Happy Fiftieth!

My cousin is turning 50 soon, and a surprise party has been planned for Friday. (Shhhh!) Luckily, she doesn't read my blog, even though she's definitely missing out!

We're supposed to bring her joke gifts, but how many "you're getting older" gifts does anyone really want? In my opinion, "zero" is the correct answer. Instead of getting her something that she has absolutely no desire or need for, I whipped her up a quick Happy Birthday tin, using an image of my favorite fun time gal, Millicent.

She looks like she's having a blast, doesn't she? You can't stop her!

Here's the back, with a nice reminder of a simple truth:

Now doesn't that beat receiving a nicely wrapped box of Depends? I think so.

Ahoy! Long Giraffe Silver Sailing the High Seas

I just completed my first custom order on Etsy! Someone who liked my pirate elephant wanted a scurvy giraffe. I really had fun making this one. Like his elephant friend, he has an eye patch and a peg leg. His little paper hat is so tiny, that for good measure, I gave him a golden earring.

He takes his pirating job seriously!

I really tried to get a good closeup of his face, but it's too dark here and my camera is not cooperating today.  Arrrrrrrr!

Sacred Heart Shrine

I love these masonite sacred heart shrine kits that Alpha Stamps is now carrying. There are so many ways they can be decorated! Here's what I did with mine: I made a little hanging shrine to creativity. First, I painted all the layers of the masonite. I outlined the fire and the rays with a gold paint pen, and sprayed them with Glimmer Mist to give it some sparkle. I painted some dots on the blue layer, and added metal studs. The smallest heart was stamped with some text. I used StazOn ink for a deep black image, and lightly inked the edges with an older ink pad.

I put a silver hand charm and the word "create" into the niche; perfect for a craft room!

Invasion of the Cats

I sold a couple of cheesy grinning cats last week on Etsy, and my little shop was looking devoid of Halloween. So yesterday and today I have been in major cat production mode. I've got a few new cats to add to my little cheesy cat family, and here they are:

More:

 

I love Halloween!

Trick or Treat!

I have a couple more paper maché elephants left from Michaels, so I decided to dress one up for Halloween. I painted a candy corn blanket on his back, an oh-so-spooky mask on his face, and then made him a party hat and a trick or treat bag.

 

You'd just have to fill that bag with circus peanuts, if he came knocking on Halloween night!

The thing I love most about these elephants is their sweet little bums. I'm now kicking myself for not buying every single elephant Michaels had in stock.

Enjoy your weekend!

BOO Blocks

Here's a fun little project for Halloween: a set of wooden blocks that spell "BOO".  (So scary!)

 

I painted the blocks black, and stamped the letters on using StazOn ink. I then sanded and distressed them so they'd look old, and collaged vintage Halloween images (all from Alpha Stamps) on the remaining sides. 

I love the bright colors and those wonderful grinning jack o'lanterns!

 

I never get tired of making crafts for Halloween.

 

Chunky Haunted House

I've been dying to show off my latest Alpha Stamps design team project: this chunky masonite house that is now a haunted chunky house!

I love the way the pages of this book overlap. I really wanted the parts showing when the book is closed to look like they all go together, so took special care in placing my images on the pages behind the front cover. I used lots of Dresden trim on this one; I love the way it looks along the roof line. Here are all the pages, as they would be seen if you flip through the book:

Creepy dolls, witches, and bats!

A frightening child pushing a giant doll head, black cats, skeletons, and evil bats.

 

More bats, Dia de los Muertos images, and skeletons (oh my!)

The back cover, with a witchy couple and some wonderful old paper from G45.

And one more detail shot, because I love the front so much.

Enter if you dare!