Pumpkins and spiders...

...and ghosts, oh my!!

OK, only pumpkins and spiders today.  Ghosts later.  

Let me introduce you to "Fred." 

Isn't he a beauty?  I bought Fred at Joanne's last year and could barely stand to touch him, let alone take him home with me.  You see, I am deathly afraid of spiders.  I'm not afraid of much else, but spiders send me running, and I can't even touch a picture of one, much less the real thing.  Hey, we all have something that bothers us, and mine is spiders.  (And scorpions, but that's another story.)  So back to Fred.  Last year was the first year I had time to decorate for fall/Halloween as I had just retired from my outside job, and I wanted to do something fun and different.  I discovered Fred looming in Halloween aisle and gingerly carted him up front.  As I stood at the checkout counter waiting to pay (and daydreaming about the rest of the day), it occurred to me that the checkout kid was holding things up.  When I looked at him, then Fred, then back at him as if to say "Aren't you going to bag him up," he looked at ME and said...

"I'm not touching that thing."  

Anyhoo, Fred now resides over my door for Halloween.  The trick-or-treaters LOVED him last year and I expect they will this year, too.  At night, he looks like this (with the help of a strategically-placed solar lamp).
 

 Today's card is in keeping with the Halloween spirit.  And spiders. 

It is going to be entered in a few challenges, listed below.  All paper, with the exception of the orange/white panel behind the main image, is SU.  That panel is Authentique's Enchanted 6x6 pack.  The image was stamped with SU Greeting Card Kids and From the Garden by Flourishes  (tufts of grass) and colored with Copics (little girl) and watercolor pencils (pumpkin).  


The brown striped layer was first embossed with SU Spider Web embossing folder and then a white pigment ink pad was swiped over the top to enhance the webbing.  The web at the upper left corner is Memory Box Creepy Web, die cut from brown CS and then lightly brushed with Creative Inspirations paint in Copper.


One of the challenges is to make one's own embellishments, which I love doing.  I folded two bits of the same ribbon which are under the main image  (orange grosgrain and vintage peach velvet) and attached a Shrinky Dink pumpkin ornament to it.  I absolutely love using SD for making ornaments and charms.  They make the perfect size embellishment, and they let me be a little kid again.

Thank you for visiting with me today, and until next time, Happy Crafting!!

Challenges entered:

SCS Color Challenge  - Vanilla Chocolate Pie (Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip,  Pumpkin Pie)
Oozak Challenge #7 - die cuts
Anything Goes - Make Your Own Embellishments
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Dies and/or Punches
Really Reasonable Ribbon - Challenge #58, Halloween and ribbon/trim
There She Goes - TSG#177 Fall Fun (Autumn or Halloween theme)
and last but not least, 
Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge