Costumes,Candy and Cards

Some people think I am in costume everyday. That's one reason I love living in  here. In downtown Asheville I look conservative!

This weeks Created Byhand Challenge Theme is Mango Sunsets/Orange+Blue. We have them- just have to go up to The Parkway to see them! Photo by Mark Robinson.

I was one of the lucky ones to get a pack of the Ranger T!m Holtz Seasonal Distress Inks, first run. I used all three-Persimmon, Seedless Preserves and Gathered Twigs to make the background. Fab colors. The quote from the Wicked Collection stamped in black, thermal embossed.
I inked up the Cuttlebug spiderweb embossing folder(might as well leave this one out on my desk till November) as a stamp and masked the quote with a sticky note.

The die cuts-I want to rave about the Alterations Autumn Gathering die. All these pieces came from one pass of the die in my Wizard- tow layers of various papers-that is 20 leaves, twigs and acorns just the right size for most of what I do.
I would recommend coloring your paper before cutting as the small size makes them harder to color individually, tho I did mess about  with them on this card. I used soem Stickles cinnamon and copper for dimensional glitter and Stardust pens to outline and highlight. I stuck the twigs on with the Glue pen -a quicky and a goody.
I have Suzanne at Quietfire to thank for making this my most enjoyable Halloween in a long time.
The candy-It's in the eye of the beholder.
Thanks for looking, your comments and posting your own entry.

Be Who You Are

Too Many deadlines. I can say no more.
Keep it simple and still enjoy the process.
A bear trashed my bird feeder and now the computer is giving me signs of illness.

The flourished bat is my favorite new stamp,and I also like this sentiment about Grandmothers. Both are from the  new Wicked collection.
The theme this week in the Created Byhand Challenge is Only Angles/ Squares and Rectangles.
The themes are just guidelines to get your creative inks flowing.
This scan doesn't show the squarish stamping in the background-remember shadow stamps? I stamped the quote and bats in black and thermal embossed in black. I tore out the rectangle and outlined with Distress black soot. I colored the heart in with a glaze pen.
I sprayed the whole thing with Perfect Pearls Mist-just pearl, no color- kind of spooky.
Nothing spooky about my Grandmothers hearts. they helped me to be whoever I wanted to be everyday of the year.
Thanks for your comments- any questions, leave one, and all thoughts of Grandmothers are welcomed.

One Thing

When I was a young mother with three small children, I took my Mother's advice and did one thing for myself each day. Most days it was take a hot bath. When ever anyone doesn't feel well-mentally or physically- my first suggestions is -take a hot bath. I f you sit in it so long the water gets cold- be wasteful-let some out and fill it up again with more hot till you turn into a prune. Bubbles optional.
My BFF Chris sent me a huge birthday package full of vintage Inkadoo stamps from the early 80's.
More than words can say Chris- this card is for you. Thanks.
This weeks theme for Created Byhand Challenge is  Sapphire/shades of blue/Lace.
I created the background bubbles with an oldy and goody Fiscars plate.Touched up the high points with Distress broken china and sprayed with PPearls  Blue Smoke.
I bought Spellbinders Lacey Circles and  Lacey Squares also for my birthday- Shout out to Betty and Dick Ernst for their generous gift certificate-the croc in the tub is an old Inkadoo stamp-thermal embossed with Versafine sepia and clear powder.
The quote by Quitefire is from Sylvia Plath. Love the poetry- maybe she could have taken more baths! The stamp comes with her name- I cut them off-FYI. The die is Spellbinders Ribbon Tag Trio -thermal embossed. I colored with Distress broken china while the card is still in the die and added some gold, stardust pens and glaze pens. I love to color.
Now I draw every day too- kids grown I can do two things for myself!
Leave me a comment on what you do for yourself.
Thanks for looking, your comments and posting your entry in the challenge

Eating Words

If you have to eat your words it should be at Halloween.
This week's theme at Created Byhand Tuesday Challenge is Hurricane!Swirls. I thought that up before Irene was even a breeze.
Then the New Halloween Rubber came. ***The Wicked Collection***. Right now you can order the whole plate- and even if you don't do Halloween... these are a must have in your collection.
I store the stamps I use the most in plastic 3-ring binder sleeves and the Flourished Bat is going on page 1- stamps I use the most.
I stamped this Tim Holtz background ATC swirl stamp, then got thinking about hurricanes and tornadoes and then the Wizard of Oz and ended up making a broom out of a twig, long needle pine and a bead.
The stamps just fit on these tags in the Spellbinders Pennant set. 
I stamped first in black then thermal embossed and added Distress Ink and Stardust pens.
If you need more details, leave a comment.
HUGE shout out to my new friend Eric for making me the quick release pad for my tripod-you are a treasure!
thanks for looking, your comments and please post in the Challenge.