Turn Back....Halloween Is Near!!!

Halloween truly is a favorite time of the year for our family! We love decorating the house, covering it with cobwebs, ghosts, bats...scary rats and crows.

Each year we add more and more to the house and this year we've added more than any other!

This year we added a wood fence that we found on our local Freecycle list. We took it apart and made a scary fence and fun scene for our front yard. Fun, cool and best of all...free!!

Here's two new decorations I made for inside our house...

"Turn Back" Halloween Swag
Designer: Julia Sandvoss

My Mind's Eye "The Spider's Web" papers and punchouts
Pink Paislee Twilight Rubons, Chipboard Letters
Making Memories Spellbound Diecuts
Cricut Diecut Machine - Storybook Cartridge
Colorbox Chalk Inks
GlueGlider Pro by GlueArts
Martha Stewart Edger Punches
Sparkly Spiders from Hobby Lobby
Lil Davis Chipboard Alphabet
Satin Ribbon
Bo Bunny Double Dot Ribbon


1) Cut a 7 inch pennant shape for your template. Trace this out onto five papers.

2) Use the Cricut diecut machine for shapes. Layer them working with sizes from 3 1/2 inches to 4 inches depending on the shape.

3) Adhere to pennants. Add diecuts, spiders, rubons to embellish swag

4) I used my sewing machine to sew the pennant pieces to the ribbon. Tie additional green ribbon to the ends for a color contrast.






Halloween Light (that my family calls the Halloween cake!LOL)
Designer: Julia Sandvoss

My Mind's Eye "The Spider's Web" papers and punchouts
Pink Paislee Twilight Papers and Brads
Pink Paislee Captivating Paper
Cricut Diecut Machine - Plantain Schoolbook Cartridge
Colorbox Chalk Inks
GlueGlider Pro by GlueArts
Sparkly Spiders from Hobby Lobby
Googly Eyes
Black Crayon
Cobweb
Flickr Light bulb from Hobby Lobby
Light from Gordman's

1) Cover the sides and top of each layer. The layers were loose which helped me separate them to cut circles for the tops. Ink the edges of the papers before adhering.

2) I used the "grass" feature on the Schoolbook cartridge and turned it upsidedown for the scary edges. Ink those before adhering.

3) Melt black crayon with lighter and allow to drip down all over the light.

4) Wrap in cobwebs. Add spider and googly eyes..and finish off with cool flickr bulb!

5) Plug in and remind your family it is not a cake...although a Halloween cake does sound yummy!!

A special thanks to Pink Paislee and My Mind's Eye for sponsoring me with their products for these projects.

Happy Halloween!!

Haunted House Project

Have you ever gotten the eerie feeling that you’re being watched?

That all eyes are upon you?

Well, they are… with this spook-tacularly charming haunted house! It’s chock full of adorable witches, ghouls, ghosts, one-eyed spiders and even a few bats already celebrating the coming of All Hallow’s Eve. As you can see, with Halloween just around the corner I simply couldn’t wait to use Bo Bunny’s Boo Crew collection to construct this not so scary haunt. It was wickedly fun, but BEWARE…it might entice you to be as addicted to Bo Bunny as I am!








Halloween Haunted House
Designer: Patti Milazzo

Bo Bunny’s Boo Crew – Goblins, Masquerade, Ghoul Friends, Here’s Looking at You, Dot, Cut Outs, Stripe patterned paper; My Eye On You iCandy Jewels

Designer Tip: Start with a chipboard, wood or cardstock frame for your house. I created mine with black cardstock. You can find templates on-line if needed. Cover each surface with paper. Add interesting details, like a scalloped roof or windows and doors with characters peeking out. I used the Boo Crew Cut Out sheet for the cute characters peeking out from the windows then created several layers stacked on top of one another for dimension. I cut my ghosts from the Ghoul Friends paper then backed them with white cardstock and inserted wire that I coiled around a pen and inserted into the top and side of the house.

Happy Haunting!!

Imaginisce Spooky Town Finale!

Spooky Town!!!!


Well with all good things they must come to an end and today is our final day showcasing Imaginisce's fun Spooky Town line!

Today's post offers ideas for cards, gift bags, wall hangings and pendants...

Read on for more fun projects with Spooky Town!

Happy Halloween Card

Designer: Stacey Stamitoles

Imaginisce Spooky Town Bestitched Paper, Fraidy Cat Paper, Trick or Treat Paper(for “Happy Halloween”), Witches Stew Rubons

Other Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics, Circle cutter: Fiskars, Ribbon: Offray, Sewing machine , Button, Ink: VersaFine by Tsukineko


Treat Bag
Designer: Kristen Swain

Imaginisce Spooky Town Bestitched Paper, Boo Buttons Paper, Spooky Sticker Stackers, Witches Stew Rubons, Orange Paper(from Rubon packaging)






Eeek! Wall Hanging
Designer: Julia Sandvoss

Imaginisce Spooky Town Bestitched Paper, Orange Paper (from Rubon packaging)Fraidy Cat Paper, Boo Whooo?! Paper, Tombstone Terrors Chipboard Stickers, Spooky Sticker Stackers

Other Supplies:
Sign from craft store, May Arts Ribbon, GlueGlider Pro by GlueArts, Colorbox Chalk Inks, Doodlebug Limeade Paper Frills, Ki Memories Alphabet Stickers

Halloween Glass Pendants
Designer: Julia Sandvoss

Imaginisce Spooky Town Monster Mash

Other Supplies: Adhesive, Glass, Bails, Stickles Glitter, Judikins Diamond Glaze, E6000 Adhesive

Designer Tip: I purchase the glass pieces from tile stores. Select glass tiles that are not too thick and heavy and are not distorted. I usually work with the 7/7 by 1 7/8 inch rectangle glass, small 7/8 inch squares a circles in a size around 1 to 1 1/2 inches. Use the glass to position over design to make sure it fits on the shape, then trace around glass. Cut out shape and then add any glitter accents. Next apply a fair size drop of glaze onto the backside of the glass, firmly press the design onto glass making sure to smooth out any air bubbles and excess glaze. I then use the glaze that squeezes out the sides to smooth over the backside of the paper so it has a nice, smooth finish when dry. Sit the glass face down and allow to dry. If any trimming is needed for the design...use an Exacto knife to clean up the edges. Use E-6000 adhesive to adhere bail onto backside of glass ensuring that it's positioned in the center of the design and glass.


So that's it...well not it for Halloween ideas...we have more of those to share! We would like to extend a thank you once again to Don and Imaginisce for sending us their products to work with! We hope you were inspired to make some projects too!

And as a thank you to you....we're giving away one of the Halloween pendants! Leave a comment by this Sunday, October 18th and let us know which one is your favorite and we'll pull a random name to win one along with a chain to wear for Halloween!! We'll post the winners name on Monday!

Be sure to tell your friends about the Pursuit of CraftYness!!!

Spooky Town

I have to admit Halloween is a big deal in our home.

We LOVE to put out decorations, hang cobwebs, (not dust for a month!), carve pumpkins..okay eat the seeds, and make the house look fun and a little scary too!

Imaginisce's new Spooky Town is just that...a bit of fun and spookyness...perfect for your layouts, cards and altered projects.

Here's some more ideas using their Spooky Town line...which I know you now have to have!LOL








Candy Jar
Designer; Stacey Stamitoles

Imaginisce supplies: Paper: Spooky Town Collection: Bestitched, Boo Buttons
Witches Stew Rubons , Top of Jar uses the packaging (orange stripes), Tombstone Terror Chipboard Stickers, Snag’em Stamps: Buttons, Pumpkins


Other Supplies:

Adhesive: Zip Dry Paper Glue by Beacon Adhesives
Die cut: Spellbinders Nestabilities Scallop Circles, Large
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics
Ribbon: Offray
Recycled container

Spooky Card
Designer: Sherry Wright

Imaginisce Spooky Town Trick or Treat Paper, Bestitched Paper, Fraidy Cat Paper, Spooky Sticker Stackers

Our Spooky Town
Designer: Julia Sandvoss

Imaginisce Spooky Town Trick or Treat Paper, Bestitched Paper, Fraidy Cat Paper, Tombstone Terrors Chipboard Stickers, Spooky Sticker Stackers, American Crafts Vinyl Letters, Bo Bunny Double Dot Cardstock, Colorbox Chalk Inks, GlueGlider Pro by GlueArts

Trick or Treat Card
Designer: Kristen Swain

Imaginisce Spooky Town Bestitches Paper, Boo Whoo?! Paper, Orange Stripe (from product packaging), Witches Stew Rubons, Kraft Cardstock

Here's some stores if you'd like to pick up Spooky Town that have the collection in stock and get my stamp of approval:

Scrapbook.com

Create For Less

Scrapbook Express

Thanks so much for tuning in today...we have two more big posts to share with more ideas that you'll love!!

See you next week!!

A Little Imaginisce Halloween

We're back!

Thank you for your patience over the summer while the team took a little hiatus. We all have such busy lives...as you..and it seemed necessary to take a little break so we could all enjoy time with our families. However we're back!!

Up first on the agenda...Imaginisce!








And their new Spooky Town collection! We all love Halloween(well I know I do!!) ...and were too happy to see we were getting to play with their Spooky Town collection. A special shout out to Don for sending us the collection!!

Their new collection has fun designs...pumpkins, skeletons, ghosts, cats, spooky trees and all on papers with heat embossed elements. 3-D stickers, rubons, stamps all round out this line!

So we're kicking off today with some fun projects to get you going on your Halloween fun!

Oh and we've added a new designer to our group..I'm sure you know her already...the very talented Kristen Swain has joined our group and know you'll love all her fantastic creations! Welcome Kristen!!

Spooky Boo Layout
Designer: Sherry Wright

Trick or Treat paper, Fraidy Cat paper, Tombstone Terrors Chipboard Stickers, Boo Hooligans Rubons, Spooky Sticker Stackers

Spooky Card
Designer: Julia Sandvoss

Monster Mash Paper, Bestitched Paper, Tombstone Terrors Chipboard Stickers, Doodlebug Rick Rack & Gem, Jenni Bowlin Journaling Spot, GlueGlider Pro by GlueArts, Bo Bunny Double Dot Cardstock

Spooky House Card
Designer: Kristen Swain

Bestitched Paper, Spooky Sticker Stackers, Tombstone Terrors Chipboard Stickers


Spooky Treats Bar
Designer: Kristen Swain

Boo Pants, Spooky Sticker Stackers, Witches Stew Rubons

Trick or Treat Bag
Designer: Stacey Stamitoles

Boo Whooo! Paper, Witches Stew Rubons, May Arts Ribbon

Other supplies:
Orange cardstock: Bazzill Basics
Brown lunch bag
Ribbon: Offray (orange), Black and White stripe ribbon: May Arts
Adhesive: Zip Dry
Jump Ring: Making Memories
Paper Punches: Fiskars

Happy Halloween Card
Designer: Julia Sandvoss

Fraidy Cat Paper, Witches Stew Rubons, Bo Bunny Wasabi Double Dot Cardstock, Sasafras Lass Number Paper, GlueGlider Pro by GlueArts, Cricut for diecut edge, Gem from Hobby Lobby

We've got more tricks and treats up our sleeve!! Come visit us again this Thursday and again next week for more ideas using the Spooky Town line!

See you then my pretties...

My Spooky Stuff!

True confession...I think I might like Halloween more than Christmas. Not sure..still thinking. But you have to admit..it's lots of fun, you get to decorate your house, the colors and items you use to decorate..spiders, pumpkins, ghost etc etc are all VERY fun, it involves candy...hmmm...need I even say more? Oh and you don't need to dust your house..after all..what spooky house has clean, dust free decorations?! So..needless to say Halloween is definitely become a favorite.

Each year though I struggle to find a cute, fun way to showcase my photos. After all..they pretty much are the same..although the kids are wearing different outfits. But they are still doing much the same. As I walked through the house, my daughter commented I should take some pictures of all the fun decorations we have out for something different to scrap. Which is great..but then what? A layout of course to showcase some of my oh so Spooky Stuff!

Supplies:

Orange Cardstock
Teresa Collins Spider Web, Halloween Journal Tags, Halloween Circle Tags paper
Bo Bunny Hallows Eve Rubons
American Crafts Daquerie Alphabet Stickers
Making Memories Spellbound Clear Embellishments, Spellbound Brads & Spellbound Alphabet Stickers
Stickles - Lime Green
Bazzill Paper Brads - Festive
Colorbox Chalk Inks - Charcoal, Tangerine, Creamy Brown
Michael's Ribbon

*Using the Spider Web paper…cut off the kraft edge border around the paper. Then adhere the paper onto a piece of orange cardstock. Ink the edges of the orange cardstock with black ink to dirty it up a bit.

*For my photos I worked with a digital photo template I purchased online from Designer Digitals. I’ve long admired the multi-photo layouts and how fantastic they look. So I decided to give it a go and was incredibly pleased with the results. Once I added my photos, I printed the sheet out and trimmed off the excess photo paper.

*I then cut a piece from the Halloween Journal Tags paper that measures 7 by 9 ½. I used my sewing machine to stitch a crazy zig zag stitch onto the paper edge. If you don’t have a machine…consider using some rubons. After stitching I inked the edges with black ink.

*Next cut a strip from the Halloween Journal Tags paper that measures 3 by 12. Ink the edges with both brown and black inks. Adhere onto the spider web paper above the Happy Halloween design. Again…if you have a machine, add the zig zag stitch to the ends.

*Now adhere the black wavy print paper along with the photo collage.

*Cut the black crow from the Halloween Circle Tags paper. Inks edges with orange and add a dot of lime green Stickles for the eye. Add to top right side of paper.

*Next ink the Bazzill paper brads with black ink. Add Bo Bunny spider rubon to the brad. Attach brad with Making Memories clear spider tag.

*Cut phrases from the Spooky Words paper. Inks edges and staple to side of paper. Add Making Memories clear frame over “creepy” cut out word.

Tie striped ribbon across paper.

Add Thickers letters. Finish off with Making Memories Spellbound alphabet stickers. Add Making Memories clear bat and bat brad. Finish with Bo Bunny spider rubon on top right spider web.

And one more item..a very quick Halloween craft! I had picked up a lampshade kit at Target in the dollar bin. Not knowing at the time what I'd use it for...just that I would use it. I realized it would be perfect for a fun, spooky Halloween nightlight for our guest bath.

I took off the fabric cover it came with. The holding it up to a light...chose how I wanted the Bo Bunny Spooktastic print paper to go across. I wanted to be sure I had the bats positioned across it. I used the fabric cover as a template for the paper. Cut that out, inked the edges and then added a few more Bo Bunny Hallows Eve bat rubons to the paper. Next I adhered it to the nightlight. Then finished it off with a little rick rack and pom pon ribbon! It's one of my favorite decorations this year!

Happy Haunting,

Julia

no tricks...just treats!

October is offically here, which means Halloween is just around the corner! Halloween treats are always fun to pass out to your kids, teachers, co-workers and friends & family.

I thought I would share some ideas on decorating yummy treats with your own creation of spooky papers. I found some great Halloween stamps at Michaels for only $1 each, but you could use whatever you have on-hand or even use some Halloween clip-art.

Instead of buying new papers, I used some older papers I had in my stash and made them into spooky, new ones! It was really easy to do and I bet you even have the supplies on-hand already. Here are the Halloween colored papers from my supplies that I used. These are from Karen Foster, but any colors that you like to use for this holiday would work.


You can do the following to either a whole sheet, smaller pieces (great way to use up scraps) or pieces you die-cut first. I tried all three ways and I found working with smaller pieces a bit easier. For this example, I pre-cut what I wanted to use for my treats.

Once you have chosen your papers, ink them up with black, brown or a combo of the two. I used a bit of both for mine this time. I used my Ranger blending tool to apply the ink, but you could use a make-up sponge or whatever you like. It doesn't really matter what ink you use, but I used a mix of Ranger Distress & Versafine. Apply as much or as little as you want until you like how it looks.

Next I misted the inked papers with water. You could probably skip this step if you want, but I think it helps to kind of "blend" the inks together with the paper and softens the ink too. Again, its personal preference...do it how YOU like it! You can also add more ink while your papers are wet.

You can let them dry now or you can move to the next step. I'm not very patient, so I didn't wait for them to dry before moving on. I think this is the fun part...now add some watercolor splats! All you do is use a lot of water and load up your brush with black watercolor paint.

Then shake & tap your very wet brush over your papers. This can be messy (or maybe it's just me?) but I used a tall box to put my papers in and then did this. You could also take it outside on the grass too. Here's what you'll have when your done.

Now let them dry.

Here is a photo of what the papers looked like before and after. See how spooky & fun they are!

Now for the decorating part. While going through my older papers, I also found these by Daisy D's and thought they would add an old, distressed touch.

Here are the treat bags I came up with, using the $1 stamps, my "new" old spooky papers and the distressed papers. To get a softer, stamped image, simply "kiss off" your stamp onto scrap paper first and then stamp your image. I think the softer images add to the oldness and look great with the spooky papers we just made. Look at the skeleton...you can see the crackled paper through...creepy!

Instead of tying my tag to the bag, I used a binder clip. I just tied my tag to the clip first and then clipped it to the bag. Simple & easy!

On the second one, I first stapled the rectangle over the top of the bag and then added my ghost tag on top. You guessed it...simple & easy!


Here are a few more that I did with some bulk candy, $1 treat bags I found at Target and more of the $1 stamps from Michaels.

I also did some candy bar wraps. The Spellbinders Nestabilities, large rectangle is the perfect size to wrap around a regular sized candy bar. No measuring or fancy folds...just a simple & easy die-cut! Then I just layered more of the $1 stamped images on top.

supplies used:
Pattern Papers: Karen Foster Lemon Chiffon, Kiwi Splash, Tangerine Swirl & Purple Swirl; Daisy D's Antique Dot, Antique Stripe & Antique Harlequin; Cut-it-Up Brushed Black
Stamps: Studio G Halloween (Michaels $1)
Ink: Ranger Distress; Versafine
Stickers: Making Memories Halloween Word Fetti
Die-Cut: Spellbinders Scallop Circle, scallop rectangle Nestabilities
Other: Provocraft Cuttlebug Machine
Ribbon: assorted scraps
Halloween bags: Michaels, Target

I hope I've given you some fun ideas to dress up your Halloween treats along with making those old papers into something new! If you create some of your own, make sure you link to it here so that we can check out what you did. I would love to see how you made some of your old papers into something spooky & new!