Halloween Cards with Serendipity Stamps

It's that time of year again! This year for Halloween cards, I used Serendipity Stamps, the new Serendipity "Boo" die, Sizzix die, Accucut Die and EK Success punches, along with some decorative paper. I colored with Copic Markers and watercolor.
There are eight panel images on this first card (four on each side), all stamps from Serendipity. It took a while to color all the images as I made several of this card, but I do love Halloween!
The Trick or Treat bag is pop dotted on the front (or back, depending on how you look at the card) and I made little bows using a fork. I love that method of making small bows! There are several tutorials online.
I cut some vellum ghosts with Sizzix die and punched some spiders and skull and crossbones borders to embellish the card.

I really love the new "Boo" die and the new Kitty and Jack stamp shown below. I actually have more than eight Serendipity images that would work on this card, so I had a hard time deciding and combined some of the images together.

The "Boo" die I cut out of a metallic card stock, so it really catches the light and grabs your attention.

I die cut A7 size envelopes using scrapbook paper (the bats below) and die cut ghosts on sticker paper on which I wrote the address.
Next to the envelope is another card I did that flips (AccuCut die), again using the Boo!

When the card flips, you are greeted by Kitty and Jack, done in watercolor.

I also did some with this old favorite from Serendipity! I just love her!

Hope you have a wonderful Halloween! I am working early voting for the elections the week of Halloween, so I had to get my cards done early! I hope the post office doesn't fuss about my envelopes!

Serendipity Halloween Stamps

 Rubber Stamps are such versatile tools....you can stamp them and color them whatever color you want...you can do all sorts of edge treatment like cut and matted, torn, diecut, fussy cut...etc. You can create backgrounds. You can add dimension by embossing the paper and then adding a dimensional coating.....These Serendipity stamps are the cling stamps made of red rubber, which are my favorites!

I am having a great time with these new images.....but then, I always do love Serendipity images! I can't believe it is already October!

Recycled Halloween Party Fun!

I am starting to feel just a little change in the weather, so I think it is time for some Halloween items to get us in the mood! I think Halloween is a fun holiday and I have made some items here to share with you.

On the Spotted Canary website, they are having a contest on items using recycled things. Each of these items uses something I am recycling or using scrap paper or rescuing from a thrift store.

Up above is a coffee filter book. Now, if I had a coffee maker that used cone type filters, I would have used filters after they had filtered the coffee! These coffee filters are tough cookies, and you could easily rinse them out, allow them to dry and use them as pages in your book. For the cover, I used chipboard that I recycled, spray painted it black and then used a tab off of an aluminum drink can as extra support where I put my holes for my binder rings. the stickers are all Sticko and the Happy Halloween is from the Spooktacular line from K & Company. You are going to see lots of Spooktacular in this post.....I love that new line from K & Company!

Above is a party noise maker. I love the little cheese wedges from Laughing Cow that come in the little round containers! They are only 35 calories each! I cut a hole so I could put a dowel in the edge of the round box, added some pennies, taped it up, sprayed it black and then decorated it with.....you got it, Spooktacular! It looks like a big lollipop!

Staying with the coffee theme, my neighbors must drink a lot of coffee as about every other week in their recycle bin are these great coffee cans! What difference does it make who recycles it....they are still being recycled, right? They are great for storing craft items in them, but here I have made great Halloween containers for that candy for the trick or treaters! If you want to do a trick or treat can for the trick or treaters to carry around, the paint cans like you buy at the DIY stores make great ones. I actually have one spray painted black and ready to decorate. Jackson is due on October 28th, so he just might need a trick or treat container! LOL! Won't that be Spooktacular?

On this can, I spray painted it black and then I cut borders using those great EK Success border punches! The glitter pumpkins I have around the can comes from 12 by 12 sheets from K & Company's Spooktacular line as does the decoration on the lid and can.

I did one more can, using a checkered wallpaper I found at the thrift store. More paper and embellishments from the Spooktacular line and we have room for LOTS of candy! (If only I could have some!) I also used some scrap paper to make a sour cream container to put candy corn in....from the Spooktacular line....do you think you have that now? Spooktacular.....it really is!

Happy Halloween!

I have two friends that I can usually count on sending out cards for at least Valentine's Day and Halloween and sure enough, those are the two I have received. I didn't mail mine out until Tuesday, so it is still possible I will get more by Saturday (writing this on Wednesday), but probably not. Both of their cards are great and I wanted to share them with you.
Above is one from Kathy....looks to me like Kathy has been airbrushing with Copics. The moon was masked over by the tree limbs. What a great scene. The center pumpkin was also stamped again and pop dotted for dimension. I can just feel the wind blowing. What a great blending of a little spookiness and some cute thrown in too! You can see some edge punching inside with what looks like to me an EK Success punch....maybe swiss cheese?

Tina also used an edger punch, the Martha Stewart Crafts spider web one. I know that one as I had my husband stopping at Michaels stores looking for me one! Tina's cards are always so coordinated and have a lot of thought and detail put into them. The google eyes made it through the mail just fine, though she had put a piece of bubble wrap in front of the card. I just LOVE both of these cards!

Mine that I made....not so much! October is such a busy month for me with trips to the cabin and I had assignments for Spotted Canary to do. I stopped by Archivers on the way to the cabin, bought these really cute little bags from K & Company that were on clearance (for my Wendys Frosty Coupons I enclose in my cards), the paper (also on clearance and not Halloween paper) and the two stamps. I did them at the cabin and used more of the Martha Stewart Crafts glitter I had left from the photo holders I used on the quilt cards.

You might remember that I had designed the "Witch Shoes" card and did some with the cool Inkadinkado Halloween stamps....and I did some with the spider web punch around the page edgers.....oh well, those ideas can be used another year. The moral of the story is that even though it is last minute, you can probably put something together and get them mailed out if you really want to. I will have to begin earlier next year. Speaking of which, it is time to get those Christmas cards done! I started them last year, but where is that "safe" place I put them????

Hope everyone has a wonderful and fun Halloween! Thanks, Kathy and Tina for the fantastic cards!

Parting Images from Huntsville Gardens

What is an autumn garden without a maze? The one above is grown with sorghum, something similar to sugar cane that they make syrup out of...I think.

I wondered what these columns were from when I was there in May....they are from the old Madison County Courthouse...think I will see if I can find a photo of the courthouse in it's grandeur....it had to be huge. The columns are used at the entry way and out on this field.

A school group was seeing how many minnows they could catch at the pond.

The enchanted forest had faces....very cool!

I love the fern garden...you can see scarecrows scattered about.

So, until next spring, that is my report from the Huntsville Botanical Garden....maybe I should consider an annual membership!!!

More Scarecrows

Thanks for bearing with me....these are the last of the scarecrows....

Love this one.....Van Ghoul!!!!

A true "Scare...Crow"!........

And only in Alabama (well, maybe Mississippi or Tennessee....or Georgia for that matter!), a deer hunter in a deer stand.....

Above you can see the PVC pipe forms that were used on the scarecrows....now, you have plenty of time to create your own before fall is over!

Bought my Wendys frosty coupons for my halloween cards last night....will be here before you know it.

Scarecrows

Here are more of the scarecrows. Huntsville is "Rocket City" as the Arsenal and Space Camp is located here....so that is why we have a NASA scarecrow....

The flying nun took an award.

Businesses did scarecrows to go along with their theme....more to come.

Scarecrow Trail - The Three Witches

While visiting in Huntsville and attending the funeral, Jason and I went to the Botanical Gardens before I came back to Atlanta. We were dodging the rain, but managed to see everything without having to use our umbrellas. We continue to get rain in the southeast and as I am writing this, many roads and bridges are washed out here in Atlanta and even our schools are closed today. I post several days in advance usually, so hopefully by the time you read this, the rain will be gone as we can't handle much more!

Most gardens have something for each season and here they have a Scarecrow Trail. Just as they had for the Big Bug Exhibit, different groups, schools, businesses, etc., contribute creations. In the winter they will have lights for the holidays and in spring, tulips and other bulbs. I always go to Callaway for the lights and Biltmore for the tulips, but I might try to make it back to Huntsville to see their spring bulbs next year. I need to visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden again, but I have seen their scarecrows and they are usually pretty weird!

I always loved Halloween as a child and I love fall as an adult and I have always loved creativity! I would create a "haunted house" and charge the neighborhood kids a dime to go through it when I was about eight. Today I am sharing my favorite scarecrows from the scarecrow trail....these three witches.

These scarecrows are on display for two months so a lot of thought has to go into the materials used. Some looked like they were having a rough time, but these look like they were just set up after three weeks of exposure. One has a cauldron, one a book and the other is growing a garden.
Their heads are gourds painted green.

Below is a photo of Jason getting in the act with the witches. He is a big fella (about 6 foot 6 inches tall and wears size 18 shoes) so don't let the comparison make the witches look small. They are pretty much life sized (normal size for witches at least.....LOL).

I love their spanish moss hair! Someone put a lot of thought and work into this display and it did not go unnoticed by me. The scarecrows were judged and these were one of the winners....they were the winner in my book. More to come....