The promised ....

.... pumpkin post!!  I've got three pics, the camera ran out of batteries and then we realised too late that we hadn't put the pumpkin lids back on!!

Here's Jed in a blur of movement just as we finished carving, right on the dot of 6pm.  His costume was just finishing in the tumble drier (a gorilla onesie - he'd worn it to the party on Wed night and played football in a muddy field in the dark, as you do) and his friends were at the door waiting to go trick or treating, so there was no posing for photos all costumed up.

Here's Jed's Minion pumpkin - very on-trend!!  This was a hard one to carve - the teeth and glasses were very very fiddly - he made a few mistakes and was upset and annoyed - but when we lit it up the mistakes didn't matter and he was thrilled with how it looked.

Mine - I don't know what it is - a sort of ghoulish melty guy?

Anyway - that's that for another year. 

Thanks for looking!

Happy Hallowe'en ....

.... to everyone.  I'm posting a very quick post - Jed and I are about to go and carve pumpkins (I'll put up pictures of them tomorrow), bit under time pressure, so I'll get to my card.  It's a Hallowe'en birthday card for Jed's friend - his party was last night.  Again, I was under time pressure, then the crackle glazed bat didn't dry properly, then it was too dark to get good pictures (and so the excuses roll on!).  Here's what I made:

 

I used the sketch from last week's Deconstructed Sketches and I'm entering the following challenges too: Daring Cardmakers ("Spooky Birthdays"), Simon Says Stamp ("Anything Goes"), Crafty Creations ("Make it Yourself"), Card Crafters Circle ("Autumn Splendour") and Totally Gorjuss ("Spooky").  I made the letters from the birthday boy's name, and I also made a spring-loaded bat!  I glued several layers of black cardstock together, drew and cut out the bat shape, then liberally coated it with crackle accents.  Then I swanned off for lunch with some friends, confident that when I came back, the bat would be both dry and crackled. BUT, it wasn't!  Eeeek - what to do?  So I put it in the hotpress for another hour.  No difference.  Then I took a heat gun to it.  Eeeek - dry but blistered.  So, as time had run out, I stuck two googly eyes over the worst blisters, attached the spring (from an old notebook spine) and called it a day!!  Here's a terribly lighted side-shot of the bat:



Recipe:

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Matilda" and Rusty Pickle "Costume Party"

Other: Computer generated font, googly eyes and spring from stash

Thanks for looking - for those who enjoy Hallowe'en - have a fun evening!!

Une carte ....

.... Française aujourd'hui!! Flippin' 'eck, I had to google that spelling, my school French is way past rusty!!  My stepmother's nephew and his wife, who's French, had a baby girl, so I thought I'd give a nod to her French heritage and put the sentiment in French.  Here's what I made:

I used a sketch from a couple of weeks ago on Deconstructed Sketches and I'm also entering the following challenges: Lili of the Valley Monthly Challenge and Stamping for the Weekend ("Anything Goes") and ABC Challenges ("X-tra Special").

I stamped the ubiquitous Lili of the Valley baby stamp yet again!!  About time I invested in a few different baby stamps maybe?!!  Here's a closer view:

Recipe:

Papers: Kelly Panacci "His and Hers"

Stamp: Lili of the Valley "Baby Blanket"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Mesh, buttons

Thanks for looking!

Loving the autumnal ...

... colours around at the moment - it's my second favourite season after winter - and I got to use lovely autumn colours for my DT entry this week on Sentimental Sundays - we're celebrating Calypso's birthday all this month, with oodles of sponsors, and this week, our challenge is "Happy Birthday - Sentiments Only". 

I had a lot of fun with this challenge.  I made a 50th birthday card for one of my colleagues in school - we were at his fancy dress party (70s theme!) last night - almost all the guests dressed up, going to great effort to do so - a great night was had by all!  This is what I made for the birthday boy:

Update 21/11/13 - Jen has picked this card as one of her favourites on Deconstructing Jen - thanks so much, Jen!

I used the sketch from this week's Deconstructed Sketches, and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: ABC Challenges ("W is for words"), Papertake Weekly ("Two by Two" - I've got two numbers and two banners"), Daring Cardmakers ("Birthday Banners and Bunting") and City Crafter ("Trick or Treat or use Orange as main colour").

I made up the sentiment on the computer and printed it onto kraft paper.  Printed the name once more, glossy accented it and popped it up for dimension.  Here's a side-shot.

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Carte Postale" and Tim Holtz "Destinations"

Other: Cuttlebug "Tiny Bubbles" embossing folder, Doodlebug brads, glossy accents

Thanks for looking!

A special surprise ....

Happy Birthday, Calypso!

 

Calypso is having a birthday today!  We are so excited to share with you a Surprise Birthday Blog Hop!!!  Every stop along the hop has a surprise birthday card or project for Calypso created by members of two Design Teams... 

Sentimental Sundays and Scribbles Designs.

Calypso keeps all of us so organized; is such an inspiration to all of us and also is right there with unfailing support and compassion for any of the team members. Her talents abound and we adore her!

Please join us in the (surprise) Birthday Hop for Calypso 

and stop by her blog at the end to wish her Happiest of Birthdays! 

Happy Birthday, Calypso!

Here is my card:

Now head on over to Karolina's blog for the next project!

Be sure to comment on the Birthday Hop post on one or both blogs 

Sentimental Sundays and Scribbles Designs.... 

one person will be randomly chosen (on October 8th) from all comments collected from both blogs to receive a prize in the mail. The prize will be sent to you and we welcome you from anywhere in the world you reside in!   

Here's the lineup in case you get lost 

(Make sure your last stop is CALYPSO so you can wish her a Happy Birthday!)

We'll start with Angi of Sentimental Sundays

Doreen of Sentimental Sundays

Vicky of Scribbles Designs

Jennifer of Scribbles Designs

Archana of Sentimental Sundays & Scribbles Designs

Deanna of Scribbles Designs

Sharla  of Scribbles Designs

Julie of Sentimental Sundays

Karolina of Sentimental Sundays

Lisa of Scribbles Designs

Cely of Scribbles Designs

Sam of Scribbles Designs

Tracey of Sentimental Sundays

Nick of Scribbles Designs

Sandy of Sentimental Sundays & Scribbles Designs

 

(Your last stop is CALYPSO so you can wish her a Happy Birthday!)

 

Calypso 

I have to show you this picture of my cheeky cat, Jess, who wouldn't get out of the way while I was taking the picture of my card - she kept jumping on the chair and sniffing the card, thus knocking it over.  So here she is looking evil and about to strike!!

 

Recipe:

Paper: Glitz "Afternoon Muse"

Stamp: Kraftin' Kimmie "Francesca"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Punch: EK Success "Binding Edge"

Other: Glossy Accents, Dymo label maker

 

I used the sketch from last week's Deconstructed Sketch and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Kraftin Kimmie ("It's your birthday"), Daring Cardmakers (colour challenge), Moving along with the Times ("Anything Goes"), Cute Card Thursday ("Signs of Distress") and Simon Says Stamp ("Going Dotty").

 

Thanks for looking - and enjoy hopping!!

 

Easy to know ....

.... that I'm back in school - the house is in tatters, the laundry is backed-up and there's dust on the desk in the craftroom!!  I haven't yet managed to get up at my target time of 7am, keep lounging on 'till about 7.15/7.20 or so and then rushing around like a mad thing trying to get to school on time.  Sigh - even though it's Autumn and I love Autumn, I just hate September!!

Had a nice day on Saturday - I went to a crop and made this card:

 

Update 03/10/13 - Jen has picked this card as one of her favourites on Deconstructing Jen - thanks so much, Jen!

I used the sketch from this week's Deconstructed Sketch and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Party Time Tuesdays (colour challenge) and Totally Gorjuss ("Stripes").  I used a stamp that my craft friend, Fiona, lent me - wrote the name down somewhere but I can't find it.  Here's a side shot of all the layers.

And here's something else I made.  We were staying in a relative's house down in Wexford at the end of August.  After such a beautiful summer, the hedgerows were groaning with ripe blackberries, so we picked loads and, combined with apples from our garden, I made blackberry and apple jam.  Here's some of the jars all prettied up and ready for gifting:

Recipe:

Papers: Crate Paper "Lemongrass"

Stamp: Will find out and add!

Punch: EK Success "Threading Water"

Other: Hairy string, crackle accents

Thanks for looking!

It doesn't seem ....

.... like a year since our little godson, Matthew, was born - but we attended his first birthday celebrations yesterday afternoon.  The birthday boy revelled in all the attention, smiling for the cameras, doing all his cutest performances and generally wowing all his admirers!!!

Our challenge on Sentimental Sundays this week is "Happy Birthday", so my card for Matthew is also my DT sample. 

This week's sponsor is:

Birdie Brown Store

Birdie Brown Challenge Blog

Donating: 3 digital images, winner's choice

Here's my card:

 

I'm entering the following challenges: Mo's Digital Challenge ("Goodbye Summer"), Card Crafters' Circle and Shopping our Stash ("For the Boys"), Daring Cardmakers ("Heavy Metal"), The Ribbon Girl ("Use numbers"), Party Time Tuesdays ("Anything Goes") and Make it Monday

I used a cute Mo Manning image that looks really like Matthew - the little chubby hands and cheeks, unruly hair and nappy sticking out the top of his trousers!!  Here's a close-up:

 

Recipe:

Papers: Fancy Pants "The Daily Grind"

Image: Mo Manning "Birthday Surprise Boy"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Ancient brads from stash, Fancy Pants ribbon, handmade number and letters

 

Thanks for looking!