set as well.

 

And I LOVE that the ghosts and letters on the front of this card a die cut from the Glow-in-the-Dark Specialty paper.  Yes, I've tested it -- the paper really works!!  LOL

 

The measurements and scoring for this Modified Z-Fold are simple ~~

Regular 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" card base ~~ Score at 4-1/4", and flip the card base over and score at 1-1/4".  By doing the "flip" you allow the "bump" of the score line to be correct when you fold and burnish (i.e., bump to the inside always).

Then I have layered and covered each section of the Starry Sky card base - both front and the inside.  There is a Basic Black mat to each section; overlaid with the pretty diagonal stripe in the Them Bones designer series paper; and accented on the inside panel with the bone motif designer paper from that same collection.  On that panel I added a piece of Basic White for that personal message to be written inside the card.

 

The inside of the card uses the Nested Essentials Dies and a piece from the Winter Meadow designer paper that I felt looked like night sky.

Here is where I had fun with stamping bats, tombstones, and the haunted house which has lots of Wink of Stella on it!!  😉😉

 

 

My crafters loved the card; and enjoyed the cute gift bag that the dies create as well.  Give this set a try if you haven't looked at it closer!

 

I Love to hear from you.  Leave your questions or comments below!!

Hugs, . . .

Wednesday Spotlight - Perched In a Tree for Fall

Hello Fellow Stampers ~

There is a quote from Robert Burns that reads "The best laid schemes of mice and men go oft awry."  That is how I feel most days anymore!!  LOL  Best laid plans and all, pretty much go down the drain.  Nevertheless, I do find myself actually working through the piles and backed up projects around the Studio, and a little progress is showing itself.  And as I need to be elbow deep in planning and designing for the Annual Halloween Class this weekend, finding the countertop and work space is of utmost importance!!!  🤣😂🤣

So in the pile of "I want to design this some day" is the fabulous Perched In a Tree stamp set along with the coordinating Aspen Trees Dies.  I'm convinced that we tend to overlook and put behind us what is hanging out in the Annual Catalog as we get so busy with the fun in the mini occasions catalogs.  And although we have some really lovely Fall bundles and products in the new mini, I really wanted to reach back to the Annual and incorporate some of the other wonderful products that still have a lot of life left to them.

 

We've been having incredible Indian Summer here in Colorado the past two weeks.  If you've ever had the chance to enjoy Fall in this State, and know what a true Indian Summer day can be like in Colorado, you know what I'm talking about -- the incredible Colorado Blue skies with not a single cloud to be seen, the perfect balmy temperature, the Fall smell to the air, the rustle of the turning leaves in the trees, and the "wintering" birds as I call them (the ones that stay year 'round and don't leave us as the season changes).

This was my inspiration for today's card design, as today was yet just another perfect Indian Summer day in Colorado.

For this design, I used my Blending Brushed to create a background of gorgeous blended color.  I blended Lemon Lolly and Wild Wheat in the center, and then worked outwards blending layers of Azure Afternoon, Blueberry Bushel, and Night of Navy at the very outer edges.

The die cut Aspen trees background, is backed with a piece of Basics Vellum to soften the colored panel behind it.  Initially, I laid the die against the background without the Vellum, and determined that the colors, though beautiful, were just to bright and felt distracting to me.  Vellum is a wonderful softener, and an easy "go to" when you want to soften your backgrounds on a card or art piece.  This allows the color to "peep" through without being overwhelming.

 

From there I had a little fun.

The branch is stamped in Pebbled Path and die cut with the coordinating die.

I cut Aspen leaves in the two different sizes from Wild Wheat, Copper Clay and more Basics Vellum.

And the sweet little bird is stamped in Pecan Pie, and lightly colored with a little Light Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends marker, before being fussy cut.

The sentiment is from the new Fruitful Blessings stamp set, stamped in Wild Wheat and fussy cut, so it can be slipped into the perfect spot under the branch.

Everything is layered together, with glue dots and dimensionals, and finished off with double Misty Moonlight Bow and Tinsel Gems.

The layering on the inside reflects the colors on the front.

And since I had so much fun cutting leaves, the remaining two leaves are tucked here for a little surprise when you open the card.

 

 

This is such a pretty little card.  I hope you'll pull out your Perched In a Tree and have some Autumn fun!

 

I Love to hear from you.  Leave your questions or comments below!!

Hugs, . . .

 

Wednesday Spotlight - Three Little Mittens

Hello Fellow Stampers ~

It's been a little while again; sigh!  Time flies by me faster than I can hold onto.  We have actually been very busy here behind the scenes, even if you don't see it here on the blog.  Our Coffee & a Card virtual class series ends tonight with the All About Autumn suite of products.  The next session starts on November 1st, and we're going to be playing with the Winter Meadow suite of products.  All the information on that and all the other classes (In Person) that have been planned now can be seen HERE.  Sign up!!  We'd love to have you!!

Product Shares have also been getting put together and sent out.  Our Backorder situation has been pretty ugly this cycle, and we're still fighting to get some items in.  We'll get there; but let's hope Stampin' Up! starts getting this inventory thing worked out!!  LOL

I skipped the "Not In the Blog Hop" post last week, even though the Pals were focused on my favorite color - Purple!!  I've been mulling over products, colors, designs, papers, . . . you name it!!  Sometimes it's difficult to get the mojo moving, but I finally designed a card this week that I've been wanting to do for awhile, and I hope you will like it!  Sometimes it is good to be reminded of the wonderful products we have in our Annual Catalog, as they can easily be forgotten while we're playing with all things new.

 

Three little kittens they lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear, we sadly fear
Our mittens we have lost.
What! lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.

Remember that adorable children's rhyme from when we were little?  This kept rolling through my head in the past week as I contemplated the design of this card.  Why not 3 mis-matched mittens with their match having gone "missing" I thought!!  LOL  And so here we are . . .

 

This fun Christmas card is done in non-traditional colors of Sweet Sorbet, Parakeet Party, and Tahitian Tide on Very Vanilla cardstock (base and background panel).  I like the bright colors, and doing something a little less traditional for a Christmas card -- and still bring the green and red through the Sweet Sorbet and Parakeet Party.

 

The Very Vanilla background was embossed with the Twisted Rope 3D Embossing Folder; I thought it looked like a cable knit sweater.  I love the textured backdrop for the mittens.  The I wrapped the first two layers with a piece of Lemon Lime Twist 1/8" ribbon.

Each mitten has been stamped, cut and popped with dimensionals.  If you were lucky enough to snag this set while it still had its matching dies last year, it's and easy peasy die cut.  But even if you don't have the dies, these mittens are beyond easy to fussy cut.

In the spirit of the missing mitten, each mitten has it's "ribbon", one end tucked underneath the attach mitten, and the other end loose wondering where the missing mitten is . . .

 

Each mitten has a matching In Color Pearl in its center and surrounding it.  And a little Wink of Stella surely helps any mitten sparkle!!  😉😉

 

The "Sending Warmth Your Way" sentiment was snagged from the Horse & Sleigh stamp set in our Online Exclusives.  I wanted it to tuck in nicely on the front of the card, so I chose to fussy cut it.

 

The three little kittens they found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear, see here, see here,
Our mittens we have found!
Put on your mittens, you silly kittens,
And you shall have some pie.

And where is that silly  mitten?  Why on the inside of the card of course!!  LOL

 

I promise to be back soon with more fun and creative inspiration!!

 

I Love to hear from you.  Leave your questions or comments below!!

Hugs, . . .