Walkabout Fall Cards

We have been having the most perfect Fall weather, and I was inspired to look at some great Fall Cards with you... I hope you enjoy this collections of fun fall cards!

and finally, the frame that I will have to make into a card!

I hope you have as much fun with these cards as I have and that they have somehow inspired you to get out your fall colors and make some fun cards!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Thank You Card

Thank You Card!

I love making Thank You cards, don't you? I think the reason is because you get to share your joy with the person or persons who did something special for you. Win-win all around!

Thank You Card - close up view

I love the paper, don't you? I had a happy little surprise when I punched the scallop out of paper that had circles on it... wasn't it neat that the circles look a little like hearts? I then colored this cute stamp with colored pencils and added sparkle with some stickles.  I punched a few Martha butterflies and added some bling, of course.

Thank You Card - sentiment

This quote is from Raindrop Echo Designs.

Thank You Card - side view

I hope you have a wonderful day!

A Freebie Digital Sentiment and I Was Featured Again

Spooky Digital Sentiment Freebie

I am so humbled, I have been featured again, this time at The Answer is Chocolate! I am sharing the inside of the card this time and will share this cute digital sentiment with you as well...  I used some fun chipboard shapes, with glitter, and a die cut pumpkin.  The sentiment is one I created with some fun fonts that I had... The one I am sharing is similar, but I embellished it a little, lol.

Carol, from The Answer is Chocolate, shared her Happy Fall Features, and I want to share with you the wonderful projects that were featured along with mine... Speaking of Fall, is it really Fall? You'd better believe it, September 22nd is the first day of fall!

Let's get started with our host of the Happy Fall Features....

As a special Thank You, I am also sharing this fun digital sentiment with you - I sized them so they would fit in a 2x2 circle or scallop punch:

"Have a Monsterlicious Day!"

Click here to download Digital Sentiment (jpeg format)

As always, I am happy to share my tutorials, freebies / printables (and now cut files) with you, I only ask that you do the following:

• Please leave a comment if you download a  freebie / printable / digi, etc, because I would love to hear from you

• If you enjoy the things I share with you, please become a follower so that you will see all the new stuff when it is posted (no pressure, join only if you want)

• Please do not share any of my digital images, printables, or tutorials directly with others, but please do send them on over to me so that they can peruse and collect the images themselves.

• I would be thrilled and honored if you would send me links to any images or posts that you've done using something that I have shared with you.  If you say it is ok, I will even feature your work here!

• If you want to recolor the images, feel free! 

• If you have a special request, please let me know and I will see what I can do.

Most importantly be Fantastically Creative You!

I will be linking up to these parties over the next few days, hope to see you there!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Freebie Friday Ghost Shaped Card Cut File

Ghost Shaped Card

Another Fabulous Freebie Friday! Tis the season for all things Halloween, and this little fella fits right in. This little ghost will be going to a good home. I love the fact that he looks a bit surprised, I wonder if it is the spider webs and the spider crawling about?

I started with a black base, and cut the card shape.  Then I cut the ghost out on white, you will notice that there are pre-cut holes for his eyes and surprised expression.  Before I glued anything down, I placed the little guy down on the card base and used my crafting paint brush with some glossy accents to mark where the eyes and mouth were.  Then I safely moved him to the side and filled in the entire area with glossy accents and sprinkled some really pretty purple shimmer glitter over top.  You can see the shimmer, but cannot tell the color from the photo.

While the glitter was drying, I ran him through my Cuttlebug, and used the Cuttlebug Spots & Dots Embossing Folder.  Oh no, do you think that's why he looks surprised? Can you see the embossing in the photo? I have started embossing some of my layers more and more lately, I love the added texture and depth it gives to my projects.  Do you like to emboss parts of your projects too?

I had some extra spider webs and a spider from another project I was working on at the same time, and by happy coincidence one of the spider webs fell on my ghost and I said, "hmmm, that might not be a bad idea" when I asked my creative consultant (my son) what he thought, he liked it! Since this is going to be his cousin's card, he gets final say, lol.  So I added the lovely spider webs and spider and then added some of this fabulous yarn (I love it because it is fun, but when I added it to the card, it kinda made him look like he had hair).  I kept the hair for the photo, but my son consultant doesn't think it works for a boy, he may be right, lol.

To finish him off I had to add some bling, so I've added some rhinestones and some sequins and he was finally ready.

What do you think about using him as a Birthday card, he can just as easily be an invitation to a Halloween party, or how about your next block party or maybe a Bunco card night out with the girls?

Ghost shaped card studio cut file - click to download

The cut file contains the ghost shaped base and two ghost layers, one with eyes for the front and one without for the inside so that you have something to write on.

As always, I am happy to share my tutorials, freebies / printables (and now cut files) with you, I only ask that you do the following:

• Please leave a comment if you download a  freebie / printable / digi, etc, because I would love to hear from you

• If you enjoy the things I share with you, please become a follower so that you will see all the new stuff when it is posted (no pressure, join only if you want)

• Please do not share any of my digital images, printables, or tutorials directly with others, but please do send them on over to me so that they can peruse and collect the images themselves.

• I would be thrilled and honored if you would send me links to any images or posts that you've done using something that I have shared with you.  If you say it is ok, I will even feature your work here!

• If you want to recolor the images, feel free! 

• If you have a special request, please let me know and I will see what I can do.

Most importantly be Fantastically Creative You!

I will be linking up to these parties over the next few days, hope to see you there!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Walkabout Wednesday Halloween Projects

Spooky Spider

Welcome back for another Walkabout Wednesday.  Last week we focused on Chalkboard Projects, this week it is a spooky Halloween experience... Grab your courage and let's take a peek...

As I may have told you, I was featured over at Practically Functional and it made my week! The project I was featured in is the Spooky Spider Halloween card I made here.  In honor of the feature, I am linking and pinning my fellow featured pals, and the wonderful Jess, to include in our Halloween Projects edition of Walkabout Wednesday... Here we go...

I hope you take a chance to visit and have a spook-tacular day!

I've Been Featured at Practically Functional

Spooky Spider Halloween Card Featured at Practically Functional

I am so excited to share my good news with you! I have been featured at Practically Functional (this is only some of the other projects featured, my little beauty is in the lower right hand corner!


I am so excited that I am going to change my original post for tomorrow's "Walkabout Wednesday" and I am going to visit and share with you all the people who were featured with me!

Here is my card that was featured

Spooky Spider Halloween Card

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Freebie Friday Free Subway Art Printable and Spooky Halloween Card

Spooky Halloween Card

I hope this post finds you well.  Today I have a fun Halloween card and I am also re-posting the free 911 Subway Art.

Does this ever happen to you? You start out making a card (or any project) and you just start adding things to it, and when you are done it becomes one of your favorite projects? Well this card is one of mine.  I love the oranges and purples for Halloween and think they look great with black.  So, I started to pull out my Halloween paper pack and decided on a black card base.

The shapes are cut using the Spellbinders Nestabilities Label 2.  There is something about this die that I truly love! I don't know what it is, but I am really drawn to it. It may be because if you cut it just right, it looks a lot like a Frankenstein monster head, don't you think? I was fortunate to be able to capture the "spooky" in one of the cutouts and then I started playing.

The final piece I added was the spider.  At first he was on-dimensional and then I asked myself, what would be creepier than a spider getting ready to build his web? So I took my Martha spider punch and started punching.  If you haven't created something like this before, it is easier than it looks.

How to make a creepy spider with a Martha Stewart punch

• Punch your shape 5 - 7 times
• This works best when your shape is symmetrical
• I like to punch odd numbers, odd just works better
• As you can see, I kept to my colors of black and orange and there is a pop of red in there
• Fold your shape in half
• Glue the folded shapes together
• ** They will make a half circle (this means that the left and right ends are not glued together
• ****Note - you can do this and if this guy had been hanging in an opening on the card I may have done that, but I also would have needed more punched pieces

Adding that little bit of movement to this card...

• Do you see that black twine (it started out white, nothing a little sharpie can't handle)
• I then tied it to the top of my nestability and attached it to the center line of my "half circle spider"
• I punch one more shape and glue my "half circle spider" onto that (I do this for stability and to keep it flat so he slides around)
• The rest of the twine is left loose so that he swings back and forth - sends chills up your spine, doesn't it?

I gave this card to a friend of mine and she loves it so much it is up all year long on a cork board she has (now that is a true friend! every time I see it, it makes me happy that something I made is loved so much).

Remember 911 card

I am also sharing with you today the card I made for 911. I modified it slightly from the one I posted here.  I gave this to my son the morning of 9-11, the modifications I made were that I added a small white feather and popped up the corner stars of the card.

Here is the printable again if you missed it.

Free Remember 911 Subway Art Printable

As always, I am happy to share my tutorials, freebies / printables (and now cut files) with you, I only ask that you do the following:

• Please leave a comment if you download a  freebie / printable / digi, etc, because I would love to hear from you

• If you enjoy the things I share with you, please become a follower so that you will see all the new stuff when it is posted (no pressure, join only if you want)

• Please do not share any of my digital images, printables, or tutorials directly with others, but please do send them on over to me so that they can peruse and collect the images themselves.

• I would be thrilled and honored if you would send me links to any images or posts that you've done using something that I have shared with you.  If you say it is ok, I will even feature your work here!

• If you want to recolor the images, feel free! 

• If you have a special request, please let me know and I will see what I can do.

Most importantly be Fantastically Creative You!

I will be linking up to these parties over the next few days.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

The Victims of 911 Where Were You?

I was wondering if you had seen this, it is a collection of all the photos of the victims of 911? Wow.  If this worked, this is scheduled to post at 10:03 am when United Flight 93 crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, shortly thereafter at 10:28 am the final WTC tower collapsed.

I will leave you today with a quote that sums up how difficult it is to understand what happened, even today:

"The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend" 

- Henri Bergson

I guess my mind is still having trouble comprehending, and there are images and memories from that day that I still find difficult to revisit. Where were you on 9/11/2001?

I have shared a free printable subway art commemorating  911, click here if you would like to download it.

I hope you have a safe day!

Remembering 9-11

Remember 911

Do you remember where you were when you heard that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center? It is that moment of my generation, similar to the day John F Kennedy was assassinated. For me, I cannot forget the horror and images that replay in my mind.

I was at work, and my husband called me and asked if I'd heard? I didn't know what he was talking about, but noticed people gathering around the television.  From that moment on, we were all sickeningly glued to the television. Our brains were screaming, this cannot be true, and our hearts were crying for those trapped, and for their families and friends. Everyone wondering if someone they knew was in the building. My husband could see the smoke from the burning buildings, and was relieved that they didn't have a meeting there that day.

I still get emotional when I remember seeing the second plane crash into the South Tower, it was 9:03 am, then the Pentagon, news of another flight that was likely hijacked, then the most horrifying thing happened, at 9:59 am the South Tower collapsed. At 10:03 the brave passengers of flight 93 die as the hijackers crash the plane in a field in Pennsylvania. Finally, at 10:28 am the North Tower collapses. All those innocent people, all those families whose lives were changed forever.  Nearly 3,000 people died that day.

Remember 911 free subway art printable

In the face of all that horror were stories of bravery, the passengers of flight 93 who tried to stop the terrorists and lost their lives while preventing the plane from reaching its target. The brave firemen, policemen,  and all first responders who rushed into those buildings that would soon collapse. Do you remember what you were doing or where you were when you heard that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center? 

As we get up and go about our days today, try to remember to take a moment to remember those who lost their lives that day. Give your spouse a kiss, your kids an extra hug, call your parents, do something kind today.

Remember 911 card

Wishing you and your families are safe today.

Freebie Friday Free Silhouette Cut File Deepest Sympathy

Deepest Sympathy Silhouette Cut File - Freebie

Happy Freebie Friday!

I promised on Tuesday that I would share with you the cut file I used to create the "Deepest Sympathy" for the sympathy card I posted here.

This file is for the Silhouette Cameo.  I used my favorite cut font!  I love it because it is delicate, but thick enough to cut and pull away from the cutting pad without ripping.  Believe me, I have left many a phrase in pieces, lol.  Haven't you?  Click here to see the original card.

As I sit here writing this post, I glance over at my cameo and have to chuckle because it is always a challenge to decide if I am going to connect up to it and cut something or pull out my dies.  Do you have a cutting machine and/or dies? How do you decide which one to pull out?

FYI, check out this cute cut file from Daniela Dobson



I am or will be sharing this at the following link parties (buttons are in my link party tab above):

• Make It Monday - http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/
• The Happy Housie - http://thehappyhousie.com/
• The Answer is Chocolate - http://www.answerischoco.com
• Craft Frenzy Friday - http://www.craftdictator.com
• Made to be a Momma - Homemade by You - http://www.madetobeamomma.com/
• Whipperberry - Friday Flair Link Party - http://whipperberry.com
• Practically Functional Link Party - http://practicallyfunctional.com
• A Marvelous Mess Link Party - http://www.marvelouslymessy.com/
• Alderberry Hill - Make the Scene Monday - http://www.alderberryhill.com/

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Walkabout Wednesday Chalkboard Projects

Today is a fabulous Wednesday! School has officially started so I had the privilege of dropping off my son at school. With two college students, I know how precious little time I have left to do these things and I want to cherish each moment.

In honor of the start of school, I thought I'd share a few chalkboard projects with you today from around the internet.  They are all over the internet these days, and like you I really enjoy them.





and some non-school themed inspiration....







How about these Wedding themed ideas?







Have you done any projects like these? In this case, I am an observer. I love the way they look and wouldn't mind creating one for myself, but just haven't gotten around to it.  I'd love to see your projects if you've made any or love to hear what your favorite chalkboard project is, whether it be one I've shared here or in your "someday" pile.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Deepest Sympathy Card

Deepest Sympathy Card - All White

I created this Sympathy card for a friend who lost her father.  I did a bit of research before creating this, and ultimately decided to create an all white card.  In India, the color for death is white, and that is the reason I selected white.  I embellished the card with pearls, glossy accents, and glitter. I find that I often get lost in my research when trying to come up with ideas for my cards.  Do you also research your cards before you create them? I'd love to hear about some of the things you research or do as part of your creative process when you make your cards.

Antonella Deepest Sympathy - close up

You may be wondering why the little card peeking out in the photo above. I was challenged in creating a card that was so monochromatic that I decided I would add a little color by creating a mini card. In the end, I could not mar the card in the inside and created a cut file with the words "Deepest Sympathy" that I placed inside.  I never did write inside of this card, instead writing inside the mini card.  I layered the sentiment on a doily that I had on hand.

Deepest Sympathy Studio Cut File

If you join me on Friday, Click here where I share the silhouette cut file that I used to create the "Deepest Sympathy" sentiment.  I love the delicate flow of the font, don't you?

I may have gone a bit overboard on this card, I used many different die cuts including a few of my Memory Box dies.  I think I like adding multiple die cuts on my cards.  I used the following Memory Box dies: Floral Circle and Quinn Fourish dies.  The Floral Circle is on both the main card and my little mini card!

I am or will be sharing this at the following link parties (buttons are in my link party tab above):

• Make It Monday - http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/
• The Happy Housie - http://thehappyhousie.com/
• The Answer is Chocolate - http://www.answerischoco.com
• Craft Frenzy Friday - http://www.craftdictator.com
• Made to be a Momma - Homemade by You - http://www.madetobeamomma.com/
• Whipperberry - Friday Flair Link Party - http://whipperberry.com
• Practically Functional Link Party - http://practicallyfunctional.com
• A Marvelous Mess Link Party - http://www.marvelouslymessy.com/
• Alderberry Hill - Make the Scene Monday - http://www.alderberryhill.com/

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Have an Enjoyable Labor Day

Happy Labor Day

Monday, September 2, 2013 is Labor Day in the states.  As the holiday approached, I realized that I don't know much about Labor Day, other than it is celebrated on the first Monday in September, it celebrates workers, and (most importantly) I get a day off from work (lol)...

I read on the US Dept of Labor website that:

• Labor Day celebrates the "contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country"
• The first labor day was celebrated in 1882

For me, and many others, it symbolizes the last hurrah before the end of summer, how many of you will take that final family vacation? Take a trip to "the shore" (the beach for those of you not living in New Jersey)

Although some schools have already started, for us this is the last holiday before school starts for our middle schooler although the high school began classes last week.  

On a sillier note, a friend of mine reminded me that Labor is the last day you are allowed to wear white, shoes in particular... Alas, I fear that these life long traditions are slowly slipping away and find that this isn't as true today as it was when I was younger (lol, it is funny how traditions change)

I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy your day in a restful way and have the added pleasure of spending this time with your family.  Our day will most certainly include a BBQ, weather permitting!

Happy Labor Day

Have a wonderful day!