Spellbound Halloween Party Video

Make It With Markers

I am loving the new Close to My Heart alcohol based markers.  I have ordered several colors and like that they have a low price point and that you get 2 shades with each pack for only $5.95. 

At Convention, we were given the Cotton Candy package of markers.  This is what I colored while there and without really thinking about it.  The 2 shades make it so easy to blend and shade and make your stamped images look like they have some depth. 

I ordered more colors, and was able to color the September Stamp of the Month.  This stamp set is perfect for coloring and turns out so cute! 

Thirty-One Party Invitation

I am hosting a Thirty-One party next weekend and made up some paper invitations to pass out to my friends.  These were made using the Artiste Cricut Cartridge.  It even cuts the little half-circle slits to hold the details inside and the flap up while closed.

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Dakota Paper Packet
Grey Flannel Cardstock (retired)
Colonial White Cardstock
My Acrylix Art Philosophy Stamp Set
My Acrylix Comments Stamp Set (retired)- used for the journaling lines
Barn Red Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Barn Red Dye-Based Marker (retired)
Slate Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Black Dye-Based Marker (retired)
Artiste Cricut Cartridge
Clear Sparkles

Half-Wall Room

There is one space in my house that is a little different.  It is right off the front door and has half-walls.  It is very strange and we weren't really sure what to do with it.  We thought about knocking down the wall next to the door to make a little mud room.  The weekend that we moved in, we put a baby gate across the opening and put the dogs in the room while we painted.  They could still see us and we could see them from most areas of the house.  With this, we decided to leave the walls and maybe it would be a giant play-pen or dog room someday.  I went ahead and added a few things to make it seem more homey.  

(Please excuse the orange carpet. Yes, it is from the 70s or early 80s and came with the house.  We will be replacing it as soon as we can with hardwood floor.)

 

You have seen these pictures on a few of my posts or will see them during the correct holiday.

The vases, grass, and flower came from Crafts 2000.  I bought an assortment of flowers in different colors to last the entire year.  They also have lights in the vases that I can turn on in the evening.

The shelf we found hanging in a random spot in the basement.  I cleaned it up and brought it upstairs.  It is big and works for this space great.

The bench is my old toy box from when I was little.

The frame I found in a box in the house.  It was a really tacky gold so I spray painted it a metallic black hammered finish.  I hung it with ribbon wrapped around the frame and the vinyl is stuck on the wall.  The frame just hangs around it.  The black vinyl I cut on my Cricut using an assortment of cartridges.

The roman shade was on clearance at Lowes.  Luckily, it fit the window!  It is a brown striped satin like fabric.
 
I got the idea for the curtain rod on Pinterest

  (Pinterest Idea)

Studio J Love Your Layout Video

Stepping Up Your Stamping

Bird House Welcome Sign

I made this frame to match the bird house themed quilt and pillows I posted last week.  I used a piece of my favorite fabric from the collection.  The papers are an assortment of Close to My Heart paper packs which was kind of fun to see how they all worked together so well.  I cut the banner using the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge at 1 1/4".  It even cut the holes out which made it super easy to thread the baker's twine through. 

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Dakota Level 2 Paper Packet (wood-grain background paper)
Clementine Level 2 Paper Packet (Sorbet zip-strip down the left side)
Victory Level 2 Paper Packet (Chocolate- bird house base)
Footloose Level 2 Paper Packet (Creme Brulee- Banner & Bird House Accents)
Stella Level 2 Paper Packet (Tulip- Bird House Accents)
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge
Baker's Twine- Harvest Assortment
Chocolate Pigment Ink Pad

Other Products Used:
Cindy Loo Cricut Cartridge
Fabric from Heidi Swapp for JoAnn Fabrics Collection
Creative Memories 8x8 Everyday Display

Florentine Journals

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Florentine Paper Packet
My Acrylix Chocolate Alphabet- Small Stamp Set
Garden Green Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge
Color Ready Garden Wooden Shapes
Opaques- Mocha
Create a Shade Pearl Paint

Other Products:
Staples Mini Notebooks

Fall Card

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Colonial White Cards & Envelopes
Flirty Level 2 Paper Packet
Kraft Cardstock
My Acrylix Fall Favorites Stamp Set- September Stamp of the Month
My Acrylix Cricut Artiste Collection Stamp Set
Cocoa Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Autumn Terracotta Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Bakers Twine- Neutral Assortment

Happy Fall Clementine Card

Recipe:
Mojo Monday 257

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Clementine Level 2 Paper Packet
Colonial White Cardstock
My Acrylix Fall Favorites- September Stamp of the Month
My Acrylix Perfect Fit Frames Stamp Set
My Acrylix TLC Stamp Set (retired)- used for the word "happy"
Saddle Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Black Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Outdoor Denim Exclusive Inks Alcohol Markers
Autumn Terracotta Exclusive Inks Alcohol Markers
Creme Brûlée Exclusive Inks Alcohol Markers
Olive Exclusive Inks Alcohol Markers
Sweet Leaf Exclusive Inks Alcohol Markers
Ruby Exclusive Inks Alcohol Markers
Desert Sand Exclusive Inks Dye Marker (retired)
Chocolate Exclusive Inks Dye Marker (retired)
Corner Rounder
Piercing Tool Kit
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge

Other Products Used:
Brown thread stitched with sewing machine

Mother's Day Layout

Close to My Heart Products Used:
Pemberley Workshop on the Go:

• Pemberley Paper Packet
• Bouquet Assortment
• My Acrylix Pemberley Workshop on the Go Stamp Set

Recipe- Magic: 
Outdoor Denim Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
Sunflower Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad (retired- substitute with Honey)
Indian Corn Blue Exclusive Inks Marker (retired)
Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge
Flip-Flaps- Small Assortment

Birdhouse Quilt, Pillows, & Placemats

I finally finished my next quilt, pillows, and decorations for late summer and was able to take down the 4th of July quilt and pillows.  When I saw this fabric collection at JoAnn's, I fell in love with it and had to purchase.  It was a little pricier than what I usually pay and it wasn't on sale, but I had to have it.  We were also at a JoAnn's Etc. away from home and I knew if I didn't get it then that the local store probably did not carry it.  This is a Heidi Grace fabric collection and my favorite was the "Birdhouse Words" saying family, home, love, dream, laughter, etc.  This quilt turned out small, but it fits perfectly in the space I have for it to hang.  I may make a larger quilt as a throw for the couch.   

 

Quilt

Pattern- Simple Quilts and Sewing- Spring 2012 (cover pattern) 

I halved all the measurements to make the quilt smaller

Fabric- Heidi Grace for JoAnns

• Birdhouse Words
• Birdhouse Poppies
• Ticklebug Small Floral & Dot Orange
• Birdhouse Stripe
• Birdhouse Argyle

Binding- Double Fold Bias Tape in Seal Brown

Pillow Collection
I have a set of pillow-forms and just make removable covers for them.  They either overlap, fold over, button, or use velcro.  This makes them super easy to switch out and keeps my cost lower and storage space smaller.

Heidi Grace for JoAnns (Birdhouse Poppies) Fabric
Connecting Threads- Charlottesville Charms Fabric
Close to My Heart Cranberry Grosgrain Ribbon
Close to My Heart Brown Flower Buttons

Heidi Grace for JoAnns (Birdhouse Words) Fabric
Close to My Heart Designer Ribbon- Pink Collection

 

This pillow is my favorite.  I really like how the bird turned out!

Heidi Grace for JoAnns- Birdhouse Argyle Fabric

Heidi Grace for JoAnns- Birdhouse Words Fabric

Heidi Grace for JoAnns- Ticklebug Small Floral and Dot Orange Fabric

Close to My Heart Brown Flower Button

Straight from the Nest Cricut Cartridge

Heidi Grace for JoAnns- Birdhouse Stripe Fabric

 

Placemats

I used left overs from the quilt to make placemats. 

Heidi Grace for JoAnns- Birdhouse Argyle Fabric

Heidi Grace for JoAnns- Ticklebug Floral and Dot Orange Fabric

Heidi Grace for JoAnns- Birdhouse Stripe Fabric

Double Fold Bias Tape in Seal Brown

 

While I was taking photos of the quilt and the pillows, Peggy came over and sat down looking up at me like "are you going to take my picture now?"  It was so cute; she is a little camera ham.

Moonlight

The Moonlight collection is catered to Halloween, yet offers such great basic prints that it can be used for practically anything!  I have seen this paper pack used for weddings and even Christmas.  You will want to get your hands on this one!

Pair it with the September Stamp of the Month- Fall Favorites to make some cute fall artwork!

It can be found on pages 54-59 of your Autumn/Winter Idea Book.

September Stamp of the Month

September Stamp of the Month: Fall Favorites
Available September 1-30, 2012
Retail Price $17.95
Spend $50+ and get the Stamp of the Month for $5.00