Spooky Banner

Hello!

Today's project is a little different from my usual cards.  I was inspired by a couple of banners that were featured on the recent World Win/Inspired By Stamping Blog Hop and decided to make one of my own!  The inspiration banners were made by Irit and Leah, and I just had to make one too, a Halloween banner!

I hung it over my computer monitor in my office and used cut files from the Silhouette store for the base layers.  (Sorry for the lack of contrast with the black layers, this was the only place suitable for a picture in my entire home, believe it or not.)  I've used Inspired By Stamping papers and stamps throughout.  The paper is their new A Spooky Halloween digital paper on which I've stamped various images from the stamp sets Tricks and Treats and A Spooky Halloween, the latter of which was also recently released.

I made and distressed some small orange rosettes to mimic pumpkins.  On the pennants with stamped spiderwebs I also included some frayed cheesecloth to mimic the webs which I dyed with a bit of black ink.  (Dye then rinse and you get a perfect grungy gray.)

The letters are black glitter paper which cut beautifully on the Silhouette.

The spooky lady was also cut on the Silhouette using one of Joanna's cut files that went along with the A Spooky Halloween stamp set.  Joanna very generously offers FREE cut files with a good many of her stamps.  I embossed it on vellum.

Another spiderweb.  So I stamped this particular image on three of the pennants not noticing until the third one that I was stamping them upside down!  Gasp!  Oh well, spiders DO hang upside down.  I really need to get some new eyeglasses.

I added black rhinestones to the exposed centers of the rosettes.  Pardon the headless bird.  I stamped him before placing the rosette and try as I might, I was unable to show him completely.  Well, it IS for Halloween after all.

The skeleton is another cut file from the stamp set, also embossed on vellum.

This spider is right side up.

I tied black satin ribbon to connect the pennants, and I cut the ends on an angle so that they mimic black bats.

I love this banner hanging over my computer monitor but something tells me it's going to disappear when my daughter, who's coming over to craft with me today, sees it.  I'm already working on another one (but not for Halloween), so stay tuned!

Thank you for joining me and I wish you a lovely, crafty, day.

Happy crafting!

Challenges entered:

Pile It On #43 - Embellishment Crazy (rhinestones, ribbon)
Eclectic Ellapu - Inspired By a Film ("Halloween")
Crafty Ribbons #67 - Anything But a Card
Divas By Design - Spooked (Halloween theme)

Inspired By Stamping Happy Birthday Bash October Release

Hello!

It's time for the grand reveal of this month's Inspired By Stamping October Release!  We are celebrating IBS's second birthday with wonderful birthday-themed stamp sets, so without further ado, here they are:

A Lovely Birthday

Chalkboard Birthday

Celebrating Two Years

Create A Cupcake

Vintage Happy Birthday

It's Your Birthday

Boy Digital Paper

Boy Printables

 Girl Digital Paper

Girl Printables

A few useful bits of Birthday Bash Information (check out the freebie and discounts!)...

• All sets will be available for purchase on October 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) in the IBS store.
• Free shipping on all orders over $25 for 48 hours only -- September 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time to September 12th, 7 pm Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) -- coupon code is Birthday
• All stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount
• Purchase $50 of product and receive Vintage Happy Birthday FREE for the entire month of October (no code needed).
• Take 30% off all Birthday stamp sets ---coupon code is IBSBIRTHDAY
• All ribbon and flowers marked down 25% - 50%, no coupon required
• Dies are on sale - 25% off
• 1 winner each day will receive the entire Birthday Bash Release, including all stamp sets, paper, printables and frames! Just leave a comment at owner Joanna Munster's blog each day for your chance to win. Each winner will be randomly selected and announced on the Winner's Page on October 12.  (Only one comment per person, please)
• October 12 will feature the theme of the next blog hop which will be a color combo/sketch.

Happy crafting!

The Merriest Christmas

Hello!

Today's card  is yet another Christmas card using the unusual (to me) colors of red and blue with black and silver as an accent.  I've made it for the challenge going on over at Fussy and Fancy, which is to use dies and punches.  I seriously don't think I can make a card without using at least one or the other, and this one is no exception.  Plenty of die cutting going on here!

All of the printed papers are the newly-released Christmas Digital Papers from Inspired By Stamping (with a little additional stamping by me behind the sentiment).  Check out the background chevron print.  See how light it is?  In its original form it is quite brilliant, but being digital I was able to fade it out a bit so that the sentiment panel wouldn't compete.  That's one of the many beauties of using digital paper, the flexibility to adjust the brightness of the paper to suit one's needs.

These cute little flags are from the Whimsical Banners set, and the Christmas-theme stamps on them are from the brand new Holiday Tags. 

The sentiment panel was heat embossed with silver on the red mat while the sentiment layer was edged with silver glass glitter, the kind that tarnishes with age.  It adds such a nice vintage flair to this card.  The sentiment itself is from the Holiday Sentiments set with the tiny snowflake stamp being from the Winter Wonderland set. 

Some stitching, ribbon, rhinestones and a diecut, glittered snowflake complete this card.

Well, all except for the inside which I stamped with more of the Winter Wonderland set but left otherwise blank for a personal inscription.

Thank you for joining me and here's wishing you a lovely, crafty day!

Happy crafting!

 Challenges entered:

Fussy and Fancy #98 - Punches and Dies

IBS September Release

Hello!

It's time for the grand reveal of this month's exciting new stamp sets from Inspired By Stamping!  There are six fun holiday-inspired sets plus five sets of papers and printables just begging to be played with!  So without further ado, here they are:

 A Spooky Halloween

 Build a Snowman

Happy Fall

Holiday Sentiments

Holiday Tags

Holiday Washi Tape

A Spooky Halloween Digital Paper

Halloween Banner Printables

Halloween Printables

Christmas Digital Paper

Christmas Printables

Aren't they delightful?  Do go and visit the rest of the talented Design Team to see their interpretations!

 Colleen Dietrich

Grace Tolman

Joanna Munster - Owner

Kendra Sand

Leah Cornelius

Nazeema Bastian

Pam Bray

Tina Hale

Rose Miller

Vicki Dutcher

Rebecca Deeprose

 A few useful bits of information...

• All sets will be available for purchase on September 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) in the IBS store.
• Free shipping on all orders over $25 for 48 hours only -- September 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time to September 12th, 7 pm Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) -- coupon code is SeptFree
• All stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount
• Chance to win that day's featured stamp set(s) EVERY DAY during the release party, from September 6th - September 10th!  Just leave a comment at owner Joanna Munster's blog each day for your chance to win. Each winner will be randomly selected and announced on the Winner's Page on September 12.  (Only one comment per person, please.)
• September 11 the new color challenge hop will start.
• September 12 will feature the theme of the next blog hop which will commence on September 20.

Happy crafting!

IBS New Release - Holiday Sentiments and Christmas Digital

Hello!

Today's showcased products feature the stamp set Holiday Sentiments and the new Christmas digital papers that Joanna has created.

Check out that gorgeous background paper.  Is it not the most beautiful paper?  There are plenty more in the set, too.  What I love about digital paper, for those of you who might not have tried it before, is that you can adjust the size to fit your needs.  It's extremely versatile that way, not to mention that you never run out of your favorite designs.

The chevron paper is also from the perfectly coordinated set.

I heat embossed the sentiment onto vellum so as to not cover up the gorgeous papers and stamped the little snowflake using the Winter Wonderland set.

The Poinsettias are also from the Inspired By Stamping store.

A flourish, some custom colored rhinestones (alcohol ink markers do a great job) and some stitching complete the outside of this card.

I stamped the inside using the set December 25th Labels.

Thank you for joining me and I urge you to go visit the rest of the Design Team to see what lovelies they have created for you.

Joanna

Vicki

Tina

Rose

Rebecca

Leah

Kendra

Colleen

A few useful bits of information...

• All sets will be available for purchase on September 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) in the IBS store.
• Free shipping on all orders over $25 for 48 hours only -- September 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time to September 12th, 7 pm Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) -- coupon code is SeptFree
• All stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount
• Chance to win that day's featured stamp set(s) EVERY DAY during the release party, from September 6th - September 10th!  Just leave a comment at owner Joanna Munster's blog each day for your chance to win. Each winner will be randomly selected and announced on the Winner's Page on September 12.  (Only one comment per person, please.)

Happy crafting!

IBS New Release - Happy Fall & A Spooky Halloween plus a Surprise!

Hello!

Today we begin showcasing the new Inspired By Stamping stamp sets which will be available for purchase September 10.

We begin with the stamp set A Spooky Halloween.

I made a side-step card for this one using both the stamps and the (surprise!) digital papers that Joanna has begun creating.  Aren't they perfectly suited to each other?

She has created digi papers and printable pictures, some of which are featured here.  I also used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the images you see here.  Joanna is generous to offer FREE cut files with many of her stamp sets - less fussy cutting to be done!

I put a bit of net-like fabric behind the letters and some jute twine around the bottom layers.

An angled view showing the "steps."


Next up is the set Happy Fall.

I used some of the patterned leaf stamps on the background paper for some interest and cut the sentiment panel using three sizes of the Fancy Labels 2 Die.  The little banners are from the new set Holiday Washi Tape which will be showcased on September 8.  They are topped with vintage buttons.  Some embossing and stitching add a bit of further interest.

The inside has been stamped with our recently released Happy Sentiments set.

Thank you for joining me, and I hope you will check out the other members of the Design Team to see how they have used these sets!

Happy Fall

Joanna (both sets)

Vicki

Rebecca

Kendra

Calypso

Rose

A Spooky Halloween

Colleen

Rose

Tina

Rebecca

A few useful bits of information...

• All sets will be available for purchase on September 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) in the IBS store.
• Free shipping on all orders over $25 for 48 hours only -- September 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time to September 12th, 7 pm Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) -- coupon code is SeptFree
• All stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount
• Chance to win that day's featured stamp set(s) EVERY DAY during the release party, from September 6th - September 10th!  Just leave a comment at owner Joanna Munster's blog each day for your chance to win. Each winner will be randomly selected and announced on the Winner's Page on September 12.  (Only one comment per person, please)

Happy crafting!

There's a Ghost On My Card

Hello!

It's Wednesday - woohoo!!  And it's my turn to do the tutorial for Inspired By Stamping's WooHoo Wednesday!  I'd like to share a fun technique with you - it's called "ghosting," and with Halloween not too far away, what better time to play with this mysterious and slightly eerie look.

The technique lends itself to CAS very well because you don't want to cover up the "ghosts" too much.

Here's a close up.  The color possibilities are endless!

For the full instructions, please hop on over to WHW at Inspired by Stamping!

Happy crafting!

Inspired By Stamping Sneak Peek - Day One

Hello!

It's almost time for the September Release of the newest stamp sets to join the Inspired By Stamping family!  These sets are all about the holidays, and I've had so much fun playing with them!

Today's offerings feature:

Happy Fall

Set of 11 stamps including a frame which fits the Fancy Labels 2 Die plus several sentiments and patterned leaf stamps.

A Spooky Halloween

Set of 7 stamps which also include a frame which fits the Fancy Labels 2 Die and 6 spooky images.

And Joanna is introducing the first in her brand new line of digital papers.  If you've never tried digi papers, you'll want to with these!

Papers...

and Printables!

The versatility is fantastic!

Thanks for joining me and stay tuned tomorrow as we continue through the holidays!

A few useful bits of information...

• All sets will be available for purchase on September 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) in the IBS store.
• Free shipping on all orders over $25 for 48 hours only -- September 10th, 7 p.m. Brisbane time to September 12th, 7 pm Brisbane time (5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) -- coupon code is SeptFree
• All stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount
• Chance to win that day's featured stamp set(s) EVERY DAY during the release party, from September 6th - September 10th!  Just leave a comment at owner Joanna Munster's blog each day for your chance to win. Each winner will be randomly selected and announced on the Winner's Page on September 12.  (Only one comment per person, please)

Happy crafting!

Blue and Tan Anniversary

Hello!

Today's card is for the challenge going on over at Oldie But a Goodie, and the challenge is to use embossing.  I used both dry and heat embossing on this anniversary card which, incidentally, is going to my husband next week for our anniversary.  Shh...don't tell.

The edges of all the panels, including the torn edges of the sentiment panel, have been heat embossed with gold embossing powder, and the sentiment, using Inspired By Stamping's Happy Sentiments stamp set, was embossed with blue.  I bought a set of embossing powders when I first started paper crafting nearly two years ago and hardly ever use them because I don't generally use colored powders, but the blue in the set matched this card exactly!  The middle narrow panel was my own custom paper made by swiping two colors of ink pads on some beige card stock.  It's a great way to make your own paper when nothing in your stash will do.

The stars were made with craft foil, embossed in the Big Shot and then I pounded out all the dots with my grommet hammer.  They look 3-D but they're now pretty flat.  They still looked a little plain so I colored the edges with copics.

A couple of chipboard brads complete this card.

Thank you for joining me today, and I hope your day is full of crafting goodness!

Happy crafting!

Challenges entered:

Oldie But A Goodie - Embossing (the "oldie" is the blue embossing powder)