Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Spooky Hollow Fangtastic Grimmies


 OMG!!!!! Isn't this just the best Halloween crew???  I think so.  Who are they you ask?  They are a new release by Riley and Company called Spooky Hollow Fangtastic.  These little Grimmies are illustrations by Ellis Carmon from Spooky Hollow Folk Art.  There are 4 separate stamp sets and all of them are just amazing.  I will be posting cards soon with all the different sets so keep and eye out.

I decided to do a square card for this one because I wanted to make sure I got all three of my friends on it.  To set the scene, I wanted them standing in front of a full moon.  I didn't have a moon stencil that was big enough, so I made my own by using a circle die to cut it out.  

As I was planning my layout, I used scrap cardstock in my Misti to place my friends.  I stamped all three not caring if they overlapped.  I used the moon cut out to make sure that I had the placement just right.  

I stamped my guys on Gina K. Masking Magic, cut them out, just inside the line.  I didn't worry too much about trimming around the real fine lines because I was going to use matching colors to fill in the gaps once I was done inking.  I peeled off the back of the masking paper and covered my guys.  The think to remember before stamping is to stamp the images that you want in the very front first and then the background one second. So for this card, I stamped my two outside images, covered them and then stamped my tallest guy.


Next, I used my Lawn Fawn Grassy Stencil to ink in the ground using Twisted Citron Distress Oxide Ink.  Once my ink was dry, I used the stencil to cover up my grass and moved on to inking the moon.


I used my moon cut out opening as my stencil for the moon.  I inked it using Squeezed Lemonade Distress Oxide Ink for the body of the moon and then dusted the edges using Mustard Seed Distress Oxide Ink to give it a little dimension.  

I used the moon cut out as a mask and inked in the background using Broken China and Wilted Violet Distress Oxide Ink. Before I remove my moon and grassy masking, I spattered my background with a little watered down metallic silver watercolor.

This is what my card front looks like once my inking is complete.


Once I peel off my masking, I am ready to start coloring.  If you look closely, you can see white areas the little guys hair and the pumpkin guy's hands.  I just use markers in matching colors to color in those small areas.  Easy peasy.


I have used Copic markers in the following colors:  

            RV04, RV09, RV66                                            YG01, YG03, G24
            B93, B95, B97                                                    E51, E53, E35
            V000, V01, V04, V06                                        YR04, YR07, YR09, R39
            C1, C3, C5, C7                                                    Y00, Y04, Y19, Y17



For the sentiment, I heat embossed at the upper left corner of my card using the Seasons Creepings Funny Bone Stamp.  I added a few black bats from the bat cardstock stash.

This is another card that I will hang on to awhile before I send it out because I just love it so much.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a "Fangtastic" day.

Sandy




Hoot Hoot Hooray Halloween Shaker Card


 Hello there!  Today I have a fun Halloween Shaker Card made with Trinity Stamps Hoot Hoot Hooray Stamp Set.  I couldn't wait to use this little guy in a Halloween card and I thought that putting him in a snow globe would be perfect!

For the inside of the snow globe, I stamped the little owl on a branch from the Hoot Hoot Hooray Stamp Set and then used the Coordinating Mask to cover it while I did a little inking.  



I laid in the ground using a hillside stencil along with Twisted Citron Distress Oxide Ink.  I dusted the edges of the ground with a little Rustic Wilderness Distress Oxide Ink.


While using the stencil now as a mask, I inked the upper part with Salty Ocean Distress Oxide Ink.  I dusted the edges with Prize Ribbon Distress Oxide Ink to give it a little dimension.


With the inking done, I put the piece back in my Misty and started to add some stamping to build the scene a little more.  I used the Spooky Silhouettes Stamp Set with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink.  


Once I peeled away the mask on the owl, I colored in the little guy with Copic markers in the following colors:

  • E30, YR23, Y26, YR27 - Owl Body
  • YR14, YR16 - Beak & Claws
  • E23, E27, E59 - Tree Branch
  • G29

Isn't he adorable???

I built the "well" for the shaker elements by cutting out six snow globes out of cardstock and gluing them all together.  I used white cardstock but as I was making the card, I decided that black would have been better, so I used a black marker to color the edges and changed the front of the snow globe to black.    (If you want to take a tour on my struggle bus, you can watch me in action on my YouTube video linked below.)

I glued the inside of the snow globe on a piece of orange cardstock cut to 4.0" x 5.25 that has the edges dusted with Crackling Campfire Distress Oxide Ink.  I sprinkled the shaker pieces in the center of that piece and then adhered the constructed snow globe piece over the inked center piece.  

I added a purple cardstock globe base to the bottom of the globe.  I dusted the die cut piece with a little Villainous Potion Distress Oxide Ink.  

I used the Halloween Sentiments Die to cut out the sentiment from colored cardstock and then adhered the finished piece at the bottom of the card.  

For the sentiment on the inside of the card, I used the Simply Sentimental: Halloween stamp set.


I think that this is just the perfect card for a younger person - its not too spooky, just sweet!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!

Sandy




Monday, August 4, 2025

Urban Chic - Haunted Shroom


 Hello again!  Today I have something that is new for me.  I was at Paperganza by Craft Roulette, last month and Riley and Company had these amazing stamps and dies from their Mushroom Lane Collection.  I had seen them on line, but was blown away to see them up close.  The stamp that I used is Urban Chic - Haunted Shroom.

The packaging on the stamp set recommends, stamping the image once and then spend a "good amount of time coloring it".  Once you are happy with your image, photo copy it several times to use to make your card.  This is a great way to keep your original for future reference or to make more cards.  

I made 4 copies of my colored image and then used the coordinating dies to cut out the different pieces to make it 3D.  You can pop up your pieces with foam tape. I, however, used the die to cut out three pieces of cardstock for the different images that pop.  I glued those cardstock pieces together and then topped it with the colored/photocopied image.  I used a medium gray marker to tone down the white edges that the die leaves.  

I followed the directions on the package and layered up my card.  This is such a fun and unique way to add dimension to your card.


This image does take some time to color, but I really like to play with my Copic markers.  I found it fun to experiment with the different color combinations to see what I would get.  However, if coloring isn't your thing, they do offer sheets that have the color already on them, so all you have to do is put it together.  This would be a quick and fun option also.

I will say that photocopying does alter the color a little bit.  While it is makes it very vivid, I felt like I lost a little of my shading, especially with the orange on the house.  The picture below is the original coloring.


The colors that I used are:
        
        YR02, YR04, YR07 - orange on pumpkin              E50, E51,E53 - Skull
        V05, V06, V09 - purples                                         YG04, YG07, G24, G28 - Green Trim
        B02, B05,B B29 - blues                                          E23, E25, E27 - browns
        G21, G94, G99 - ground                                         YR04, YR07, YR09, R39 - house
        Y000, Y00, Y02, Y04, Y17 - yellow                          W0, W2, W4, W6, W9 - warm grays
        C2, C4, C6, C8 - cool grays                                    E42, E43, E44, E47 - door, wood trim    

I am really happy with the way this turned out and I look forward to making some more.

Thanks for stopping by and I hop you have a great day!

Sandy                      


Saturday, August 2, 2025

Mice On Ice

 

Hello friends!  One of my favorite things about July, is creating Christmas Cards in July.  I created this card for the current Lawn Fawnatics Challenge #201 - Christmas In July.  It has been so hot here that it was fun to create this winter scene.  It sure would be fun to skate on the icy river with these little friends don't you think?

For the background on this card, I cut a piece of cardstock to 5.5" x 4.25.  I inked the winter sky using Prize Ribbon and Salty Ocean Distress Oxide Ink.  I watered down a little white acrylic paint and spattered it to create the illusion of snowfall.

While I loved the idea of the mice skating on a frozen river, I felt like I needed to have a little bit more snow.  I combined the Riverside Backdrop: Landscape with the Over The Mountains Border.  I used a little Salty Ocean Distress Oxide Ink to dust up the edges.  


I used the die to cut my river from Pixie Dust cardstock.  I layered everything together and then trimmed it out with a piece of red Candy Cane Lane patterned paper using the Stitched Rectangle Frames.  

I used the Mice On Ice, Treat Cart, Treat Cart Add On: Coffee and their coordinating dies to create my scene.  I used Copic markers in the following colors:

  • C0, C2, C4, C6
  • E15, E25, E57, E50, E51, E53
  • R20, R21, R22
  • G07, G09, G28
  • R14, R17, R27
  • B000, B00


For the sentiment, I used the one that is included with the Mice On Ice stamp set.  I heat embossed it using white embossing powder.  I used the Everyday Sentiment Banner Die to cut out the word "holidays".  

I used foam dots to pop up the mice and their little treats.

This was such a fun card to make and gives me a little hope for cooler days.  

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!

Sandy