OVER THE FULL MOON FOR TREACHEROUS TOXIC TREATS...

Today I have a card to share from an upcoming Beginner Technique class.  It features the Emboss Resist technique with masking (for the full moon).  I also included a Faux Suede piece to reemphasize that technique which we will also be learning at the class.

Normally I would have done more sponging/shading on the focal piece, but I wanted to keep it simple for beginners.  I colored the pearls black with a Sharpie marker.  Enjoy!

TOXIC FULL MOON TREATS SUPPLIES:

• Stamp Sets – Toxic Treats (W#127898 $28.95, C#127901 $20.95), Googly Ghouls (W#128060 $16.95, C#128063 $12.95)
• Card Stock – Basic Black, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Champagne Glitter Paper (#127885, $4.95), Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP (#126906, $10.95)
• Ink – Basic Black Craft, Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango Classic
• Accessories – Black Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109133, $4.75), Pearl Basic Jewels (#119247, $4.95)
• Tools – Big Shot, Labels Collection Framelits Dies (#125598, $26.95), Heat Tool (#129053, $29.95), Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430, $3.95), Bone Folder, Sponge Daubers

LOYALTY REWARDS - When you purchase $50 or more, you qualify for my Loyalty Rewards program!  This Frequent Stamper program is my way of saying "thank you" to my returning customers in appreciation of their business and is in addition to other Stampin' Rewards.  Earn FREE stamps with MarieStamps.com!

MDS MONDAY, Frightening Feline Swap Card...

I LOVE MDS 2!!!  I think I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating!  This is the third swap that I made for the Providence Regional Event that I attended in August.  It is a hybrid card as I created the focal piece in My Digital Studio and printed it out 6 to a sheet on Very Vanilla card stock.  Then I cut them out with the Window Frame Framelits from the Holiday Catalog, just as I would a stamped image and assembled my card.

Here is a closeup of the MDS part.  Isn't it fabulous how you can color each individual letter or word with MDS 2?  You can even do a two or three toned swipe across your words.  LOVE IT!!!  The Frightening Feline is also available as a regular stamp in the Holiday Catalog.

Here is a video on how to individually color stamps in MDS 2:


If viewing this post in an email, please click through to the post:  MDS Monday Frightening Feline
Try MDS 2 yourself FREE for 30 days in my Online Store.

FRIGHTENING FELINE MDS SWAP SUPPLIES:

• Stamp Sets – MDS Frightening Feline, Spooky Bingo Bits (W#123944 $37.95, C#123946 $27.95)
• Card Stock – Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Tangerine Tango, Howlstooth & Scarringbone DSP
• Ink – VersaMark
• Ribbon – Basic Black 3/8" Taffeta (#119962, $6.95)
• Punches – 1-1/4" Scallop Punch (#127811, $15.95), 1" Circle Punch (#119868, $12.95)
• Accessories – Tangerine Tango Embossing Powder (#119859, $16.95)
• Tools – Big Shot, Window Frame Framelits (#129021, $26.95), Chevron Embossing Folder (#127749, $7.95), Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430, $3.95) 

LOYALTY REWARDS - When you purchase $50 or more, you qualify for my Loyalty Rewards program!  This Frequent Stamper program is my way of saying "thank you" to my returning customers in appreciation of their business and is in addition to other Stampin' Rewards.  Earn FREE stamps with MarieStamps.com!

IT'S PUMPKIN CARVING TIME...

We're still in major construction mode here, so I thought I would share a little non-stamping Halloween cheer with you.  Today it was a gorgeous day here in Virginia Beach.  Unfortunately, I spent the entire day at the hospital with hubby while he was having some minor outpatient surgery.  When we got home, we found the girls and Jenni's friend Bill out back carving pumpkins!  We sat with them on the deck watching them add the finishing touches and enjoying the evening with them.  What a nice end to our day!  Here are the pumpkins they carved.  Aren't they great?

Bill                          Colleen                         Jenni

BUBBLE, BUBBLE, TOIL & TROUBLE...

Jenni finally got a chance to come over and finish her version of the cauldron card!  Isn't it adorable?  She got the idea from a card in a magazine she saw while waiting to check out somewhere.  I'm not sure what DSPs she used as forgot to keep track.  I think they are mostly from the Patterns Designer Stacks.  Too cute!  Enjoy!

BUBBLE, BUBBLE, TOIL & TROUBLE SUPPLIES:

• Stamp Sets – Wicked Cool (W#118738 $19.95, C#120600 $14.95)
• Card Stock – Wisteria Wonder, Basic Black, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer Paper
• Ink – Tangerine Tango, Basic Black, Lucky Limeade Classic, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker
• Punches – Two-Step Owl (#118074, $16.95), 3/4" Circle (#119873, $10.95), 1/2" Circle (#119869, $5.95), Word Window (#119857, $15.95)
• Accessories – Brights Designer Buttons (#119747, $8.95), Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430, $3.95), Sticky Strip, Small piece of cotton ball
• Tools – Big Shot, 3-1/2" Circle Die (#121811, $17.95), Crop-A-Dile (#108362, $29.95), Sponge Daubers

CAS FRIDAY, Halloween Bunco Skinny Bag Treats...

I needed to make some quick & easy Halloween treats for my October Bunco Game tonight.  Of course, I knew I had to use the FABULOUS new 1" x 8" Cellophane Bags (or Skinny Bags as I like to call them)  from the Holiday Mini Catalog.  They are so adorable and very economical (only 5 cents per bag) and they are FDA certified Food-Safe!  Love them!

I created various toppers for the bags and filled them with M&Ms, Pretzel M&Ms or Twizzlers.  I also made some other designs for a craft show I am doing next weekend and filled those with Halloween pencils and Pixie Sticks!  They are just too cute and so fast to make!  I am already planning my Christmas ones.  We will be making a similar Masked Owl Treat Bag tomorrow at my Spooky Stamp Camp.  Don't miss out!

Try out a sample of (10) 1x8 Cello Bags in my Holiday Mini Accessories Share!

Here's a close-up of the toppers:

HALLOWEEN SKINNY BAG TREATS SUPPLIES:

• Stamp Sets – Wicked Cool (W#118738 $19.95, C#120600 $14.95), Batty for You (#116576, $23.95), Dark & Dreary (W#120837 $19.95, C#121151 $14.95), Teeny Tiny Wishes (#115370, $36.95), Warmest of Wishes (Hostess in Holiday Mini Catalog)
• Card Stock – Basic Black, Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, So Saffron, Lucky Limeade, Wild Wasabi
• Ink – Crumb Cake, Tangerine Tango, More Mustard Classic, Basic Black Craft, Basic Black, Tangerine Tango, More Mustard, Lucky Limeade Stampin' Write Marker
• Punches – Two-Step Owl (#118074, $16.95), 1-3/4" Circle (#119850, $16.95), 1-3/8" Circle (#119860, $15.95), 2-3/8" Scallop Circle (#118874, $16.95), 1-3/4" Scallop Circle (#119854, $16.95), Decorative Label (#120907, $16.95)
• Accessories – 1" x 8" Cellophane Bags (#124134, $2.50), Black Embossing Powder (#109133, $4.75), Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder (#101930, $4.75), Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430, $3.95), Sticky Strip
• Tools – Heat Tool, Big Shot, Circles #2 Die (#114526, $15.95), Spider Web Embossing Folder (#120889, $7.95), Sponge Daubers

TECHINQUE THURSDAY, Frog Wizard in the Witches Brew Punch Art Cauldron...

I have been waiting to show you this cute Halloween Punch Art card for a couple of weeks now.  Jenni had seen a cauldron card in a magazine somewhere that she wanted to case.  So I helped her come up with a cauldron for her card and she went about making her card.  I decided to take the same cauldron, but in a different direction--a punch art direction, of course!  I wanted to show them both at once, but I got impatient waiting for her to finish hers, so here it is!

I really miss the Halloween Hoot stamp set that retired earlier this year.   I loved to perch the little wizard frog on the edge of the cauldron.  So I decided to use it as my inspiration for this card.  But, this little frog wizard has gotten INTO the witches brew!  Hope he can conjure up some help with that wand to get himself out of the cauldron!  :o)

I brought several other techniques into my card beside the punch art.  I used a tone on tone version of the Faux Letterpress Technique to create subtle depth on the background.  I then sprayed White Shimmer Mist over the embossed background.  The eyes were punched from Basic Black and then I applied Crystal Effects to the punch piece and let it "mound" up.  When it dries, the eyes then have that glassy, realistic looks that frogs have.  Also, I unraveled the Hemp Twine to give the broom strands a curlier, more rustic look.

The potion bubbles are punched from the new Silver Glimmer Paper in the Holiday Mini Catalog.  Did you know you could color our beautiful Silver Glimmer Paper?  Although the shade will be more subtle, it takes color beautifully.  The quickest and easiest way is to sponge it with Sponge Daubers.  I sponged Lucky Limeade on the Silver Glimmer Paper.  See before and after photo below.  However, you can also use your Aquapainter to watercolor it or use the ink pad directly (some glitter will transfer to your pad) or color it with a marker.  It's gorgeous all on it's own, but now you can have Glimmer Paper in LOTS of different colors!  This paper is a definite MUST-HAVE!  Try out a sample of it in my Holiday Mini Accessories Share!

No punch art directions for this card as it is one of the projects from my upcoming Spooky Stamp Camp on Saturday. When Jenni gets a chance to finish her card, I will post it as well.  Enjoy!

FROG WIZARD IN THE WITCHES BREW SUPPLIES:

• Stamp Sets – Pennant Parade (W#122740 $21.95, C#122742 $16.95)
• Card Stock – Wisteria Wonder, Basic Black, Old Olive Textured, Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Silver Glimmer Paper
• Ink – Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade, Old Olive Classic, Whisper White Craft, Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker
• Ribbon  – Hemp Twine (#100982, $2.95)
• Punches – Two-Step Owl (#118074, $16.95), 3/4" Circle (#119873, $10.95), 1/2" Circle (#119869, $5.95), Heart to Heart (#119881, $16.95), Large Oval (#119855, $15.95), Small Oval (#120908, $10.95),Word Window (#119857, $15.95), Boho Blossoms (#119858, $16.95), Petite Pennants Builder (#122361, $16.95)
• Accessories – Frost White Shimmer Paint in White Shimmer Mist (#116854, $5.95) and  70% alcohol, Crystal Effects (#101055, $6.25), Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430, $3.95), Sticky Strip, Small piece of cotton ball, twig
• Tools – Big Shot, 3-1/2" Circle Die (#121811, $17.95), Spider Web Embossing Folder (#120889, $7.95), Crop-A-Dile (#108362, $29.95), Sponge Daubers

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM GUEST DESIGNER BARBARA MOCK...

I am pretty sure that I won't be online Sunday due to the Hurricane here (and maybe not for some time after), so I am scheduling a post from one of my downline, Barbara Mock.  She had been doing so well with her business and I can see her creations blossoming as well!  This is a Halloween card that Barbara sent me to share with you.  Isn't it absolutely ADORABLE?  Too, too cute!

This is a Center Step Fold Card.  You can find my tutorial for it here:  Love Birds 60th Anniversary

Here is how Barbara made the card in her own words:

For the base I used Basic Gary. On the sides I used a piece of Basic Black card stock that was run through the Big Shot in the Spider Web EB after I had brayered the EB with Craft Whisper White ink. Then I cut it in strips to fit on the sides. I used a piece of Basic Black run through with the new Stripes EB on the middle section. I stamped the house from House of Haunts in Versa Mark and used black embossing powder. I colored the moon with Daffodil Delight Stampin Pastels and I used Basic Black Pastels on the background. The DSP on the bottom is Night and Day from Holiday Mini year before last. The spiders are from Spooky Bingo Bits stamped on Whisper White and cut with the small 3/4 x 15/16 oval punch. The "ghost" is of course the owl punch. The smaller pumpkin is the same 3/4 x 15/16 punch and the larger pumpkin is the retired small oval punch (which by the way, I can't really understand why they would retire that punch...I use it all the time!).

BARBARA'S HALLOWEEN CARD SUPPLIES:

• Stamp Sets – House of Haunts, Spooky Bingo Bits
• Card Stock – Whisper White, Basic Gray, Basic Black, Night & Day DSP (retired)
• Ink – Whisper White Craft, Basic Black Classic, VersaMark, Pastels
• Punches – Two-Step Owl, Large Oval, Small Oval, Modern Label, Word Window
• Accessories – Black Stampin Emboss Powder
• Tools – Big Shot, Stripes Embossing Folder (#123128, $7.95), Spider Web Embossing Folder (#120889, $7.95)

REGIONAL SWAP, Jack is BACK!...

Having just gotten back from vacation, I have been feverishly working on my 100+ swaps that I will be bringing to the Charlotte Regional this weekend.  Darling daughter, Jenni, has been helping me get them done.  Today I have the Halloween swap we came up with.  It features Jack of All Trades, one of the new stamp sets from the new catalog.  Isn't he cute?  This stamp set is adorable!

The spider web embossed piece is also Shimmer Misted, but it doesn't show up much in the picture.  Jenni had fun paper piercing all 40+ Jacks!  I also embossed the face on the pumpkin and the sentiment for a little punch.  Hope you enjoy my card!

JACK IS BACK SUPPLIES:

• Stamp Sets – Jack of All Trades (W#122620 $23.95, C#122622 $17.95), Wicked Cool (W#118738 $19.95, C#1220600 $14.95)
• Card Stock – More Mustard, Concord Crush, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
• Ink – More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Concord Crush Classic, Cajun Craze, Basic Black Craft
• Punches – Ticket Corner (#119867, $6.95)
• Accessories – Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109130, $4.75), Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint (#116806, $5.95)
• Tools – Heat Tool, Big Shot, Spider Web Embossing Folder (#120889, $7.95), Paper Piercer & Mat

TECHNIQUE THURSDAY, Faux Letterpress...

This is another technique from my Technique Thursday class. This one is the Faux Letterpress technique.  By inking up your embossing folder, you can easily add color to the just the flat portion or background of the embossed piece or to just the raised portion of the embossed piece.  This gives you an instant two color effect.  In my two examples there is a stark contrast between the two colors used.  However, one of my favorite uses is to use colors much closer in color for a more subtle effect.  Whisper White and Crumb Cake or Bashful Blue is gorgeous!

For this Halloween card, I went very dreary and monocromatic with just a pop of color in the sentiment to really showcase the contrast you can achieve with Faux Letterpress.  Technique directions follow the recipe.  The legs of the spider are achieved by using the top of the Bitty Bat punch on the edge of cardstock and then punching "over and around" just above the first punch.  You can also do this with the long side of the Round Tab punch.  Do this four times for your legs.  Enjoy!

FANG-TASTIC FAUX LETTERPRESS WEB SUPPLIES:

• Stamp Sets – Fang-tastic (W#120853 $24.95, C#121178 $17.95)
• Card Stock – Basic Black, Whisper White, Wicked Fun Specialty DSP (#117400, $11.95)
• Ink – Basic Gray, Basic Black Classic, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Tangerine Tango & Real Red Stampin' Write Markers, White Signo Gel Pen
• Punches – Bitty Bat (#119279, $15.95), 3/4" Circle (#119873, $10.95), 1/2" Circle (#119869, $5.95), Scallop Oval (#119856, $16.95), 1-3/4" x 7/8" (Large) Oval Punch (#119855, $15.95)  
• Accessories – Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430, $3.95)
• Tools – Big Shot, Spider Web Embossing Folder (#120889, $7.95), Stampin' Sponges

FAUX LETTERPRESS TECHNIQUE DIRECTIONS:

1. Ink the desired side of the embossing folder using a Classic Stampin' Pad directly or apply with a brayer.  For color on the "flat" portions of the card stock, ink the indented side.  For color on the "raised" portions of the card stock, ink the raised side.
2. Lay your cardstock on the inked side of the embossing folder and close. Run through the Big Shot in your normal sandwich: Multipurpose platform with Tab 1, standard cutting pad, embossing folder, standard cutting pad.
3. Carefully remove the cardstock and allow to dry a bit before using.

TECHNIQUE THURSDAY, Faux Suede...

Last night was my Technique Thursday class.  Most of the attendees are big time Halloween enthusiasts, so I had to make Halloween cards, of course!   For the first project, we learned the Faux Suede technique.  I thought that the texture lent itself well to the Spooky Halloween feeling.  I kept the card itself simple so that the Faux Suede piece would be featured well.  There is lots of texture though with the flocked paper, the Faux Suede piece, the lace trim and the glittery embossing.  Technique directions follow the recipe.  Tomorrow I will share another technique.  Enjoy!

I also did this version with the Faux Suede piece being embossed with the Spider Web Embossing Folder.  Ultimately, I decided that it "crushed" some of the Faux Suede characteristics, so I decided to go with the plain version that showed off the technique better:

FAUX SUEDE FRIGHT SUPPLIES:

• Stamp Sets – Midnight Raven (#116529, $7.95)
• Card Stock – Basic Black, Whisper White, Wicked Fun Specialty DSP (#117400, $11.95)
• Ink – Cajun Craze, Basic Black Classic, Basic Black Craft
• Ribbon – Raven 1/2" Lace Trim (#120988, $5.95)
• Accessories – Iridescent Embossing Powder, Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430, $3.95)
• Tools – Big Shot, Top Note Die (#113463, $21.95), Ovals Die (#114525, $15.95), Stampin' Sponges

FAUX SUEDE TECHNIQUE DIRECTIONS:

1. This technique looks especially nice with black or dark card stock.
2. Curl a piece of cardstock between your thumb and your bone folder as if you were curling ribbon. Curl it in all directions until you see the corners start to separate.
3. You can also crumble or run it through a crimper many times.  The main idea is that you are breaking down the fibers of the cardstock to separate it.  The more you work your cardstock, the easier it will separate.
4. Stick your thumb nails between the two layers and slowly pull them apart. If you meet some resistance, curl your cardstock again. 
5. Voila!  You now have Faux Suede!  Isn't it fab?