Boo!  Did I scare you?  Just kidding.  With a few of my recent posts being about Christmas, I bet you thought I skipped right over Halloween.  Well, I kinda did – but not on purpose.  I don’t currently have a lot of Halloween stamps, so I moved right on by it.  However, the mood struck me today when I started thinking about what I wanted to do for this week’s Mojo Monday sketch challenge – which of course, I didn’t do on Monday [ooops!].

This one wasn’t near as hard for me to figure out what I wanted to do as last week’s, but still it’s somewhat complex.  One of the things that I like about their sketches is the multitude of layers.  A single layer card is really hard for me to get into.  Not that there isn’t the occasion one that strikes my fancy, but I’d much rather see lots of layers and lots of dimension! 

Before I get too far along, I’ll go ahead and mention that I did a lot of paper piecing on my little gal!  And since I’ve started making my cards in multiples, I snapped a photo of my teeny tiny cut pieces.  You can see on the black cutting matte that each of those squares are 1/2″, so those little  flowers are like under 1/4″.  Some of these pieces are itsy bitsy!!!  Welcome to my world of insanity – and yes, I did have to put my glasses on!

Some of you may know that Stampin’ Up! has a Halloween die so you can dress up your die cut Build-a-Bears.  However, I don’t have the dies, so I had to come up with my own Halloween getup.  Well, she may not be a pumpkin, a witch or Hannah Montana, but she sure is cute in her Halloween dress.  And if she came to my door, I’d give her a treat!

Here’s how I did it:

First, I cut all of my rectangles for the background blocks.  Each one was mounted on Basic Black card stock and then stitched with black thread on my sewing machine.  I used designer papers from three different paper packs, the top orange blocks are from the Sweet Always paper pack which is retired.  The bottom orange blocks are from Pawsitively Prints paper pack and the black blocks are from the Night & Day Specialty paper pack – both of which debuted in the Holiday Mini Catalog. 

My little bear was colored using the Creamy Caramel Stampin’ Write marker and then I sponged a little bit of Close to Cocoa and Chocolate Chip ink on her to add a bit of dimension.  I also sponged some Cameo Coral on her cheeks.  I masked her little body and sponged some So Saffron around her and then did the edges with Pumpkin Pie.  Here’s a view of what she looked like after everything was sponged but before any paper piecing started.  Not very pretty right now, is she?

I then cut her muzzle out of Whisper White card stock and sponged the edges using More Mustard.  Her dress and flower were cut out of the Pawsitively Prints orange print paper.  Her bodice and bottom ruffle were cut from the Night & Day Specialty paper as were her shoes.  I opted to cut them from the designer paper rather than just black card stock because it was a little bit lighter black.  Trust me, stamping black on black is hard to see to cut out and you need a little variation in the color.  Her bag was stamped on Whisper White and colored with markers.

I mounted the bear onto the card base using Dimensionals.  The little button embellishment was made by cutting a piece of the Night & Day Specialty polka dot paper with the 1-1/4″ circle punch and layering it with a 1″ Pumpkin Pie card stock circle and then a black button tied with SU!’s Gingham Ribbon.  I tied Basic Black 5/8″ Grosgrain Ribbon in a bow and mounted it to the left side using a Glue Dot.  I stamped Happy Halloween from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set (#115370) in the bottom right corner.

I opted for the Kraft card base just for a little bit of the country feel.  Because it’s light, I didn’t feel the need to put a piece of paper for the sentiment on the inside.  Instead, I opted for just a couple of thin strips of designer paper near the bottom to finish it off.  There’s still plenty of room for a stamped or handwritten sentiment above it.

Shhhh!  I have a little secret for you.  In just 2 more days, Stampin’ Up! is going digital!!  I know several of our friends here at CARDScraps are very familiar with digital scrapbooking and now, we’re going to have the best of both worlds with the release of My Digital Studio.  The software is packed with many of the SU! products you’ve come to love.  And for those of you who are already digital scrapbooking and don’t need another scrapbooking, card making, calendar creating, movie making program (whew – that was a mouth full), you’ll be happy to know that you can purchase just the digital files to use in your current program!  Watch for more info over the next couple of days!

Happy Stamping!

Supplies:  (All Stampin’ Up! unless otherwise noted)

Stamps:  Beary Best Friends (shown at right), Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie and Kraft card stock, Pawsitively Prints, Night & Day Specialty and Sweet Always (retired) designer paper
Ink:  Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Cameo Coral, Basic Black, More Mustard
Accessories:  Dimensionals, 1-1/4″ and 1″ Circle punches, 5/8″ Grosgrain Ribbon, Gingham Ribbon, sponges, sponge daubers, Glue Dots, 2-way Glue Pen, Glue Stick, button (from stash), sewing machine & thread

I have been thinking about the Mojo Monday sketch from this past Monday all week long trying to come up with a design.  My card started coming together a little bit yesterday but I really got in the groove this morning with it.  I made a few alterations to the sketch, but to me, that’s what a sketch challenge is all about.  See it, and let it inspire you to create something. 

On the left is the original sketch from Mojo Monday 105.  You can click on it for a larger view.

I definitely didn’t want to use just circles on the bottom, so I went looking through my stamp stash for something that would resemble a circle.  The large cupcake stamp from Crazy for Cupcakes (#111618) was perfect, I just had to make sure I didn’t include the candle sticking out of the top of it.  And of course, this means that my sketch gets flipped over.  I tried several different scenarios with the cupcakes and liked them best with the long skinny card which is 6-3/8″ x 3-3/8″ and fits into the envelopes like you get from the bank that holds your money.

Here’s how I did it

The Whisper White background was ran through the Big Shot using a Sizzix Texture Plate.  A strip of the pink polka-dot designer paper was glued across the center.  I used my sewing machine and white thread to add a zig-zag stitch to the bottom.  The top won’t show, so there’s no need to sew up there.  This was then mounted to a piece of Pretty in Pink card stock that was about 1/8″ larger giving me a 1/16″ border all the way around.

I used my Basic Black Stampin’ Write marker directly on the large cupcake stamp and stamped on several of the prints from the new Pawsitively Prints designer paper from the new Holiday Mini Catalog and cut them out.  I paper pieced the cupcake tops onto the green print bottoms.  I cut one of them in half and put half on each side of the card.  The rest were layered evenly across overlapping one another.

I hand sewed one of the Old Live flower buttons from the Playground button set onto a piece of looped Pretty in Pink Taffeta ribbon in the bottom right corner.  This was just a small addition to make the card look a little more finished (and frilly..lol) as it just seemed to be missing something.  I used a couple of Glue Dots to secure it initially and then actually sewed through the white and pink card stock.

For the main image, I stamped the girl bear from the Beary Best Friends stamp set (#118052) using Black Stazon.  I colored the bear using the Creamy Caramel Stampin’ Write marker.  I then used a cotton swab and some Close to Cocoa ink to shade near the ears, around the muzzle and on her arms and legs next to the dress and some Pretty in Pink ink on her cheeks.  I stamped the dress onto designer paper and cut it out and pieced it on top of the bear.  I used the White Gel Pen to color her collar, belt and armbands.  I stamped her head onto a scrap of Whisper White and cut out the flower in her hair and her muzzle.  I sponged the edge of her muzzle using More Mustard ink and colored the flower pink.  To get the yellow shading around her to make her pop off the page a bit, I stamped the whole bear onto a sticky note and cut it out.  I placed it on top of my stamped bear to mask her out and used the sponge daubers to add a little bit of So Saffron ink around her and to the edges of the diamond.  The finished bear was then mounted to an Olive Green card stock matte and attached to the card using Dimensionals.  The whole thing was then glued to the front of an Olive Green card base.

I wanted to use different colors of glitter on the cupcake decorations, but realized that I didn’t have the right colors of glitter.  I guess it’s time to place another Stampin’ Up! order!  So, instead, I used the VersaMarker and Iridescent Ice embossing powder to give them some sparkle although it’s hard to see in the photos.  Then I added some Crystal Effects over the top of each cupcake decoration and on the bear’s flower, eyes, nose, mouth and shoe buckle for some added dimension.

For the inside, I glued a strip of Whisper White and a couple of strips of designer paper to the bottom half.  Then I glued one of the leftover cupcakes to dress it up a bit.  I was going to stamp a birthday sentiment on the inside, but then decided to leave it blank so it can be used for different occasions.

I want to say thank you for all of the wonderful comments I’ve been receiving.  They mean so much to me!

Happy Stamping!

Supplies:  (all Stampin’ Up! unless otherwise noted)

Stamps:  Crazy for Cupcakes, Beary Best Friends
Paper:  Old Olive, Pretty in Pink and Whisper White card stock, Pawsitively Prints designer paper
Ink:  Close to Cocoa, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink, Black Stazon
Accessories:  Stampin’ Write Markers, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Crystal Effects, Playground Button, Pretty in Pink

Taffeta Ribbon, Sponge Daubers, Texture Plate (Sizzix), sewing machine and thread

Well, if you’ve downloaded the new Stampin’ Up!T Holiday Mini catalog, you’ve surely noticed the Build-a-BearT stamps and Big Shot dies.  I had fun creating this adorable little card and dressing up my sweet little girl bear.  I used the new Sweet Treat Cups (#116802) to make the little candy center on the front of the card.

Remember you can click on the images to enlarge and view the details a little better.

This is the second card I’ve made with the Sweet Treats Cups (the first one you’ll see at some point later) and I had to figure out a way to be able to access the candy without tearing the card apart. It was mentioned on one of the SU! groups to make something that slides out of the way.  So that’s what I did.  The blue flowery tag with the “Happy Bearthday” sentiment on it actually slides out and then the candy comes out from the inside. 

Here you can see the inside of the card.  The first shot is with the tag showing through the opening.  The second shot is with the tag removed and now you can get to the candy.  Notice how my Skittles match her dress perfectly?!?  I planned that…LOL.  You can also see how I decorated the inside of the card.  Adding just a few strips of coordinating DSP really finishes the card off nicely.  You can also do the same with your envelope.  Remember, it’s not just the card front, the presentation begins from the time they pick up the envelope.

Here’s a shot of the front with the tag removed.

Now lets move on to the little bear herself.  After stamping the bear on Whisper White card stock, I stamped her again on the floral Pawsitively Prints DSP.  I cut her dress out and then used a blender pen with some Ballet Blue ink to shade her dress a little in the folds and creases.  I colored her using a blender pen as well with Creamy Caramel ink.  I ended up making her muzzle too dark, so I stamped it again on Whisper White and cut it out.  I liked the extra dimension it gave so I also cut out her little flower in her hair.  Next I added Crystal Effects to her nose, eyes, flower, the trims on her dress and her shoes.  I sponged So Saffron all around her to make her pop even more. 

I think this will make the perfect birthday.or rather “bearthday” card for any young lady!

Supplies (all Stampin’ Up! unless otherwise noted)

Stamps:  Beary Best Friends (shown right), Beary Nice Wishes
Paper:  Pawsitively Prints DSP, Old Olive CS, Ballet Blue CS, Pretty in Pink CS, Whisper White CS
Ink:  Black Stazon, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Ballet Blue, Chocolate Chip
Other:  Sweet Treats Cups, Hemp Twine, Circle Punches, Crystal Effects, Blender Pens, So Saffron Grosgrain Ribbon, Slot Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Button (from stash)

Happy Stamping!

Lianne Carper
CS partner and DTM for Brenda Cook
Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator