2013 Fall Open House

Halloween Page with Modern Medley DSP

Cardstock: Basic Black
DSP: Modern Medley
Inks:  StazOn Jet Black, Basic Grey Classic, Basic Black Classic, Metallic Encore Silver Ink
Stamp Set: Halloween Bash
Punches: Decorative Label, Ticket Duo Builder, Scallop Oval, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border
Embellishments: Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons, Linen Thread
Extras: Sponge Daubers, Stamping Sponges
----Lori

 

Last-Minute Party Plans

It happens every year. Someone in my sphere (usually a daughter) decides they want to have a Halloween party. I find myself scrabbling for suitable, seasonal decorations. This year, I have a secret weapon in my arsenal: SU! Decor Elements! The mini catalog has some dandy bats and spiders and other "Spooky Things", ten images for $14.95. I ordered a sheet and then realized I had this empty gallon can, great for popcorn or apples or a candy corn and peanut mix with a scoop... In less than five minutes, I had an eye-catching and original table element (I did it as a demo for the Olathe stamp club ladies). AND, I have nine images left to use on other things, from windows to mirrors to cabinet doors and walls. I can even add them to a platter or glass candle holder. They come right off with the sticky sheets you use to apply them.

Hope you've got a few tricks up your sleeve for treats, Kathy

Haunting the Studio

The seasons are changing, and that's a great excuse for collecting favorite things together and creating a seasonal grouping! The fun thing about it is, you don't have to go out and buy it all - just look around your house for things in the colors you want to emphasize, or things that fit the theme. In these photos, you'll see a paint can and discarded t-shirt recycled into a mummy treat container; boots and socks suggesting traditional characters of the upcoming holiday (I just realized, I should have added my little hearth broom!); some vintage file boxes from the days when my dad had a store downtown; shutters found on the curb, to which hinges were added so that I'd have a room divider/background screen; and of course, cards and treat container ideas for my stamping friends. So many of these things can be reconfigured for Thanksgiving (plate, candle, stones, file boxes, wire pumpkin, shutters) - I love it when I can feel ahead of the game for even a moment! And when you rearrange your things, create a little vignette like this as a focal point, it makes the familiar feel fresh and new and gives a shot of energy to you and your home. Go and play! -Kathy

Enjoy Every Bite/Halloween Treat Card

One last Halloween post for the year! (From me, at any rate.) Using the Sweet Centers Halloween stamp and Celery classic ink, I made a touchdown on Naturals White. I trimmed it down with the scoring blade to grunge it up a bit. Punch the center out with the 1 3/4" circle and paste that on the inside of the card for the message. Attach a strip of celery card stock with two brads. Fill your treat cup, slip it through the punched square, peel off the waxed paper strip and stick it to the card base by holding both above your head to center (or you can trace the placement with a pencil before adhering if that's easier, since the rim will be covered when you're done). Remove the stamped panel, place adhesive on the back, and glue in place. Done!


All supplies Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Sweet Centers
Ink: Certainly Celery classic
Paper: Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery, Naturals White
Accessories: 1 3/4" circle punch, Sweet Treat cups, two brads, 1/16" handheld circle punch















Here's a little quickie treat. I had a box of fancy paper clips from the local discount city. I removed the paper liner/label from the packaging and trimmed off the tab used to hang it. This left me with a nice little clear box, which I filled with Reese's Creams (Have you tried these yet?! Wow!). Then I cut a strip of DSP to wrap around the box, and made a label for the front by layering my white stamped image onto blue and black card stock. Before I glued it down, I took a "bite" out of the corner of the stamped panel with my circle scallop punch!

Enjoy all the treats that October brings to you, Kathy


All Materials Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Twick or Tweet
Ink: Basic Black classic
Paper: Day & Night DSP, card stock scraps in whisper white, brilliant blue and black
Accessories: scallop circle punch, 1/4" black grosgrain ribbon

Spider Swirls

I love working with my girls in the studio. They are often willing to try things that don't occur to me, and of course have different ways of looking at things. Ginny came up with this very spooky look recently, and I thought you might enjoy giving it a try.

Take a cotton ball and pounce it onto a white craft ink pad. On a dark base such as black, touch down and twist, creating a random pattern of "mist". When you have the coverage you want, ink up your stamps with black craft. Place images here and there. Gives the effect of a resist, or a ghostly creature in the mist...

I really do detest spiders. Wonder why we torture ourselves with them on Halloween?!

Kathy

Tab Punch Punkins

I'd like to feature the work of a guest designer in my second post this week. My youngest daughter, Ginny, created these pumpkins using the tab punch after seeing the adorable little red apples that Monique made for a demonstrator swap earlier this fall. Ginny and her sister are preparing for a Halloween party later this month.

To make one of your very own, you'll need 10 tab punches (if you want to stamp your paper for some additional appeal, do this before punching), a very thin strip of brown or green, and a little rectangle of brown for the stem. Wrap the green strip around a pencil to make the curlique, then slide it off the end to maintain the coil. Fold all the punched pieces in half (or if you're doing a lot of these, create a score line using your paper cutter and center your punches along this line). Glue these pieces back to back as shown. You'll end up with a little "hole" in the middle. Before you glue together the last two sides, stick your stem and curlique inside with a little extra glue.

These little cuties garnish (dry) food, liven up table settings, and elicit oohs and aahs wherever you tuck them. Enjoy! Kathy

All materials Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Paper: assorted scraps in shades of orange, green and brown
Ink: Chocolate Chip classic
Accessories: tab punch, Tombow Multipurpose adhesive

No Trick all Treat

Materials: All materials Stampin' Up.
Paper: Basic Black, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant; Specialty
Designer Series - Night and Day.

Ink: Basic Black, Whisper White Craft; Stampin' Write Marker Elegant Eggplant.

Stamps: Batty for You, Autumn Apparitions (Retired).

Punches: Scallop Circle, 1-3/8" Circle, Slit.

Ribbon: Black Gingham.

I came up with these while trying to figure out what kind of treat to bring to a Halloween party that the kids and adults alike will enjoy. I love the "Happy Boo to You" on the inside and the stamped address labels around the Hershey Nugget makes a nice finishing touch.

Thanks for looking!

Monique

Springy Spider

Aren't these little guys cute?! (I can't imagine saying that about any other spider.) I can't recall where I first saw them, but a number of crafters have posted versions. They're a great way to use up scraps and kids just love 'em! Briefly, for each spider you need two black scallop circle punches, four black large photo corner punches and four small brightly colored photo corner punches, some SU! elastic cord in gold or silver, good strong adhesive such as Sticky Strip or Tombo Multi-purpose glue, two googly eyes and a peppermint patty. Layer the small photo corner punches onto the large ones for legs. Attach one set of legs to the back of the spider front, the other to the front of the spider back (both sets of legs are on the inside next to the mint patty). Use sticky strip to attach a loop of cord to the inside of the spider body, then glue or sticky strip to attach spider front and back to the mint patty. Add googly eyes to the spider face, and voila!

All stamps and materials by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted.

Paper: Basic Black and assorted scraps
Accessories: Scallop Circle and Photo Corner punches. Googly eyes from discount/craft store.
Misc: peppermint patties

Tiny Treat Jar

One of the things that I love to do is re-purpose or restore what might otherwise be headed for the landfill, so on occasion I'll be showing you projects that use "trash". I've had this half-size baby food jar in my stash of containers-with-a-future for some time, and decided it would make a perfect little offering of candy for a nephew. I put sticky strip around the edge of the lid to hold the ribbon in place. A leftover circle from the 3D Circle Ornament fit the lid, and I added a scallop punch and part of a goofy little stamped pumpkin guy (for my goofy little nephew). The front is a double layer of ovals with the sentiment "you make me smile" - and it couldn't be more true! Love ya, Liam. Aunt Kathy

Stamps: Twick or Tweet (Holiday Mini)
Ink: Basic Black classic
Paper: Basic Black CS, Dusty Durango CS, Rich Razzleberry CS, Almost Apricot CS Accessories: 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Small Oval Punch,, Large Oval Punch, Designer Label Punch, Dusty Durango 1/2" grosgrain ribbon, sticky strip, Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive
Misc: Reeses Pieces

Be-Witching Hat

I wanted to share something special with you for my very first post, so I created a project just for you! As I was looking at the 3D Circle Ornament die, it occurred to me that by folding two of the tabs on three of the circles in instead of out, I could make this little witch hat that conceals a single Rolo candy inside.Clothespins provided the "extra hands" needed to hold everything in place while the glue dried. A knot of Razzleberry polkadot grosgrain ribbon through a ribbon slide from the Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware completes the look. If you want to learn all the little tricks, come to the October work night at the studio and I'll be happy to show you! Kathy

All materials used are Stampin' Up

Paper: Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry

Other: 3D Circle Ornament die, Rich Razzleberry 1/2" polkadot grosgrain ribbon, Styled Silver ribbon slide, gold elastic cord, Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive
Misc: Rolo candy