Halloween paper on a Christmas card

My quest for unusual, non-traditional Christmas cards continues. This card features Oddball Art's Kawaii Creepy Cute Christmas bat digital stamp (a bargain at $1.00) layered against a blend of Halloween and Christmas paper – yes, Halloween paper on a Christmas card. If you look closely, you can see the bats on the black center square paper. You can see this paper in full Halloween mode on my Bat Wishes card from last year (along with a link to a truly 'batty' free Halloween digi).

The sentiment was created with Chiller font. With 'Go a little batty...' on the front, I plan on adding '...it's Christmas!' to the inside. The other papers are Christmas ones. These, along with the bats, are from the now defunct Tactile Studio, hence no link (a real shame as she had some great digital papers).

Embellishments are a black painted wooden snowflake and flat red bead.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, digital patterned paper
Digital stamp – Oddball Art Kawaii Creepy Cute Christmas bat
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics circle stax
Embellishments – wooden snowflake, red bead
Font – Chiller

I'm linking up with: ABC Christmas Challenge 07/11/18 – W for Wishes & X for Xmas, Addicted to Stamps #318 – Holiday, Sweet Stampin' Christmas November – ATG Christmas, Fab 'n' Funky #416 – With an Animal, The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #40 – ATG Christmas, The Crafty Addicts #54 – ATG, and WWC #196 – All About Occasions.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to everyone celebrating that today! If not, well then, Happy Autumn! May you have a treat filled day.

Today's card features Sherri Baldy's Happy Fall/Halloween Bestie img169 digital stamp. Digital paper is now-defunct Tactile Studio. The sentiment was created with Euphoria Script font.

I thought this great image and busy papers didn't need much embellishment, these three vintage buttons fit in perfectly.

Americans might not realize not everyone celebrates Halloween like they do. If you're interested in how this time around Halloween is celebrated traditionally in France, you can see my post on that HERE.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, digital paper
Digital stamp – Happy Fall/Halloween Bestie img169
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics circle stax
Embellishments – buttons
Font – Euphoria Script

Honk if you love Fall Halloween card

This humorous Halloween/Fall card features Imagine That's Gertie Goose-O-Lantern digital stamp and sentiment. There are four different sentiments included with the stamp.

Paper is digital as well.

Embellishments are a die-cut paper bow and button. This bow die is one of those inexpensive no-brand Chinese import types you find on Amazon and eBay. I confess to really liking it. There are three sizes included and this one – which isn't big at all – is the largest. I admit that I am using it more now than the other bow dies I have I paid significantly more for. Its small size fits easily into the design (as on this Jalapeño Christmas card).

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, digital paper
Digital stamp and sentiment – Imagine That's Gertie Goose-O-Lantern
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics oval & square stax, no-brand bow die
Embellishments – button

I'm linking up with: Crafty Creations #377 – ATG, Crafty Gals Corner #177 – Halloween Colors, Creative Moments #155 – ATG, The Paper Shelter #359 – Halloween, The Sisterhood of Crafters 24/10/18 – Humor, The Crafty Addicts #53 – ATG, and WWC #193 – All About Holidays.

Happy Fall Y'all! Fall/Halloween card

This combo Fall/Halloween card (the Halloween sentiment is included inside the card) features a My Besties Happy Fall digital stamp.

Colorful autumn paper is more from Leska's Digitals Pumpkin Fall digital paper pack used on my recent It's Pumpkin Time card.

Flat buttons make simple embellishments. The sentiment was created with Euphoria Script font.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, Leska's Digitals Pumpkin Fall digital paper pack
Digital stamp – My Besties Happy Fall img165
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics Rectangle Stax
Embellishments – buttons
Font – Euphoria Script

I'm linking up with: Scrapbook Stamp Society #152 – ATG opt/Halloween, PIP Challenge #1842 – ATG, Double Trouble #12 – Halloween/Fall, Cutie Pie Challenge #128 – Going Girly, and Cute N Crafty Challenge #12 – ATG.

Howdy Halloween Cowboy Pumpkin card

This Halloween card features the Cowboy Pumpkin digital stamp from QKR Stampede. It's destined for a relative back in the States who lives in Texas. I like sending her cowboy themed cards, like this Christmas Cowboy card from a few years back.

I used digital paper bits (including the paper 'ribbon' strip) from my scrap bin for the papers.

The sentiment was created with Chiller font. Embellishments are metal dots.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, digital patterned paper
Digital stamp – QKR Stampede Cowboy Pumpkin
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics circle and square stax
Embellishments – metal dots
Font – Chiller

I'm linking up with: QKR Stampede #318 – ATG, Brown Sugar Challenge #283 – Halloween/Autumn, HIMCR #375 – Freestyle, My Time to Craft #382 – Halloween or Cats, and Colour Crazy Challenge #42 – ATG.

Do you need expensive pencils to achieve good coloring results?

Do you notice any difference between the digital stamp coloring of today's card and the look of this fall card from a few weeks back?  If you say, 'Not really', from a purely visual aspect, I'd have to agree with you. I ask because instead of the nice-but-expensive Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils I normally use, I used an inexpensive box I recently picked up at my favorite outlet shop. It's not like I needed any more pencils – I have all 76 Luminance ones – but I was curious as to what result I could achieve using these and as they were only €4.99 for a nice tin box of 24 I didn't risk much.

I was pleasantly surprised by the result! The brand is Fantasia and although a bit more expensive than the €4.99 outlet store price I paid, an internet search shows them available in the States for $10.99 and the UK for £9.48. My Luminance pencils run about CHF 4.00 a piece (about $4.00). Do the math and you see what a great buy these are. I wouldn't say they're perfect. Their blend-ability is adequate, but they're not quite as good as my Luminance ones and I feel like they miss a bit in color intensity, but that could be because I was limited to 24 colors. All in all though, for someone just beginning the hobby and not wanting to spend a lot, they're great!

The cute little bear with his goodie laden wagon is Autumn Stroll from Di's Digi Stamps (on sale for $1.00). The digital papers are freebies from Rita at The Coffee Shop Blog – Mabel and Thanksgiving. It's worth taking a look around Rita's site. She is a very talented photographer/designer who graciously shares all sorts of wonderful freebies. The sentiment was created with Euphoria font. Embellishments are simple pearls in each corner.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, Coffee Shop Blog Mabel & Thanksgiving digital papers
Digital stamp – Autumn Stroll Di's Digi Stamps
Color – Fantasia pencils
Dies – Die-namics rectangle stax, Artemio circles
Embellishments – pearls
Font – Euphoria

I'm linking up with: Di's Digi Challenge 5/10/18 – Include a Pumpkin, Little Red Wagon 17/10 – Digis, The Paper Shelter #358 – Digis, Crafty Creations #376 – ATG, and Creative Moments #154 – ATG.

Yippee! Autumn's here! Happy Halloween and Happy Fall card

Do you like fall or autumn better? Apparently, if you more often than not say fall you're likely to be an American, whereas if autumn is your preferred term, you're British. Growing up in the States I used fall, but now I find myself saying autumn. Although, I haven't abandoned fall altogether as this recent squirrel Happy Fall card shows. I guess it has something to do with where I live. There are more Brits around me than Yanks and autumn is closer to the French automne. Whatever you call it, it's a lovely time of year. My greeting inside makes this a multi-tasking card covering autumn, Halloween and even Thanksgiving (I don't do a lot of Thanksgiving cards).

The stamp is Di's Digi Stamps Windy Play. The leaf digital paper is a freebie from Just Peachy – Autumn Leaves.

The sentiment was created with Angel Face font. Enamel dots are simple embellishments.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, Just Peachy Autumn Leaves
Digital stamp – Windy Play Di's Digi Stamps
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics square stax
Embellishments – enamel dots
Font – Angel Face BTN

I'm linking up with: Fab 'n' Funky #411 – Autumn Colors, WWC #191 – All About Occasions, Words 2 Craft By #58 – October Eves, Color Throwdown #514 – color chart #CTD514, and Unicorn Challenge #37 – Autumn or Halloween.

It's pumpkin time! Happy Fall/Halloween card

This autumn/Halloween pumpkin themed card features My Besties Pumpkin Pie Giggle Box digital stamp and Leska's Digitals Pumpkin Fall digital paper pack.

This card is for my niece who loves everything pumpkin, as her last year's Pumpkin Lovers Unite card illustrates.

I created the sentiment with Euphoria Script font (so pretty!). Embellishments are a button slider and ribbon.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, Leska's Digitals Pumpkin Fall digital paper pack
Digital stamp – My Besties Pumpkin Pie Giggle Box
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics Rectangle Stax
Embellishments – button slider, ribbon
Font – Euphoria Script

I'm linking up with: My Besties International Challenge Blog Oct. – Halloween/ATG, Scrapbook Stamp Society Challenge Blog #150 – ATG opt. Embossing, My Besties Dutch Girl Designs – ATG opt. Flowers, Little Red Wagon #465 – Falling Leaves, House of Cards Challenge Oct. – Autumn Flowers and/or color scheme, My Besties Aussie's Challenge Blog #10 – Fall Colors/ATG and Creative with Stamps #31 – Halloween or Leaves.

Carte d'anniversaire masculine célébrant la victoire de la France en Coupe du Monde 2018

This card was for my husband's recent birthday. Let me begin by saying my husband is a huge foot (soccer) fan. So much so travel plans between June 15 and July 15 this summer were forbidden, all because he had to stay home and watch the World Cup in front of  HIS television. Now, unless you were hiding in a box somewhere, you probably saw that we actually won!!! Wow! The whole country went crazy with joy. You gotta understand...foot is really, really, really big in Europe – actually, that's probably true everywhere outside of North America – so winning the World Cup was a major victory celebrated nationwide. This card helps commemorate that win. Notice the two stars? That's not just for design; if your country wins a World Cup you get a star on the breast of your jersey. We had one before (France won in '98) and now we have two! Brazil, who has won the most, has five.

I used the super cute Di's Digi Stamps Kick Off Ted stamp (flipped to face right) before on this Father's Day card for my father-in-law (another foot fan, it runs in the family) round about the time of the 2016 Euro Cup. I loved how that one turned out, so I reused the image and the free Just Peachy digital papers, but changed up the base and added that all important second star. If you're card making for a foot fan it's worth checking out those free papers. There are some for England and the USA, as well as Spain, Germany, Mexico, and Brazil, among many others – just search her site for 'soccer' and all the countries available will be shown.

The base is made with Presscut's Scalloped Semi-circle die. The paper ribbon and rectangle sentiment are also from the freebie paper pack. The circular sentiment I crated with Candy Round BTN font. I dressed up my two die-cut stars with matt red enamel dots.

Supply List

Paper – cardstock, Just Peachy free digital papers

Digital stamp – Di's Digi Stamps Kick Off Ted

Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils

Dies – Die-namics Circle Stax, Presscut Scalloped Semi-circle Card die, Nellie's stars

Embellishments – enamel dots

Font – Candy Round BTN

I'm linking up with: Di's Digi Design Challenge 21/09 – For the Boys, Always Fun Challenges #77 – ATG, Crafting From the Heart #221 – ATG, Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenges #1838 – ATG, and Craft Rocket Challenge #52 – Boys/Men.

Happy Fall card featuring Found It digital stamp from Di's Digi Stamps

According to the calendar autumn officially starts this Sunday (even if our current summer weather says otherwise). So to start the Fall ball rolling...here's a Happy Fall card. This will be more than just fall, my inside sentiment will also mention Halloween and depending on whom I'm sending it to, may also include Thanksgiving. I prefer images for autumn in general, rather than the 'spooky' ones for Halloween. The featured digital stamp is Found It from Di's Digi Stamps (a bargain at just $1.00). Digital paper is defunct Tactile Studio.

Squirrels are such busy little things this time of year; they're fun to watch and their imagery is perfect for autumn. I say that, they're good for birthday cards, too. Like this Go Nuts birthday step card – one of my all time favorites.

Such a pretty image didn't need much embellishment (plus, I wanted to keep it flat and easy to mail), but a few CANDi dots in opposing corners dress it up a bit. I added the sentiment to the acorn with Smarty Pants BTN font.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, patterned paper
Digital stamp – Found It Di's Digi Stamps
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics rectangle stax
Embellishments – CANDi dots
Font – Smarty Pants BTN

I'm linking up with: Di's Digi Challenge – Happy Fall Y'all, Always Fun Challenge #76 – Fall Colors, Cards in Envy – Feels Like Fall, Crafty Cardmakers #218 – Autumn Colours, and Make My Monday #80 – Autumn/Fall Colours.