Crow's Woes - A Story of A Halloween Raven

Re-edited: Yeeppie!!! I am a Designer Spotlight with this project over at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge! Yaaay!!!

Happy Halloween to all!

I haven't blogged for a long while but I've finally been able to find some crafty time and the inspiration came for this Halloween themed project! Just in time to join in the finale of 31 Days of Halloween!

I've decided to alter an old photo frame for this handsome fella. The stamp I used is the Raven Background from Stampendous. I took the inspiration from the JUGS #417 Challenge Photo:

The autumnal colour splatters, the bird theme, feathers...

The frame was first painted with DecoArt's black gesso and then treated with random dollops of alcohol inks in a range of colours.  When the inks dried I applied some Dazzling Mettallics wax in Iced Esspresso to highlight the raised areas, along with a touch of Cherry Red acrylic paint.

I also framed the image further with Black Glass Glitter from Stampendous.

At the top I added an ornament cluster with hidden bat wings, mystic medallion and raven's feathers, complemented by a smaller ornament at the bottom with a scull and crossbones. All straight from the pantry essentials for witch's brews and potions... :).

If you'd like to indulge in more Halloween inspiration, do also have a peek at my Halloween lantern and Halloween Witchcraft tag projects. And make sure to check out of the spookylicious projects over at the Stampendous blog with the links to the whole month's worth of Halloween inspiration!

Thank you so much for stopping by and for all your lovely (or terrrrrifying!) comments! Happy Halloween!

Big crafty hugs!




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I would also like to enter the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - All Creatures Great and Small
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Frilly and Funkie - Trick or Treat (bat wings - treat for a witch)
A Vintage Journey - Crazy for Autumn Colour
Country View Challenges October - Mixed Media With Autumnal Hues 

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31 Days Of Halloween With Stampendous And Smeared Ink

Happy Friday everyone! Thank you so much for your lovely comments on my previous post with the Make A Wish Shaker Card.

In case you haven't heard where all the Halloween buzz has been coming from, it's all been stirred up by the folks at Smeared Ink!

For the whole 31 days of Halloween the Smeared Ink gang and their invited guests have been sharing heaps of brand spanking new Halloween inspiration every single day! Today is day 9 - so plenty has been shared already but lots still to come! So if you're lacking some spooky flair, you're sure to find it there!

And of course there are PRIZES!!! There will be scavenger hunts and heaps of prizes hidden all over the interwebs. These will all be given out by the folks at www.smearedink.com who are in charge of this event. And there will be a Grand Prize Drawing as well. Be sure to visit them to find out all about the prizes!

The team at Stampendous are also taking part in the fun so today is my turn to share something for your ghoulish delight! And here is my offering :).

Stampendous supplies:
Cling Skeleton Lady
Cling Damask Bats
Aged Wine Embossing Enamel
Media Paper White
Boss Gloss

Chameleon pens:
CG8, YO3, BV4, OR4, NU1, NU3, VO4, OL3, YL2

Adhesives by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L®: DODZ™ - Medium, DODZ™- 3D, E-Z Runner® Permanent Strips, Black Creative Photo Corners

Other:
Faux spider's web and spiders, Seedless Preserves Distress Ink, green patterned paper.

And here's what you need to do to make this card:
1. Create card blank from green cardstock.
2. Stamp Damask Bats onto green patterned paper with Boss Gloss. Heat emboss with Aged Wine Embossing Enamel. Repeat to create the background to the desired size.
3. Trim the background 1/16 inch smaller on each side than the card blank. Distress the edges with a paper distressing tool and adhere to the card.
4. Stamp Skeleton Lady in black onto White Media Paper and colour in. Trim the image to size.
5. Add black photo corners to the image and mat with black cardstock. Adhere to the card at an angle.
6. Spread faux spider's web around the card and secure with DODZ™ - Medium.
7. Randomly dab Boss Gloss around the card and sprinkle with Aged Wine Embossing Enamel. Carefully heat with the heat tool to melt the powders - make sure to only apply minimum of heat required as too much heat may melt the spider's web.
8. Finish the card with a couple of faux spiders.

I hope I've inspired your Halloween mojo to kick in :). Be sure to hop over to the Smeared Ink and Stampendous blog to check all the spookylicious Halloween makes that have been shared so far and stay tuned for more!

Thank you for stopping by today and if you'd like to leave a few kind words to let me know you've been - that would just make my day! :).

Big crafty hugs




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I would like to enter the following challenges:
Our Creative Corner - Halloween Horror

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Stampendous All In Ones - Halloween Cabinet Card

Hello Friends! It's been ages since I last blogged and I hope you still remember me! :) 

I had quite an eventful couple of months which forced me to take a break from crafting and blogging - while the initial reasons for all the commotion weren't at all positive, I truly hope it will all work out for the best in the end. I won't bore you with the details (yet!) but I would certainly appreciate some good thoughts,  vibes and prayers for a successful and happy ending :).


So today I'm getting back into the blogging routine with this cute Halloween cabinet card. The card shows off one of the new Stampendous All In Ones stamp designs which are being featured on Stampendous blog this week.

Supplies:
Stampendous: Eek a Boo, Tangled Border (retired), Damask Bats
Pirate Gold Embossing Powder
Aged Wine Frantage Embossing Enamel
Trick or Treat Color Fragments
Mixed Media White Paper
Embossing Ink
Plus:Cardstock by Bazzill Basics Paper®
Memento™ Tuxedo Black Ink by Tsukineko®

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L®: Adhesive Sheets 4x6", Thin 3D Foam Squares - Black, 3D Foam Pennants

Chameleon Color Tones Markers: OR4, RD4, CG8, VO4, OL3, NU1, NU3, YL2, YO3

Tim Holtz Sizzix Vintage Cabinet die, Mini Vintage Cabinet die, ribbon - May Arts, green patterned paper, mini stapler, scissors.

Instructions:
1. Die cut card base from black cardstock using Vintage Cabinet die. To create the fold, align the left edge within the aperture of the die so it doesn't cut through.
2. Die cut the card front from purple cardstock using Vintage Cabinet die with an aperture cut using the Mini Vintage Cabinet die. Distress the die cut with a sanding tool.
3. Stamp the Tangled Border onto the black card base with clear embossing ink and heat emboss with Gold Embossing Powder. Use the purple card die cut as a template to align your stamped image - so it will show through the aperture.
4. Wrap the ribbon around the die-cut card front and add a few staples as shown. Adhere the card front to the card base.
5. Stamp Eak A Boo onto White Media Paper, colour in and cut out by hand.
6. Adhere the image to the card front over Thin 3D Foam Squares.
7. Stamp Damask Bats onto green patterned paper in clear embossing ink and heat emboss with Aged Wine Embossing Enamel.
8. Cover the foam pennants with Damask Bats background and adhere to the card as shown.
9. Adhere Trick Or Treat Color Fragments as shown.

Although I'm sharing a Halloween project today, don't worry, summer isn't over yet! To prove it I will be back soon with a very happy and sunny make. So stay tuned!

Thank you for popping in today and for all your kind thoughts and wishes!

Big crafty hugs




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Halloween Altered Lantern Tutorial For Scrapbook Adhesives By 3L

Re-edited: Woot woot! My lantern has won the October Mixed Media Monthly Challenge - yay! Big thank you to the MMMC's DT for choosing my project! 

Hello lovely Bloggers! I hope you are all keeping well, enjoying the autumnal sunshine and colours.

Today over at Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L's blog I am sharing an altered mixed media Halloween Lantern Tutorial using some of my favourite adhesives, stamps and paints. Hop over to the blog to see my faux rust technique, DIY rusty rivets and mesmerising illusion panes.

Adhesive Supplies used: Adhesive Sheets 6"x12", DODZ™ - 3D, Thin 3D Foam Squares - Mix Black, E-Z Dots® Repositionable.

Other supplies:
Stampendous stamps: Mirror Mirror, Raven Background, Skeleton Poem, Damask Bats

Media: DecoArt Americana Country Red, DecoArt Multisurface Satin in Muted Gold, School Bus, Steel Grey; Ranger Butterscotch Color Wash, Dylusions Black Marble Ink Spray, Rub'n Buff Grecian Gold, Jet Black StazOn ink, Spiced Marmalade Distress Embossing Powder.

Rowlux Illusion Film Gold Moire; metal lantern, ribbon (May Arts), metal feathers/embellishments.

I would really love it if you found a moment to hop over to see my post with this Halloween Lantern Tutorial. And just to tempt you even more, here's a little video of my lantern lit up - I am really pleased with the final result :-).





Thank you for stopping by and for all your lovely heart warming comments.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Big crafty hugs




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I'm joining the following challenges:
The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #5 - Ribbons, Twine and Fibres

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Owl Be Watching Over You

Hello Friends! How are you today? 

I am very, very happy today - especially after seeing new followers who so kindly chose to hang around my blog :-). Thank you so much!

With the nights drawing in earlier and earlier and smoky scents floating in the air one can't help but start thinking of...Halloween!

Although we don't really make any Halloween preparations at home, there is something really mesmerising about this event and I am always fascinated by all the creatively ghoulish and scary-licious projects shared in the blogland.

And in the spirit (or ghost??? lol) of this event, here is my offering for you today.

And while I'm on the subject of ghoulish makes. Stampendous October 2014 Blog Challenge is now open and the theme is Halloween Haunt. Be sure to link all your beautifully scary creations to the challenge linky tool and you may also have a chance to win some delicious Stampendoulicious treats!

For my Halloween tag I used Distress Inks and acrylic paints to create the background. Then I stamped and heat embossed with Black Detail Embossing Powder the Tombstone Owl and I threw in a few stamped bats for a good measure (from Tricky Words and Halloween Diamonds Perfectly Clear sets).

I stamped the Tombstone Owl again onto white card with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured it in with Distress Markers. Then I fussy cut parts of the stamp and added them to the card over the Black Thin 3D Foam Squares.

The frame was die cut from a black 3D Foam Creative Sheet using Sizzix Victorian Cameo die set and fully covered with Maroon Micro Glitter. 

I also couldn't pass on the opportunity of some Frantage treatment using the encrusted jewel technique with my all time favourite mixtures: Aged Wine Embossing Enamel and Copper Mix Lux. Oooh, I love that lush sparkle!

To finish my tag I added a May Arts ribbon, a Bat Doodle and a Halloween sentiment.

I hope you enjoyed my today's offering! Thanks so much for stopping by and for all your lovely comments!

Big crafty hugs




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Witch's Brews and Halloween Poisons

Well, hello Friends! So lovely to see you here today. What a great collaboration week we had with Stampendous and Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L with so many beautiful projects shared. My DT Sisters on both teams have really rocked this collab. If you haven't seen those projects yet - it's well worth a look! Thank you all so much for your sweetest comments on my mini album and personalised tape dispensers MyStik. They were really appreciated.

Today I would like to 'bewitch' you with my mixed media brews and potions project. Although I don't really participate in any Halloween adventures, I just couldn't resist playing with this paper mache book which I turned into a Dark Magic home decoration.



Above you can see the front cover of my 'Witch's Brews Anthology' book and below the inside...well, inside you can find everything there is to find in a 'respectable' witch's house lol. Actually I wonder... what are the qualities a respectable witch should posses? Just asking, you know, being curious... no other reason really lol!

I started by covering my book with Adhesive Sheets from Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L. Next I used some thick string to shape a spider's web on the front and covered it with tissue paper as a texture base for my mixed media assemblage. Not sure if you can clearly see it on the picture below. I'll have some step photos shared on Stampendous blog today - please feel free to have a look there too.

My spooky assemblage of metal flowers, gears, light bulbs, wires, bats and spiders is a combination of DODZ™ - 3D, white gesso, texture paste, black Crushed Glass Glitter, Aged Wine Embossing Enamel, Tattered Angels glimmer mists and Cosmic Shimmer mists.

The paper I used has lovely gold foil 'splatters' which acted as a resist for my inking. The inside of the book was stamped with the fabulous stamps from the Perfectly Clear sets Halloween Charms, Chandelier and Damask Chair. And can you see those blood splatters inside? I used food colouring potion (that now happily lives in the Blood Vial) and flicked it with a paintbrush. NB. A word of caution. Food colouring seems to stay on your fingers forever. I suggest using gloves for that step. I didn't. Bad move it was :(.

And here you can see how I decorated the title grunge paper alphas (Tim Holtz) - all inked with distress inks and glimmer mist sprays and sparingly heat embossed with the yummy Aged Wine Embossing Enamel.

I also added layers of Aged Wine goodness to the various parts (externally and internally) of the book cover.

Oh, my favourite part now. Here you can see the witch's 'living room' in its full glory, with the lovely chandelier and the damask chair, black cats (foam stickers from a discount store) and beautifully framed pictures of the witch's relatives... well... you know what I mean. Family 'heirloom' stuff lol. All these stamps are available in the UK on the Stamp Man's website :).

And here is the view of all the magical brews and potions from fresh blood, spider juice, random poisons (Trick or Treat Color Fragments) to heather oils (glass glitter and colour fragments from the Purple Encrusted Jewel Kit), stored in vials adorned with Poison Labels.

Oh, there is an old candelabra too! (Made from birthday cake candles and STAEDTLER® FIMO®air microwave). There are lots of creepy crawlies too, inside the bottles and all over the black witch's apothecary...brrr....

So what do you think? Trick or Treat? Treat I hope! 

If you're looking for more inspiration for Halloween themed home decor you might also like to check my Halloween Mixed Media Lantern tutorial.

Thank you so much for popping in today and for your lovely comments. If it's your first time visit to my blog feel free to make yourself at home and browse around. Even better - click the follow me button and never miss another post! :))).

Happy Halloween crafting everyone!

Big crafty hugs

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Challenges for this project:
The Craft Stamper Take it Make It #5 - Splatters
Simon Says Monday Challenge - Spooky
Mixed Media Place How You Use - Glimmer Mists
Country View Challenges October - Something Spooky
PanPastel UK Challenge #42 - Autumn Colours
Frilly and Funkie - What's your poison
The Artistic Stamper October - Alter Something
Tando Creative October - Spook It

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