Happy Halloween! with Sugar Pea Designs

My friend was NOT about to allow this Halloween to get by without him ... here he is, in his Pirate costume - looking arrrrrgh-uably more handsome than Johnny Depp, in my opinion!

and isn't that the truth??

He's found the perfect Halloween Party to attend at Sugar Pea's Challenge #72:

Happy Halloween, my friends!

=]  Michele

Sugar Pea Designs: Hey Honey; Inside sentiment, and woodgrain panel

EH Treat die, and Dress-up Days for his costume

Waffle Flower Postage die

For the love of Poinsettias

Alright - we all know I might have a problem - never did I imagine it would include Poinsettias!  Just when I was having a playful day with my newest Altenew 3D Poinsettia dies, along comes an email from Altenew for a new Creativity Inspired contest!  What have I got to lose?  SO I'm getting WILD with Washi!

Here's my card:

Here's how it began:  with a wide roll of their gorgeous Painted Fantasy floral washi, adhered to 80# cardstock, then die cut with the Poinsettia dies.

After arranging the layers, my Poinsettia was adhered to a thin frame of Woodgrain Bark cardstock, then onto my card base - made from Spicy Yogurt cardstock that has been debossed with another favorite: 

Dotted Swirls cover plate.  Here's a closeup:

A few Altenew enamel dots, and Bob's your Uncle!

OH! that sweet little sentiment is from another Altenew Poinsettia - you'll see more

of that on November 1st - wink!

That's it for me - wish me luck!  and thank you for stopping by!

=]  Michele

CAS[E] this Sketch #396

 

A simple but sweet Sketch this week from Ms. Michelle two Ls!

I'm trying to get a read on that pattern:  paper, or embossing?

Here's where my imagination took me: 

- you might recognize the pattern made with a stencil, and a rubber mat. 

 [Flora & Fauna - Leaf]

Those skinny hellos come from Honey Bee's Slimline Sentiments & Eyelet dies, cut from MFT's Fuse Green - yeah.  I don't see green, either.

So!  Where will Michelle's Sketch #396 take your imagination?

Let's go see what she had in mind, shall we?

OH! thanks for stopping by!

=]  Michele

Inspired By #148 ... thankful, and grateful

                            

Hello, friends!  Our theme for IB148 couldn't be more appropriate.  We are so Thankful, and Grateful to each of you for spending a bit of your week with us at Inspired By!   We'll be especially grateful if we can inspire you to play along with IB#148!!

I saw so many things in our inspiration photo that inspired me.  I'll give you a list, then you can see if I've done my job to portray them in my card, okay?  Here goes:

• shiplap
• wooden frame
• iron work
• swag
• colors
• word

Ready for my card?  

Here's a little closeup - that shiplap is a bit hidden!

Isn't that 'ironworks' die gorgeous?  I really felt bad cutting it up!  

I can see so many other things in that photo to inspire a card - but I'll be looking for those things on YOUR cards!  Come play!

=]  Michele

Shiplap:  embossing folder [no brand name]

Wood frame: MFT Elegant Rectangle Stax

Ironwork:  Pinkfresh Studios - Geo Star 2 cover die 

Swag:  Altenew Leafy Garland die

Color: Enamel, and wood dots

Word:  Honey Bee Thanks die from Honey Bee's Slimline sentiments/eyelet  

Christmas Kickstart #41 Festive Florals - an ode to a talented friend!

There is a card maker in our midst that I hold in the highest regard!  Recently, my oh-so-talented friend, who blogs at Lost in Paper [and creates the most wonderful videos] recently made a card using Altenew's Poinsettia.  It had me shopping immediately, Therese!  Please go right now to see it... I'll wait - it could be hours before you stop ogling the beauty there!

Isn't it wonderful when a challenge pops up that is the perfect place to share my thoroughly CASE'd card?  Challenge #41 at Christmas Kickstart was just the ticket!

I've tried to make it my own - it's amazing the varieties of color Poinsettia there are!  You all know how I feel about grey by now, right?  You'll see it again, and again during the Holiday Season of card-making.  Here I've used a steel grey, cut it with one of my fave Spellbinders dies, and embossed with a Subtle Texture embossing folder.  

Thanks a million for all the inspiration you provide to our blogging world, Therese!

=]  Michele

Let's Squash it!

 There's a new challenge in town!

I won't be able to relax until I play along with the premier challenge at Let's Squash It!  After searching through the plethora of embossing folders in my stash, I came up with a WeRMemoryKeepers 3D one that I thought would work extremely well with the requirements for Challenge #1:  

Well, I guess I'll let Jo, and Gail be the judge of how well it worked!  I've used a piece of matte gold foil card from Michael's - ages old.  Here's my card, with my first stamping of this darling Altenew stamp and die set called Warm Heart:

Congratulations on your newest Challenge, Gail and Jo!!  

=]  Michele

Thank you Gail, and Jo!

CAS[E] this Sketch #395

I love it when Ms. Donna gives me the perfect opportunity to use a few snippets on my card - can you tell where these came from?  Here's CTS#395 it's been turned on its side this week!

I've used it for another Fall card...

One might say I 'squirreled away' a few little Waffle Flower, and EBE goodies from last week! 

Okay, I'm heading over to CTS to see how my teamies have interpreted Donna's fabulous Sketch #395 ... hope to see you in our gallery this week!

=]  Michele

EBE Tis the Season for sentiment

Waffle Flower Craft Home Sweet Home - those sweet little leaves

The Stamp Market Big Botanicals branches cut from SU DSP

Inspired By #147 ... fall is sweet!

 

I could definitely take a bite out of our IB147 photo this week!  It's the best time of year to get those ovens heating again, right?

Well, as much as I love to bake, I'm just as cozy in my craft space ... here is a taste of Fall from me to you!

Lighting is starting to become an issue with the shorter days - here's another look:

A few wonderful scraps of patterned paper seemed to FALL together nicely as a place to set my pumpkin cup ... and a revisit to an old favorite embossing folder inking for my background panel makes me happy!   

What about Fall makes you happy?  Let me know... better yet, show me in the IB145 gallery why don't you?!  Let's go see what my teamies have made...

=]  Michele

Waffle Flower Crafts Alphas

CAS-ual Friday mug die

Altenew Speech Bubbles and dies

A VERY old, much loved, embossing folder from The Paper Studio

A few more Fall cards...

... before the Christmas Season takes over my craft studio!  and Winter takes over my world!

The EBE Birch Tree cover plate is certainly versatile for every season!  Here I've used it for Christmas... Here for Halloween.  I couldn't leave Fall, and Thanksgiving out of the mix, now could I?

It was as easy as cutting two of the panels from Neenah Dessert Storm card, and flipping one ... after sponging with the black soot, one can hardly tell the one on the right is backwards, right?

This may answer the query:

which came first... the pumpkin, or the Pilgrim?

[To amyT: they eat in the woods, too!]

Here are the inks I used to create my background.

My next card is all about that die - and a few wonderful Autumn colored card stocks:

Altenew's Wood grain Bark paper is so gorgeous - I usually keep it for special occasions - like now.  I think it's genius of EH to include the die that cuts all of those fun leaves with the trees, too... these were made colorful by cutting from a smooshed panel that I found in my stash.  My harvest moon is cut with one of the EBE Essential Circles from a PTI paper, and the card base is Oyster Grey 100# card stock.  

Before I thank you for stopping by... I feel I must share my Inkspirational inspiration for my first card...

Fun, right?  Thanks for stopping by!

=]  Michele

The EBE October Release is filled with Fall and Winter fun!  

Check it out today, if you haven't before!

CAS Mix Up Stencil Card Challenge: Tone on Tone

Not having our annual road trip is just one of the things we missed most during this troubling year!  SO I've revisited one of our favorites, on Interstate 12, en route to Bryce Canyon National Park where we saw gorgeous stands of Aspens - I can only imagine how beautiful they are in Autumn!  I'm imagining lying under one here... 

for CAS Mix Up's October tone-on-tone Challenge: 

I used a wonderful new stencil from Flora and Fauna, and blended shades

of Autumn, giving the stencil a 90° turn, and blending a bit more to get the

feeling of being under those Aspens, where the branches and leaves would be layered!  AND since it's the season for sending, I've added a greeting from Pinkfresh Studios - even did a little tone-on-tone colored cardstock there - 

that would be perfect for Thanksgiving, in my humble opinion.

It wasn't asked for, but I couldn't help adding a bit of texture

to my card by embossing the opposite corner with that fun stencil!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friends ... thanks for spending a bit of your week with me - I appreciate it so very much!

=]  Michele

CAS[E] this Sketch #394

 

One might think Christmas for Chrissy's Sketch #394, right?  A pretty trio of twinkling stars perhaps?  That's not, however, what this silly brain [it might have been found in a jar labeled: Abby Normal] saw - you're not really surprised, are you?

Enter my brain, if you dare...

Yes, the view from my brain:  a spooky, swirly, windy night... complete with spiders from the webs in the windows!  Just 'creepin' it real' folks!  Where do all those spiders come from this time of year??  

How will you see CTS394... hmmmmmm?  Time to get the those Halloween cards in the mail, I think! and to visit my teamies... let's go!

<|=]  Michele

Lil' Inkers Quilted Swirls - I figure if I keep using it maybe Laura will reopen??  ha!

Mama Elephant Four Window Cover  and a few ephemera from my Halloween stash!

EBE Pumpkin to Talk About sentiments

Inspired By #146 ... be my boo?

 Ahhhh... my favorite time of year - time to mix the fun, with the fabBOOlous!  I drew a little ghost many years ago to make treat bags for my littles - aren't I the lucky one to have found the template in my Halloween supplies?  The inspiration is obvious!  and don't we all love the chance to use googly eyes??

Just a ghostly bit of Copic coloring, and painterly stripes was all it took to fashion a bit of fun - BOO!!! that didn't scare you, did it?  We hope you'll join us for our IB146 BOO fest!

<|=]  Michele 

Essentials by Ellen October 2020 Release!

 

I know your hopping has been fun so far - so much to love in our October 2020 Release from Ellen Hutson, LLC!  If you've arrived here from the fabulous Lisa Spangler's blog, you are right on cue!  If this is your first stop, welcome!  You'll want to continue, as there are fun prizes to be won by one lucky hopper - more on that later.

I cannot wait to share with you the cards I've made using products from this release:  Merry Little Christmas, Birch Tree dies, and Snow Globe!  Ready, set, go!

[By the way ... who ever said the back side of a card can't be fun, too?  That's where the fun trail begins - the back of my card!]

Ready for the front? EBE Birch Tree Dies 

are the perfect woods by my cabin!  Those snowy

hills were debossed with EBE Landscapes dies.

While I'm being a rebel ... here's a way to make the inside of your card the star!

Pretty clean, and simple, right?

Open the card ... and see all the sparkle!

You might even see a little background if you look closely - compliments of

EBE Rustic Woodgrain.

Thanks so much for hopping by ... it's time for me to send you on your way to Ardyth's blog!   BUT before you go, I promised a little information on that prize ... actually there are TWO!

One lucky commenter will win the whole Essentials by Ellen holiday release! And another will receive $25 to spend at ellenhutson.com! For a chance to win, just hop along, enjoy the fabulous eye candy, and leave a little love for your fellow crafters: increase your chances by commenting on each stop on the hop! Comments left before 11:59 PDT on October 14 will be entered to win. (Winners are selected randomly - and will be informed by email from EH)  I'd be so happy if one of my visitors won - good luck!

All these goodies, and more, are available now, right here, at Ellen Hutson, LLC - many thanks!

=]  Michele

Here's a full list of the Stops on the Hop!  Have fun!

1.    Ellen Hutson Blog

2.    Julie

3.    Adelina

4.    Laurel

5.    Jessica

6.    Carly

7.    Carolyn

8.    Sarah Zayas 

9.    Carissa

10. Emily Mydlowski

11. Kelly

12. Jen Wong  

13. Therese

14. Emily Midgett

15. France Wisniewski 

16. Lisa

17. Michele - you are here - thanks!

18. Ardyth

19. Sandy

CAS[E] this Sketch #393 Retro week!

It's retro week again!!  This time we're having another play with CTS#134 ... check here to see if you played in July 2015!  I won't forget the struggle I had making my DT card that week ...  I think I did better this year!  You be the judge. lol  

Here is that Sketch:

I found just the perfect [also from 2015!] set from Neat n Tangled for my card ... here's how I saw it this time:

I love all the shades of grey in a great big 12x12 pad of neutrals from 

Michael's I picked up a few years ago - I doubt I'll ever use it all!

My circles were created using Essential Circles, which not only cuts the circle, but a tiny border circle - which really came in handy to form my 'hoop!'  The 'stitches' were stamped in black and clear embossed.

If you did play along in 2015, be sure you show your old with your new - we love seeing them both!  Now, let's go see what the team did with CTS393/134, shall we? 

=]  Michele 

Inspired By #145 ... pumpkin spice

Hi, my name is Michele, and I am NOT a pumpkin spice fan ... there, I've admitted it!  Leave the pumpkin spice where it belongs: pie, and muffins, and okay maybe breads, please!  Oh don't even go near my coffee with the stuff!    

Now that I have all of that off of my chest ... I'm LOving the pumpkin spice colors in our IB145 inspiration photo ... we hope you will love it, too!

I splurged recently at Ellen Hutson, LLC ... this little guy had to come home to Mama!  Meet Home Sweet Home from Waffle Flower Crafts.  now you know I had to find a way to add that grey plaid, right?

It was easy!  All I did was stamp the plaid from the Plaid Maker set onto a piece of cardstock that could then be over-stamped with my little buddy in his home sweet home!  Then it was as easy as adding color, and cutting with the coordinating die.  The tree branches from our photo are represented by a die from The Stamp Market - called Big Botanicals - cut from a gorgeous wood look paper.  Did you catch the gold pillow in the photo?  I've represented it, too, with a snippet of already-debossed  [lil' inkers - no longer available] paper in my bin!  I love when I can use another bit of something from that bin that I can't seem to let go of!

Okay, whether you love pumpkin spices or not, I do hope you'll be Inspired By #145 and will jump at the chance to play along!

=]  Michele

I'm sending this over to The Library Challenge - hope they like it!

A few more challenges!

My Pinkfresh Studio stash is still on my desk!  Naturally I'd put them to use!  The Christmas Kickstart challenge is looking for Christmas treats ... 

I must admit this wee little teacup would be filled with my favorite eggnog - a recipe shared years and years ago by a wonderful friend that uses rum and coconut! 

An older PF set from their December Days design

These little Christmas tweeties are also heading over to CAS Christmas!

The Color Hues team is asking for Gold and Cream - a personal favorite combination for Christmas cards.  Isn't this water color paper the perfect dreamy cream color?  

Pinkfresh Studio's Merry Days stamps and die fit the bill, I think:

The coordinating die was used to 'deboss' instead of cut.

Okay, my last card is heading over to Pinkfresh Studios WCMD challenge - specifically to Challege #6: No stamping!    I just love this Fancy Floral 1, and the layered look of their Classic Holiday Words - even the enamel dots are from PFS!

That's it for me today... I hope you've found a few challenges to participate in!  This, and your visits: it's what keeps me smiling...

=]  Michele

edited to add:

Thanks, Jo!!