All stamps are from Character Constructions' Bird and Bee Paperie Collection.
Laura
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Beckoning Fall with Character Constructions
I'm so weary of this blazing summer heat, relentless Southern California sun, and overly humid days. I can't wait for fall! To get a jump on my Halloween crafts, I made these little gift bags. Two bags for a dollar at Target, some Character Constructions stamps, and a friend made a hot summer day whisper "Fall, come soon. We are waiting for you!"
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Vintage Halloween Decorations and Creations
My FAVORITE season is finally arriving, and I have pulled down all the boxes of folk art pretties:
Did you know you can paint a leather boot with regular acrylic paint? That was an experiment that worked well! A black and white gingham ribbon completed my witch's boot. I made the "Boo" blocks several years ago, and they are still some of my favorite decorations. I have pictures of my great aunt and uncle on them. I suppose it's a Scots-Irish version of Dia de los Muertos! lol!
All the decorating and creating and photographing have kept me pretty busy these past few weeks. Stay tuned for an anthropologie-inspired decoration coming soon!
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| From Bethany Lowe's company - Nicole Sayer |
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| A vintage thrift-shop frame with a vintage reprint. |
Some things I have made:
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| A closeup of my banner |
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| Love this decoration designed by my friend Heidi |
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| A carton I m ade for Halloween treats |
This is my favorite time of year to decorate:
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| The sideboard in our entry |
A fun way to celebrate and remember my child's Halloween celebrations through the years. (Gonna find some more pictures!)
My inexpensive way to decorate--put a Dollar Tree creepy portrait in a thrift shop frame:
The Tom and Jerry set below were actually made for a Christmas drink, but I think this orange lusterware version is perfect for Halloween!
Laura
Linking up this week with these great blog parties:
Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Tweak it Tuesdays at Cozy Little House
Wow Us Wednesdays
Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Creek Cottage
Creative Things Thursday @ The Vintage Farmhouse
Blog Stalking Thursday @ The Crafty Blog Stalker
Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Creek Cottage
Creative Things Thursday @ The Vintage Farmhouse
Blog Stalking Thursday @ The Crafty Blog Stalker
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Inspired Sunday Blog Party and Halloween Afterglow
How many of you are like me in that the best time of a holiday seems to be after it is over? The decorations are still up, fond memories have been made, there is leftover food or candy, and you can finally relax and just appreciate it all. That's how I felt on November 1st, and 2nd, and even today. I am enjoying the few decorations that I managed to get up and the tag I made for Tag Tuesday this week:
I am relishing the way my colleagues at work put together their best creative efforts and turned our suite into a Wild West town after work hours the night before Halloween.
Our food table:
I am smiling deeply at how our art director friend and his wife transformed the whole front of their house and yard into a Western town (love that the Wild West happened to be everyone's theme this year).
I went as a bawdy lady of the evening. I was really tired by Halloween evening, and decided just to look as er, um, "authentic" as I could, so ... hmm... gotta have a little bit of fun, huh?
So rather than cleaning up really quickly and moving on to the next holiday, I like to reflect, and smile and enjoy the creativity, friendship, and fun that was shared this week. I am lingering in Halloween afterglow. Are you?
Our candy bar:
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| A very clever cookie with a melted witch and her broom. |
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| We thought my pumpkin "carving" might win the pumpkin carving contest, dea, but alas, it did not. |
I am smiling deeply at how our art director friend and his wife transformed the whole front of their house and yard into a Western town (love that the Wild West happened to be everyone's theme this year).
I went as a bawdy lady of the evening. I was really tired by Halloween evening, and decided just to look as er, um, "authentic" as I could, so ... hmm... gotta have a little bit of fun, huh?
So rather than cleaning up really quickly and moving on to the next holiday, I like to reflect, and smile and enjoy the creativity, friendship, and fun that was shared this week. I am lingering in Halloween afterglow. Are you?
We had some wonderful posts at the last blog party, I hope you found much to enjoy. Susan at Eclectic Shorebird seemed to be lingering in the last bit of beauty that summer had to offer. Julie, at Creating this Life, also seemed to be lingering a bit too, gathering bits of green branches and other "yard clippings" to bring indoors for lovely arrangements. And because I'm still lingering in the Halloween afterglow, I browsed through Jann's post at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olsen and enjoyed so much her clever witch's tea. The fantasy and decorations are so much fun! Being a paper crafter, her Witch's Travel Guide had special appeal for me:
I hope that you will link up your inspired posts this weekend. Please link back to my blog from your blog. I can't wait to see what you're up to!
I hope that you will link up your inspired posts this weekend. Please link back to my blog from your blog. I can't wait to see what you're up to!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Vintage Halloween Cards
I love to make Halloween cards. I send a few to fellow artists who love the season as much as I do. The rest get displayed through my house, like in this vignette with an antique typewriter:
The card below is a shaker card made with stamps from Oxford Impressions, Austen Gallery:
When you tilt the card, glitter fills the window:
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Halloween Card Pinspiration and Inspired Sunday Blog Party
(My planned post of my Halloween decor is not quite finished, so it will be coming next week.)
Do you LOVE Pinterest? I REALLY, REALLY do! When Pinterest surveyed me about adding preferred, ad-type posts, my response was "please, no!" I really hated the Christmas pins from "celebrities" last year! Yick! I even told them I'd be willing to pay a small monthly subscription fee to keep my service the way it is! Pinterest feels like my very own file system for my work and the inspiring work of other, that we all can share. Sometimes I just take a color, or an idea and work from there. And sometimes, when I'm having a non-creative day, a too-________-kind-of-day (fill in the blank), and I want to create, I head into my Pinterest boards and find something I've Pinned in admiration and make that. This Halloween card was just that kind of project.
I had the spider web embossing folder from Stampin' Up and the washi from Michaels. The Pinterest card had a different stamp, but I came up with one that worked equally well. I also added the die cut glitter bats and spiders.
These were super simple and quick to make. I decided to make four to send to my dear mother- and father-in-law who have just moved from their well-loved home and community in Florida to a care home near my sister-in-law in Jackson, MS. I thought they would like to share with new friends they will meet and spread some Halloween cheer. I am also making some candy treats in pretty packages for them to give out. They are always thinking of others, so I hope this will help ease a tiny part of their difficult transition.
What did you share this week?
Debbie from Debbie Dabble put on the most AMAZING decorative spread for a very lucky group of ladies at her church's luncheon. (And I appreciated that she shared that even she--Ms. energy personified--gets stressed out!) She spared no creative idea and made the most festive Halloween table setting, complete with goodies to take home. I'm sure you'll be inspired by everything she did, I certainly am!
Rhonda at Obsessive and Creative made these fantastic signs and gives a great tutorial--pinning this, anyone? These look FANTASTIC and are SO doable:
Newcomer Julie, from Creating This Life, finds so much fall to buy at the grocery store! I, too, love these little pumpkins and found her idea to put them in an outdoor lamp to be a very clever one! Do you love those little pumpkins? Her blog is beautiful, and I'm sure you'll want to see more!
Newcomer Nancy from A Joyful Cottage wrote a great post on a topic close to my heart: "to paint or not to paint." As a person who grew up with fine antiques, I am often conflicted about this whole Annie Sloan chalk paint craze. I like it, don't get me wrong, but there is a time for all things. Nancy's post shows two pieces, one she painted, and one she decided against painting. For the unpainted piece, she gives an excellent tutorial on how to restore the finish the way antiques dealers have told me all my life! Great info, and the piece is beautiful:
Thanks so much, everyone, for the interesting posts you linked up to this week's party. I quickly visited each one, but didn't leave comments for all. I will do so today, as your posts were all lovely.
If you've been featured, please display my badge on your blog.
Now lets show our best Halloween or fall-themed inspiration! If you link up, you must link back to my blog to be featured. Also, please become a follower. Let me know through a comment, and I will follow you back! Have a beautiful Sunday!
Laura
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Halloween Crafting
I've really wanted to make a load of Halloween crafts, but sometimes life just gets too busy. I did find a few things that I never posted to show you. I hope to get my house decorated completely for Halloween this weekend and show you on my Inspired Sunday post.
The cat card was made with the Halloween Party stamps from Oxford Impressions. This is a real quick and easy card to copy and it fits into a business-sized envelope. The pumpkin head doll on the right is one of my favorite creations. Doesn't she look so delighted with her spider! The doll body was made using stamps from Mad Rat Rubber, and the pumpkin head is from Artistic Outpost. Her skirt is fan-folded music edged in gold metalic ink. She required lots of "fussy" cutting, but then I love that!
The cat card was made with the Halloween Party stamps from Oxford Impressions. This is a real quick and easy card to copy and it fits into a business-sized envelope. The pumpkin head doll on the right is one of my favorite creations. Doesn't she look so delighted with her spider! The doll body was made using stamps from Mad Rat Rubber, and the pumpkin head is from Artistic Outpost. Her skirt is fan-folded music edged in gold metalic ink. She required lots of "fussy" cutting, but then I love that!
This final card was an experiment to use non-Halloween stamps to make a Halloween card. I love the black damask stamp (Oxford Impressions Marie Antoinette collection) on orange! The "boo" stamp is from the Oxford Impression Trick or Treat collection. Do you think it looks Halloween-ish?
I would love to see what you are making for Halloween. Please join my Inspired Sunday blog party and let us see what creations you've come up with!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Halloween Travertine Coasters
Halloween is oddly enough my favorite holiday. Perhaps one reason is that it seems to be the one holiday that requires so little and gives so much in return. There is so little pressure to meet expectations, and that lets me be free to enjoy and do what I feel like making or doing (or not)! I love the dark evening, the cool air, all the Halloween folk art and colors, the neighborhood sounds of laughter and music, and the 80 or so little guests all dressed up for festivity who come only expecting a piece of candy! What's not to love?
So to kick off my Halloween crafting, I made these coasters with new Danse Macabre rubber stamp sheet from Oxford Impressions at the Austen Gallery. These stamps come as an unmounted rubber sheet that you mount yourself (tutorial here). The macabre images work well on travertine, which looks like crumbly old cemetery stone. All in all, this style is a little creepy for me, but I think perfect for those with edgier tastes.
So what do you think? Are they your style or do you know someone who would like them?
Laura
So to kick off my Halloween crafting, I made these coasters with new Danse Macabre rubber stamp sheet from Oxford Impressions at the Austen Gallery. These stamps come as an unmounted rubber sheet that you mount yourself (tutorial here). The macabre images work well on travertine, which looks like crumbly old cemetery stone. All in all, this style is a little creepy for me, but I think perfect for those with edgier tastes.
So what do you think? Are they your style or do you know someone who would like them?
Laura
I'm linking up with these parties:
Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Inspire Me Tuesdays at a Stroll Through Life
Monday, October 29, 2012
A Cute Little Treat
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