Final Day 31 Days of Halloween 2010

Hello everyone, well, it's been a very interesting week since I posted last...the little ones caught a very nasty virus that included fevers, rashes, extremely sore and scratchy throats, and just general muckiness. I also got very sick, and have been recovering over the past few days. After dealing with all of that, I thought we were in the clear, but now my middle daughter is starting to feel bad (which really stinks, the day before Halloween!!)

In all the chaos of being sick and taking care of everyday necessities plus work, I have had little time for any stamping projects. However, I do have something to share with you today that has to do with Halloween. Last night me and the kiddos enjoyed a Halloween Tea Party together. It was a fun way to celebrate without taking the kids out, and I'm especially glad now that we did it since we may not make trick or treating tonight. I thought I'd share some pics from our tea party setup. This is in my Halloween room, which is not as elaborate at it would have been had we not gotten sick. Oh well, it still looked fairly neat with all my projects that I was able to do.

The pictures were taken with the lights off; the illumination came from candles and the fire, so I'm kinda surprised they are as bright as you see, but that may also explain why they are slightly blurry. Just imagine the scene a little darker, similar to the first picture.

End table

Bookshelf #1 with my "pet" owl

My creepy doll makes her home on this couch by the window, along with our giant spider Madame Octa

Bookshelf #2 with all kinds of stamped goodness on the shelves

The mantle with my Halloween snowglobe collection, and my vintage witch marionette makes her home on the fireplace tools. You can see Melora's tea party dress peeking from the side.

Close up of snowglobes...BTW, if you ever come across an interesting (not cute) Halloween snowglobe please message me and tell me where you saw it!! I'm always on the lookout to add to my collection :)

Our buffet table complete with "potions" and food, of course.

My labels were one of the projects I didn't get to finish, so these were printed out. Boooo!!

Our treats included crackers and cheese, zuchinni muffins,brownies, blueberry coffee cake, and blackberries

The table spread

We all enjoyed dressing up in our most fashionable tea party garb. The kids (and friend) all had a great time eating and drinking monster tea. After the table festivities, we went outside and burried our apple by the front door to keep spirits from finding a permanent residence at our house, (the neighbors gave us some pretty funny looks from their window, but they are not very nice anyways) then we hunkered down for some story telling in front of the fire. A good time was had by all , and then we all went to sleep.

So I hope you've enjoyed the 31 Days of Halloween! I know that even though I wasn't to make it all the way through with projects every day, that the Wicked Blogs have provided a month-long plethora of fantastic projects and inspiration! Thank you, Wicked Blogs!!! And thank you to all of you who hopped through to look, left numerous comments, and just made it all worth while.

Pay special attention to Kelli and Alison's blogs today, as they are still giving info for sponsor prizes. Also, I will be tallying Wicked Blogs and Horrifying Hoppers for the grand prize drawing from Smeared Ink and will announce the winner by November 2. Thanks for making the month fantastic, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Day 23- 31 Days of Halloween: Hidden Image Fun

Hi everybody, it is about 1:00 in the morning here and I just got home from an emergency room trip that lasted almost six hours. Earlier today, or I guess yesterday now, my 3 yo son developed a full body rash (including in his mouth and throat) and was running a fever, so they told me to bring him in. Most of the time was spent waiting to see someone, and then waiting to be discharged, but we are exhausted! I also have to take him back in this morning at 8 to his regular pediatrician so they can check him again, because they really couldn't give me a straight answer on what it was. Poor little guy!!!

I'm so sorry, I won't have a project to show you today because, well, I just didn't have time to do one. But, today IS a hidden image day that is sponsored by Stamp Insanity. We are going to do it a little differently though. I have hidden one of the Devil Doll's witch hats somewhere on my blog in one of my past posts, and your job is to find it! You will follow three clues to get you where you need to go. When you find the witch hat, email me and let me know the name of the post where it is located. The winner will be chosen by random # and will get to choose one of the four Devil Dolls digis from Stamp Insanity!

Ready for your first clue?

*31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN 2010*

HIDDEN IMAGE FUN SCAVENGER HUNT

CLUE #1: YOU'LL FIND YOUR NEXT CLUE LOCATED IN A POST FROM THE SEVENTH MONTH OF THIS YEAR. BE SURE TO EMAIL ME WHEN YOU FIND THE IMAGE AND DON'T FORGET, GRUMPIE!

After you've had fun on the hunt, be sure to visit the Wicked Blogs for some fab inspiration! Also, the winner of the Vampire Rye image from Wednesday is (by random #)...

Alex! Congrats, Alex!!! I will let Alison know and she will be sending your image.

Everyone, have fun hopping and I will hopefully be back later or tomorrow with something to share.

Day 21- 31 Days of Halloween: Curious Raven

Welcome everyone to Day 21 of 31 Days! Only 10 days 'til Halloween, can you believe it? Today for my project I started a chipboard book. I've had this thing sitting around since, well, forever, and have never done anything to it, so I thought it would be nice to have a little mini something for Halloween. Not quite sure what is going to go in it, but I will just go with the flow when the time comes. For now, I've just designed the cover.








There is a whole lot going on here, but I'll just tell you that most of it is paint. My stamped image is from Smeared Ink's Quoth The Raven set. There is some cheesecloth added in for good measure, an acrylic window, some more of that cool black netting that I used on my Lonely Boy Torture Book, and some black hemp ties. I also added a couple of pearls, some eyelets, and will add in a red ruby crystal to the raven's eye as soon as I can get my hands on one.

I hope you enjoy! Have fun hopping today, and come back later for the hidden image winner.

Day 20- 31 Days of Halloween: Vintage Halloweenie Notebook

Hi everybody! Welcome to day 20, and I'm happy to report I actually have a project to show you! I am doing a bit better, although still sore, but I had my kids be my go-fers for supplies last night, so I was able to make a simple something for you to look at. It is an altered composition notebook.








You may be asking yourself where the stamped images are...well, each doll body piece is in fact a separate stamp, as well as the face. I distressed each piece a little and I added the black cat temporary tattoo. All the "stitches" were drawn on, and I made the hat out of a temporary tattoo also- it was a spiderweb that I cut up. The hat trim was leftover from my altered doll, and the cute bat buttons, as well as the other buttons, came to me in a prize RAK from Barb at HDH and Oz.

All of the background papers are from Graphic 45. The little side raffia looking ribbon is scrap that I took off of a covered floral wire. And, I think that's about it. I really like the vintage-y look to this, very simple and childlike. I'll definitely be using it to jot down some notes!

So, I also need to apologize to you all since yesterday was supposed to be a hidden prize day. But, to make it up, Vampire Rye from Wild Flower Kids is joining us today! Be sure to check out all the wicked blogs, and if you happen to spot him, email me. I will draw for the winner tomorrow.

Have fun today!

Day 19- Still down and out

Well, I am still in alot of pain and therefore did not make a project for today. Thank you all for the well wishes. I did actually get up to make something yesterday evening and was yelled at by my husband, lol, so I guess I will be playing catch-up later on. In the meantime, since there are so many of you who enjoyed the projects from yesterday, here are a few more from last years 31 Days and some various others that could be used for Halloween.

Hope you enjoy, and please visit the Wicked Blogs for some amazing new projects.

Day 18: 31 Days of Halloween: Recap

Hi everybody, I don't have a new project for you today...when we went out yesterday I hurt my back and was in extreme pain all evening long, so I layed my butt on the couch and did nothing. I'm sorry I have nothing new to show you, but I thought I'd share some of my fave projects from last year's 31 Days, just in case you weren't around and haven't seen them yet. Maybe they will still give you some inspiration.















Hope you can forgive me for not posting something new, but I really can barely move. Today is a little better, but I'll be spending most of the day laying on a heating pad I think. Hopefully by this evening I'll feel well enough to make something for tomorrow.

I do have some good news though, I have a winner for the hidden werewolf images. There were 7 total entries, and the winner is...
True Random Number Generator

Min: 1
Max: 7
Result:
3
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Alison! Woo Hoo! Congrats!! I will send your two images out now, Alison.

So, you all go ahead and enjoy the Wicked Blogs today, and I will try to get a project up as soon as I am able. Thanks for understanding!

DAY 17- 31 Days of Halloween: Deadly Sins ATC

Hello everyone, welcome back. My project today is an ATC card. I didn't get to finish the other project that I am working on, so I thought I'd make a quickie ATC to share with you while the other is in the works.




I started with a label off of one of my fave wines- it's called 7 Deadly Zins and the label is just, well, pretty cool looking. I used that as my background. I distressed it a bit, and then I stamped part of the frame from one of the As Death stamps (Smeared Ink) onto the left hand side.

My main image is also from As Death, and I colored slightly and added a jeweled eye to him. Then I attached, outlined, and distressed him slightly as well. I added shadows all around the ATC, and the final touch was adding the word "sins". I almost added more, like ribbon and a skull charm that I have, but it took away rather than added to the overall effect, so I left them off.

I hope you like him even though he's a quickie! I will probably be sharing another simple one with you tomorrow because we will be gone all day today...I am taking the kids to the Boo Zoo event at our local zoo, it's supposed to be a fun spooky event for the little ones. So, I won't have much time to create today.

Just a reminder, today is the last day for Smeared Ink's Halloween Hysteria Sale, so if you haven't snatched your fave in-stock stamp set for 25% off, you might wanna visit today! Also, don't forget to tune in later to find out the winner of the werewolf digis from yesterday. Have fun hopping through the Wicked Blogs!!!

Day 16- 31 Days of Halloween: Black Death Necklace

Ok, you will have to bear with me for this post... I am extremely exhausted right now so I may start rambling at any given moment. Plus I was not able to get any really good photos of my project because I didn't have someone else to hold the camera. So I hope you'll be able to see it well.

Before we go any further, I just want to let you know that there is a pack of werewolves that have been spotted running ramped through blog land, and they may have taken refuge on one of the wicked blogs. If you happen to see sign of them hiding anywhere, don't approach them, just please email me. Those of you who spot them will be put into a drawing for the Smeared Ink Hungry Wolf and Transforming Wolf digi images! I will announce the winner tomorrow afternoon.

Now on to my project for day 16. There is minimal, and I mean minimal, stamping technique on this. But, I thought it would be cool to show you how you can incorporate stamping in a neat way into your jewelry. I don't know if you've seen these things in the beading section at your local craft store, but I saw them today and completely broke my no-buying-anything rule for 31 Days. Sorry folks, I had to have them! But, in my defense, this necklace will be given as a Christmas present so technically even though it's a Halloween project, it came out of my Christmas budget and is not "for" 31 Days. Yes, I'm still trying to justify. Oh well, I digress...

The things I am talking about are these little latched/hinged frames. Not the ones that are for memory glass...no, these bad boys are cut from a different cloth! You'll see what I mean in the pics (I hope). But basically they are frames with glass in them that you can add your own picture to. The neat thing about them is the little latches that hold them shut, and the fact that some of them are hinged to open, like the round one that I used.

Anyways, I basically made a necklace from scratch. I really love the look of wonky, super big and bold jewelry, so although this necklace may not be to some of your liking, I would wear it in a heartbeat!

*click for larger views








Like I said, the pictures kinda suck, but you can see my little frame things. I was inspired by Alison and rather than filling the frames with full-blown colored images, I simply stamped on transparency, trimmed to size, and inserted the images. It gives a really cool clear effect that I love on the necklace! My large frame holds a skull from As Death and the small square frames hold spiderwebs from Lonely Boy and Puff (both from Smeared Ink).

So, I hope you like it, and even though the stamping is very easy, it still took me several hours to make with all the beading. Now I know why I don't make jewelry very often! Ha ha! Have fun hopping through the Wicked Blogs today. See you tomorrow!

Day 15-31 Days of Halloween: Creepy Raven Doll

We're halfway done with 31 Days! I really cannot believe that it has gone by this quickly. I am having so much fun! It seems almost like a whirlwind of stamping and inspiration, I almost want to halt time so I can take a sec to try some of the other projects that have been featured on the Wicked Blogs, but I guess there will come a time for that. For now I'd like to say thank you to both the Wicked Blog participants for hanging in there and really providing us with a wonderful hop; and also to all of you who come through each day as hoppers and lurkers! Thank you so much to those of you who have been leaving such fabulous comments and really encouraging all of us in our creativity!

I just have to share a quick little story with you...I was talking to my mom on the first day of 31 Days and she said to me 'I thought you weren't going to do that again'. My reply to her was that I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment! Ha ha! I'm sure all of us have thought to ourselves at least once so far 'what did I get myself into?' But, it's because of all of you who come through the blogs and encourage us that I think it makes it all worth while. I hope everyone continues to get inspiration and ideas from each other; I know all the Wicked Blogs have definitely blown me away! Thanks gals!

So, I think you remember me saying at the beginning of all this that I was going to try and make it through all month without buying new supplies. I'm happy to report, so far so good! Today my project is an altered item that I bought about three months ago from Goodwill. Like many of my "alterable" items, this one got tossed into a closet and forgotten. She is this poor little porcelain doll that I rescued, doesn't she just look so neglected?





After taking a good look at her, I decided that I needed to turn her into a Creepy Raven Doll, and what better stamp set to use than our Quoth The Raven set from Smeared Ink! I started by first removing her clothes and hair, and then went to town with my paints. When the many coats dried, I added details onto her face. For her dress, I distressed it, stamped the "Nevermore" saying across the bottom edge, beaded the waistline, and added orange and black tulle at the hem. I also distressed her bloomers which you can't see in the pics.

I then took a scrap piece of cloth and stamped my raven onto it. Then stitched the edges and stuffed it to make her raven pet. Finally I tied a string attaching her raven, and tied a bow in her hair.

*click pics to view larger











I really hope you like her, I think she looks amazing! There are a few things that I would like to do differently if I ever make another, like add a black sash, but since I was using only the supplies I had on hand, this is what I came up with. I'd love to hear what you think.

Oh, and yesterday just flew by and I didn't get the chance to come back in and announce the winner for the hidden image! So, I will do that now...
We had eight people find Ivy's broom on Alison's blog. I put them in order of the entry arrival, and the winner by random # is:
True Random Number Generator

Min: 1
Max: 8
Result:
6
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Helen! Congratulations Helen, Alison will be sending you your Witch Ivy digi from Wild Flower Kids, and I hope you enjoy her!

So now it's time to hop on through the Wicked Blogs. Thanks for visiting me today, and I hope you liked my creepy doll!

Day 14- 31 Days of Halloween: Potion Scroll

Welcome back! Before we get started with my Day 14 project, I have a special Smeared Ink announcement for you... we are having a SALE!



From today through October 17, Smeared Ink is hosting a Halloween Hysteria Sale! Stock up on your favorite in-stock Smeared Ink images at 25% off*. Includes all in stock rubber and digi sets.

Our shop will reflect the sale prices, and we will be updating available quantities for each rubber set. Once our inventory is gone, the set will no longer be available to purchase at the sale price.

*Please Note: Sale price not valid on preorder or out of stock stamp sets, cling mount, apparel or other gift items.

Now is the perfect time to stock up on all your favorite stamp sets from Smeared Ink! All of our newsletter subscribers got the info on the low-down yesterday, so be sure if you are planning on getting a set or two or three, that you read the qty amount 'cause once they are gone, they revert back to full price!

Okay, now that I've told you about the sale, here is my project, and I absolutely LOVE it! It is a potion scroll; kinda like a checklist for the resident witch. No, not me... the make-believe one that only comes out at Halloween. The one who uses creepy ingredients and silly elixirs and who never cleans the cobwebs off anything!

*click pics to view larger














Did you catch a glimpse of one of my decorated endtables in the background? That's a teaser for my Halloween Room, which I hope you end up liking especially after all this hype! Ha ha!

So, back to the scroll, I started with a long piece of paper and attached two sticks that I found in my yard with heavy-duty glue. One of the sticks I wrapped in some wired chording first. I stamped my witch's cupboard images from Third Coast Rubber Stamps using stazon, and then colored them using muted tones. Then I took my colorbox tool and using three different distress pads, inked up the whole paper front and back. In some spots I used a leaf as a mask, just to give some odd lines and depth. I also covered my images to make sure the scroll looks really old.

Then I did my lettering, which I'm none too impressed with, but at least it looks hand written like it's supposed to. That's what I get for trying to write neatly, I should have just used my regular penmanship. Anyways, the final step was to add a gold leafing to the edges, roll it up, and tie with some antique lace ribbon scrap.

So, I'd love to hear what you think about it! I know it uses alot of the same materials and techniques as all my other projects so far this month, but at least I can say I have a theme :) I hope you get to hop to all the other Wicked Blogs today, and be sure to check back a little later to find out who wins the hidden digi from yesterday!