Happy Halloween! / Sept ATC Card for Swap

One of my favorite Halloween poem growing up was Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"!  I can appreciate it more as I grow older, and it is still one of my favorites.  I love to hear it recited dramatically; props light affects and all!

That is why when I saw this raven like (probably crows) image from Inkandinkado, I just had to have it!  And I thought it fitting to use in the September ATC Swap hosted Tracy Clemente from Eat, Sleep, Stamp blog so that the ladies would enjoy it just in time for Halloween :)...

Here is some of my favorite quotes from the poem: 

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
" 'Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door —
Only this, and nothing more."

Then into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, Soon I heard again a tapping somewhat louder than before.

"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice;

Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore —

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—

'Tis the wind, and nothing more!"

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;

Not the least obeisance made he; not an instant stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door —

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door —

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted — nevermore!  

-Edgard Allen Poe

Have a GHOULISHLY FUN Halloween!  

Supplies:

spooky crows - Inkandinkado Scary Night clear set
"Boo!" - cut using Cricut Happy Hauntings Cartridge
bat - cut using Cricut Happy Hauntings Cartridge

bloddy tombstone - cut using Cricut Happy Hauntings Cartridge
DWCV Texture paper, DCWV Halloweeen 2010 stack
Versafine Onxy Black ink

Cat's Pajamas ATC Swap hosted by LSN

Last month I was lucky enough to participate in a Cat's Pajamas ATC Swap hosted by LSN at SplitCoastStampers.  Actually it was all thanks to a fellow ESS Sketch lover (waiving hello Tinla) who quickly emailed us Cat's Pajamas fans to hurry up and sign up for available slots!  I jumped at it, and I am so glad I did.  I got some beautiful, inspiring ATCs.  I do gotta give it to LSN for hosting this swap and for all the work that entailed!

Here is what came up with:

I had some fun with this one.  I used bright colors to contrast spooky, Ghostly Poochie; and to match the pumpkin basket he is holding, I used this EK pumpkin punch that I really like.  The beat up fence finished this ATC off nicely. 

It took be a while to finish them off, and get the right layout I wanted, but once I figure that out, I was really happy with the results.

Hope the ladies who received them found them as FUN as I did! :)

Thanks for stopping by, have a freaky rest of the week!

Supplies:
"Boo!" - Cat's Pajamas Boo C-8569
Ghostly Poochie - Cat's Pajamas Ghostly Poochie E-6327
Martha Stewart scary fence punch
EK carved pumpkins punch
DCWV texture paper, DCWV Halloweek stack
Versafine Black Onyx ink

August ATC Card for Swap

Among the many things I have forgotten to do, I forgot to post the ATC card I made for the month of August ATC Swap hosted Tracy Clemente from Eat, Sleep, Stamp blog.

August being the last month of summer, I was inspired to use this cute little guy holding a very tempting tequila shot!  That month was filled with all kinds of deliverables at work, and family/friends activity over the weekend, that a tequila shot reflected the right mood I was in! :)

I found this ribbon first in my stash and that was the inspiration for the rest of the color combinations.  I then went searching among all my DCWV stacks to find this yellow pattern paper that fit perfectly with the theme of this card!  And then I got luck and found this orange pattern paper with small yellow dots on it.  The yellow allowed the coloring of the image to still stand out.

Really like how this ATC came together and I hoped the ladies got a kick out of it; because I did have FUN making it!

Supplies:
all images from Cat's Pajamas Hola Tequila N-9680 clear set
M's $ ribbon
EK edge punch
DCWV texture paper, DCWV Spring Stack, DWCV Sorbet Stack
Versafine Black Onyx in
atYouSpica yellow, green and lime glitter pen

IO Favorite FUN Quote / ESS Sketch #105

Had a chance this week to participate in IO Stamp Favorite Poem, Quote, and/or Saying Challenge.  I wanted to do a card for a friend to cheer her up; and I found this Smell the Coffee set from Impression Obsession that will do the trick.  And the quote is just too perfect! :)

I also played along with this week ESS Sketch #105 created by Tracy Clemente.  My eye is totally drawn to the pane or window look of the sketch. I turned it on its side and decided to have a little fun with the shape of the frame.  I so like this image!  And it just so happens that I had the right pattern paper to go with it.  I used stickles on the cups of coffees to match the glitter on the DCWV Belle Cafe Stack pattern paper.

I needed to place the sentiment somewhere and a bookmark shape frame would do the trick.  Added the ribbon on the image's frame to add a bit of interest. 

Really like how this card turned out and look forward to using the rest of these IO stamps!

Thanks for stopping by today and have a great Friday!

Supplies:
coffees - sentiment - Impression Obsession Smell the Coffee clear set
sentiment - Impression Obsession Smell the Coffee clear set
Ranger Stickles crystal
DCWV texture paper, DCWV Belle Cafe Stack

Halloween Pumpkin Carving

I decided to scrap this picture my sister-in-law sent us; with her kids posing with their big carved witchy pumpkin. She sent it via her iPhone so it was the perfect chance to play with my Coolibah app and make a layout. I then sent it to her and she printed a 6x4 picture to display on her desk at work. 

Decided just to have fun with it; and in no time, I had a FUN layout!  Really like this app, especially when I'm waiting in line or just want to play with my iPhone.  The kits they offer have a little something for everybody and at .99 cents, not too bad when you want to do a quick layout.

Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Coolibah iPhone App 
Digital Elements from the Coolibah Hocus Pocus Quick Pages Kit as well as Stop in For a Spell Kit 2

Sept Month Scrapbook Calendar Page

I forgot to post this calendar layout created for the month of September. This is a picture of my bff who courageously went back to school for a 360 career change. We are routing for her!

  

Really like the bright colors and the chipboard apple accent that came with this BasicGrey calendar kit.  The retro patterns and those bright colors are so much like her personality that I new which picture I wanted to use as soon as I saw the predesign layout.  I will need to decide whether or not to buy the same line calendar kit for 2011.  So far, it looks like I will because there are less choices out there than last year.

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:

BasicGrey - 2010 Calendar Kit

Girly Bday Card

My little niece had her 5th bday and this was the card I made for her to fit her very bright personality! :)  With the help of Cricut Design studio, I was able to put the number 5 on the balloon.

Found thiscolorful DCWV The Glitter Stack pattern paper that had these bright colors with glitter - perfect for this FUN little girl.  The sentiment and crown are from the Once Upon a Princess cartridge, and let me tell you she is a princess! :)  I used some inexpensive gems from J's to decorate this princess' crown and the Martha Stewart cupcake border punch. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
"Celebrate" w/balloon - cut using Cricut Design Studio and Cricut Once Upon a Princess cartridge
crown - cut using Cricut Once Upon a Princess cartridge
DCWV Texture paper, DCWV The Glitter Stack, DCWV Nana's Stack
gems from J's

Thank You / Cricut Imagine

Needed a quick thank you card for a friend who sent us some really yummy chocolates from her travels.  I decided to use the Cricut Imagine that I'm still getting use to know.  This time I wanted to experiment with using some of my Cricut cartridges with the Imagine art cartridges to "fill" the image.  I have way too much invested in Cricut cartridges, I want to make sure I can adequately use them :)....
I also wanted to participate again in this week challenge over My Pink Stamper.  We were to use our Cricut Imagine and our regular tools and bling to create something.

I used DCWV Mi Casa pattern paper with lots of glitter that coordinated nicely after I had all the pieces cut out; this way I could make sure it did coordinate and I could use up some of the many DCWV paper stacks I've collected! :)  For fun, I used an edge punch on the paper die cut and added gems for more bling.  I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out... next task will be to try to shadow and/or layer things using my existing cartridges...

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
frames red, blue, and white notebook paper - cut at 4'' using Cricut Imagine More
"Thank You" - cut at 1.2'' using Cricut Storybook and Cricut Imagine More
Butterfly - cut at 2'' using Cricut Storybook and Cricut Imagine More
EK paper edge punch
Darice gems
Circle punch
DCWV Mi Casa Stack, Bazzill white paper