Tangled Jude

I made this card for the 3rd Day of Christmas challenge! The challenge is to incorporate a creepy Christmas tree with any Simply Betty Stamps image; I used Tangled Jude. He’s been paired up with Christmas Mice from Elizabeth O Dulemba and even though it’s on the cutsie side… thinking about rodents on my Christmas tree would be very creepy! (Especially if they were singing! Ha!)


Challenge: Totally Gorjuss – Challenge #58 (use a tree)
Challenge: Simply Betty Stamps – 12 Days of Christmas
Main Stamp: Jude and his Shenanigan Crew Tangled Jude (SBS) and Christmas Mice (EOD)
Patterned Paper: The Christmas Combo (DCWV)
Metal Die: My Favorite Things Die-namics Notebook Edge
Copic Colors:
E00, E11, E55, E57, E59, T0, C1, C3, C5, YR21, YR23, YR24, R35, R37, R39, B91, B93, B97, B95, YG93, YG95, YG97, YG99, E04

Did you know? The origin of the Christmas Tree is obscured by uncertainties of oral history from pre-literate European cultures. However, according to Christian lore, the Christmas tree is associated with St Boniface and the German town of Geismar. Sometime in St Boniface’s lifetime (c. 672-754) he cut down the tree of Thor in order to disprove the legitimacy of the Norse gods to the local German tribe. St. Boniface saw a fir tree growing in the roots of the old oak. Taking this as a sign of the Christian faith, he said “…let Christ be at the center of your households…” using the fir tree as a symbol of Christianity.

On the 3rd Day of Christmas my Ghoul Love gave to me… festive little mice.

Tristan

I made this card using Tristan from Simply Betty Stamps for the 2nd Day of Christmas Challenge. The challenge is to create a card or project inspirational by Grinch. If Grinch can still Christmas from his neighbors… then I thought Tristan could still it too. Besides, the neighbor’s yard is just too festive for November!


Here’s the details of the Christmas Elves House by Make it Crafty before it was covered. Just ignore the red splotch in the corner… it started out as a drip that I tried to disguise and finally cover it. And for the Thomas Kinkade fans… every light has been turned on!


Challenge: Simply Betty Stamps – 12 Days of Christmas
Main Stamp: Punky Teens Christmas Tristan (SBS) and Christmas Elves House (MiC)
Patterned Paper: The Christmas Mix (DCWV)
Metal Die: My Favorite Things Die-namics Notebook Edge
Copic Colors:
E00, E11, E31, E35, E39, E57, E59, W1, W3, W5, W6, W8, B91, B93, B95, R222, R24, R28, R89, G12, G14, YG93, YG95, YG99, Y32, Y35, Y38, T0, T2, B000, B0000, 0

Did you know? The Grinch is a fictional character created by Dr. Seuss and first appeared in the 1957 children’s book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The devious, anti-holiday spirit of the character has led to the name “Grinch” becoming a term used to describe a person opposed to Christmastime celebrations or to someone with a coarse, greedy attitude.
[Grinch, Wikipedia.org]

On the 2nd Day of Christmas my Ghoul Love gave to me… Tristan stealing trees.

Monster Dude

I made this card using Punky Teens Halloween Monster Dude for the 12 Days of Christmas challenge at Simply Betty Stamps. The challenge is to create a card or project using one of their Halloween images and this one wanted to be the Abominable Snowman for the holidays! I loved participating in the 12 Days of Halloween and I can’t wait to see the twists Simply Betty Stamps challenges us to this month. ;D


Challenge: Simply Betty Stamps – 12 Days of Christmas
Main Stamp: Monster Dude (SBS)
Patterned Paper: In Winter Wonderland (Martha Stewart)
Metal Die: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Eleven
Copic Colors:
-joe: E00, E11, E04, E44, E47
-clothes: B000, B52, T0, T2, T4
-other: C1, C3, C5

Did you know? The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal and Tibet.Stories of the Yeti first emerged as a facet of Western popular culture in the 19th century. The scientific community generally regards the Yeti as a legend, given the lack of conclusive evidence, yet it remains one of the most famous creatures of cryptozoology.
[Yeti, Wikipedia.org]

On the 1st Day of Christmas my Ghoul Love gave to me…. a Yeti from Simply Betty!

Betty

Here’s another Halloween project that I converted into a card. This one was originally a bottle Gift Tag that I had and I placed it on a simple background sketch. Aside from seeing another idea, the bonus of these quick projects is getting another “Did you know” tidbit. 😀


Main Stamp: Betty (SBS)
Patterned Paper: Toil & Trouble (The Girls’ Paperie), Blackbird (MME) and unknown
Metal Die: Whiff of Joy Whimsical Tag
Copic Colors:
-skin/eyes: E00, E11, R20, G24, G28
-hair: W2, W4, W6, W8
-clothes: R22, R24, R29, W2, W4, W6, W8, YR12, YR16, YR18, E42, YR21, YR23

Did you know? In weaving, weft or woof is the yarn which is drawn through the warp yarns to create cloth; sometimes referred to as the “fill”. The words woof and weft derive ultimately from the Old English word wefan, to weave. The expression “warp and woof” is sometimes used metaphorically as one might similarly use “fabric”; e.g., “the warp and woof of a student’s life” means “the fabric of a student’s life.” The expression is used as a metaphor for the underlying structure on which something is built.
[Weft, Wikipedia.org]

Cauldron Box

I made this black cauldron box for the 12th Day of Halloween Challenge at Simply Betty Stamps. Of course, it’s not just a box… it’s an explosion box! After making my first explosion box on Saturday I decided to make a bigger one that included all six Emo Halloweenies. This is the last and final challenge in the series and I went for a grand finale.


While searching for ideas, I came across a beautiful beehive explosion box created by Shoshi. She has some wonderful step-by-step photos if you’re interested in making one. I used her box as my starting point inspiration and this is what I ended up with… Ka-boom!


There is so much detail to go over so I divided up the pictures into groups. This first set shows the inner box walls that surround the pumpkin patch. Each gravestone flourish and dates were drawn by hand and I used a border stamps to fill in the bottom. Metal tags or circle punches were used to get the shapes.


The center of the box is a pumpkin patch with London Pumpkin and an alteration of Betty Witch. For Betty Witch, I wiped away one arm and the entire lower portion of the stamp then drew in a newer version flying a broomstick. I wanted to make the box in stages so it was easier to work on and the center part was glued in very last.


The outer box walls have the rest of the Emo Halloweenies. Lola Mummy’s color scheme was based off a monster we have in our front window. Millerstein has one brown eye and one blue eye – always a fun combination! For Christian Vamp I covered his face and hands in sparkling diamonds glitter which never show up in the photos. Lastly, I gave Rio Devil a glowing blue staff with three diamonds in the center.


Also around the outer box, each corner was decorated with more Halloween surprises. The first one is a Witches’ Hut I grabbed from Dulemba’s Coloring Page Tuesdays. She always has something fun to color and they work well for stamps. I’m sure you recognize the ghosts! That’s Casper and with two of the not-so-friendly ghosts. The third panel features the scarecrow which is only a portion of Haunted Halloween House from Make it Crafty. I cut out some of the crows from the paper I was using and placed one of them on the scarecrow. Lastly, I made another spider web and added three Lego spiders!


Here’s another view of the box open and a better view of the spider web. Each ring is held on by a looped string that is glued between the wall layers. This made it easier to thread the web and it also tucks in the box nicely.


Looking at the open box from the top shows most of the details. I attached Betty Witch in the center so that she actually pops up when the box opens. The rest of the tabs gently fall down provided the spiders don’t get tangled.


Closing the box takes a little more effort than the last box, but using the rubber bands makes it easier. I first close the inner box then I can focus on the outer box. Just before adding the lid, I remove the rubber band from the inner box; and once the lid is on, I can remove the second rubber band.


Challenge: Simply Betty Stamps – 12 Days of Halloween
Main Stamp: Emo Halloweenies… Lola Mummy, Millerstein, Christian Vamp, Rio Devil, London Pumpkin (digi) and [altered images of] Betty Witch (SBS), Witchy Hut (EOD), Borders 2 (Kelly Panacci Sandylion Designs), Casper & Ghosts (123Coloring) and [portions of] Haunted Halloween House (MiC)
Patterned Paper: Blackbird (MME)
Metal Die: Whiff of Joy Magical Tag, My Favorite Things Die-namics Cloud Trio, Spellbinders Nestabilities Circles, and Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Two
Copic Colors:
-mummy: V91, V95, V99, YG91, YG95, YG99, E40, E42, B91, B93, B95, B97
-witchy hut: G21, G24, G28, W2, W4, V12, V15, V17, YR12, YR16, YR18, Y32, Y35, E50, E51, E53, YG93, YG95, YG99, E43, E44, E47, E49
-frankenstein: YG91, YG95, YG99, W00, W2, W4, W6, W8, B91, B93, B95, B97, E55, E57, E59
-ghosts: C00, C1, C3
-vampire: W00, W1, W2, W3, W5, W6, W7, W8, V91, V95, V99, R24, R29, R59
-gravestones: W2, W4, W5, , YG91, YG95, E44, E47, E49
-scarecrow: YR12, YR16, YR18, Y32, Y35, R20, R24, R29, R59, C1, C3, W1, E43, E44, E47, E49
-devil: E00, E11, R20, R24, YR20, YR21, YR23, W3, W5, W7, B91, B93, B95, B97, R22, R29, R59, BV20
-witch: E00, E11, R20, R24, B21, B23, B26, V12, V15, V17, W2, W4, W6, Y32, Y35, Y38, YG91, YG95, E50, E51, E55, E57, E59
-pumpkin girl: YR12, YR14, YR18, W2, W4, W6, W8, YR20, YR21, YG93, YG95, YG99, E43, E44, E47, E49
-sign: E55, E57, E59

Other Challenges: There is a lot of time into this project and the bonus part is that it fits into many other challenges so I’m going to pile it on. Some have prizes and some don’t but the main point was to share my creation. Hope you enjoyed it. ;D

Copic Creations Challenge #38 – Make a Scene
Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge – Halloween
Anything Goes Challenge Week #22 – Halloween
Little Red Wagon Challenge #52 – Halloween
Incy Wincy Designs Challenge #66 – Anything Goes
One Stop Craft Challenge #104 – Anything Goes
Wee Memories Challenge #29 – Anything Goes
Digi Doodle Shop’s Best Challenge #31 – Anything Goes
Cards for Men Challenge #22 – Anything Goes (As long as it’s male)
Simon Says Challenges – Punch ‘Em
Four Crafty Chicks Challenge #9 – Punches or Dies
Meljen’s Designs Challenge #31 – Use Two Images
Penny’s Paper Crafty Challenge #41 – Black, Purple & Orange
AiFactory Challenge #54 – Halloween
Copic Oz Challenge #4 – Feathering Technique
There She Goes Challenge #79 – Something Gifty
The ABC Challenge ‘G’ is for – Glitter
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #136 – Transparent Element
Dutch Dare Card Challenge #89 – Purple, Black, Orange & Green
PaperPlay Challenges Week #43 – A Haunting We Will Go
Secret Crafter Challenge #107 – Anything That Flys

Did you know? An explosion is defined as a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases. An explosion creates a shock wave. If the shock wave is a supersonic detonation, then the source of the blast is called a “high explosive”.
[Explosion, Wikipedia.org]
“On the 12th day of Halloween my Ghoul love gave to me… 12 Witches Cackling!”
Update: I won the whole shebang at Simply Betty Stamps for the 12th Day of Halloween Challenge!

I was featured at Little Red Wagon for this project!

I made the Top 5 at Meljen’s Designs for this project!

I was the selected winner at Wee Memories Challenge for this project!

Betty Witch

I made this coffin for the 11th Day of Halloween Challenge over at Simply Betty Stamps! The challenge is to create a card or project using bats and with it getting down to the last two days, I thought something a little more complicated would be in order. This was my very first attempt at making an explosion box, and of course, bats and Count Dracula go hand in hand so I started with a custom coffin shape.


I bow down to anyone who has ever made an explosion box and grovel at their feet! Man, this was so much harder than I thought it would be. One thing I learned about this project is the lid is NOT the same size as the box… so next time I need to make the lid slightly bigger. Here’s the side view of the coffin with custom made handles to “help” open it.


Ta-da! Here’s the box fully exploded in all it’s glory! The saying reads…. “Expecting someone else? Mua ha haa!” Finding the devil in a coffin would be so much more scary, I think, so I used Betty Witch in this project. ;D I gave the bats jeweled eyes and even made eleven of them for the project.


After fumbling with closing the box several times I realized I could use a rubber band to hold it together while I tucked in all the bats. It made it so much easier! You can also see the bottom half of the lid in this pictures with the green paper lining.


One more detail I added was I tried to give the inside an upholsterer lining feel by using striped decorative paper and creating a puckered look with the jeweled “buttons.” The other challenge entered was to use candy wrappers… and I did! The orange/brown fire-ie lava floor in the coffin is made from Hershey’s Chocolate Caramel Kisses wrappers. Yum. ;D

Challenge: Simply Betty Stamps – 12 Days of Halloween
Challenge: Fairy Fun Friday – Challenge # 38
Main Stamp:
Betty Witch (SBS)
Patterned Paper: Blackbird (MME)
Copic Colors:
-skin/eyes: E00, E11, R24, G21, G24, G28
-hair: W4, W6, W8
-clothes: W4, W6, W8, Y32, Y35, Y38, YR16, YR18, R22, R24, R29, R59
-other: Y32, Y35, Y38, YR16, YR18, R29, R59, G21, G24, G28

Did you know? Solution mining is a mining process used to recover minerals such as copper and uranium through boreholes drilled into a deposit. Leaching solution is pumped into the deposit where it makes contact with the ore then the solution bearing the dissolved ore content is then pumped to the surface and processed. This process allows the extraction of metals and salts from an ore body without the need for conventional mining involving drill-and-blast, open-cut or underground mining.
[In-situ Leach, Wikipedia.org]
“On the 11th day of Halloween my Ghoul love gave to me… 11 Bats a Flying!”
Update: I won the top two at Simply Betty Stamps for this challenge!