Happy Halloween!!

So, while Hurricane Sandy is storming around me, I have created a darling birdhouse for Halloween! I had a lot of fun with this! I painted my birdhouse (purchased from Hobby Lobby) with two shades of acrylic orange paint, including the roof. Next, I added Crackle Medium to the roof, let it dry to just tacky, and swiped on black paint which gave it a fantastic aged look.

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Once the paint on the roof was dry, I cut and embossed Spellbinders™ Spider Web in black cardstock and adhered the web to the side corners and under the eaves of the birdhouse. I used the Persian Accents border for my fencing around the bottom, and my sentiment "Something Wicked" from Quietfire Design was stamped on Romantic Rectangles which was stamped and stenciled with black and orange ink. 

I added Spanish moss and twigs I had sprayed with black paint, and topped it off with a black bird I found at Michael's. My final touch were the spiders that come with the Spider Web die which I had cut, embossed and added orange rhinestones for eyes. Here's a close up look of the crackle roof, spider and bird:

JustRite and Petaloo...

This week we are so excited to be partnering with Petaloo International to bring you a week of Christmas Inspiration using Petaloo's new Flora Doodle Flowers and JustRite Christmas Stamps.  Each day you can visit the JustRite Blog and the Petaloo Blog to see what each design team has created.  I'm double excited because this is my first creation since the house fire!! woohooo, I'm back to doing what I love best!

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Project Recipe:

Stamps: JustRite Papercraft Classic Sentiment Edges One and Noel Christmas Ornaments

Dies: Spellbinders Paper Arts™ Classic Edges One and Fancy Framed Tags Two

Paper: Bazzill Basics Black, Red Dotted Swiss and White Cardstock

Inks: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black and Versamark, white embossing powder

Embellishments: Petaloo Forget-me-not Flora Doodles, White Silk Ribbon from The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L Foam Dots, Beacon Adhesives

U Inspire Me...

I have a few Clean and Simple cards for you today until I can get my crafting room in order and start creating. I made these a while ago for the SplitCoast Stampers CAS Challenges. Those challenges are fun to play in, and you can make a card quickly with this style.

My first card uses a fabulous sentiment set from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps and gorgeous yellow silk ribbon from The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store:

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My second CAS card uses a sentiment from Repeat Impressions and a pretty pink gingham ribbon from The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store:

Defining Beautiful...

Here is a photo of a scrapbook page I was working on before the fire. It was on a table in my craft room, and I had set it aside to work on another project. I took the picture to remind me of where things went. It was lost in the fire. I hope I can recreate it. I used Spellbinders Paper Arts™ Jewel Flowers & Flourishes  as the main dies in this page. The flower was made using the Vintage Lace Motifs dies. The gorgeous girl is my daughter, Lee.

 

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Project Recipe:

Dies: Spellbinders Paper Arts™ Jewel Flowers & Flourishes, Vintage Lace Motifs, Classic Scalloped Circles LG , Foliage

Paper: KaiserCraft After Five Collection, Bazzill Basics Black and White Cardstock, Doodlebug Black Glitter Cardstock 

Inks: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black

Embellishments:  Assorted Vintage Buttons, Black beaded foliage, Beacon Adhesives

Moving forward...

FIRE UPDATE:

How can one find the words to express their deepest gratitude to a community of friends? I have been so touched and overwhelmed by the outpouring of response concerning the tragic fire that devastated my home on Tuesday. I thank the Lord above for his blessed intervention in the form of a good Samaritan that saw the fire at the back of the house and woke my son and I and got us safely out of the house. 

Donations have been pouring in through the "donate" button found on blogs through JustRite Stampers, Spellbinders Paper Arts, Splitcoaststampers, Quietfire Design and The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store and fellow design team members blogs. I am so amazed by the heartfelt comments and generosity and I want you to know that my heart will be forever enriched by this. 

Though this is a devastating time for my son and I, having to start all over, just having the support and prayers have buoyed our spirits as nothing else could. I have found us a place to live and now comes the task of sorting through the debris of the old house, seeing what I can possibly save, and moving forward. 

Some may think I have nothing right now, but I disagree. I have the love of God, family and friends and no one could be richer than I. With so much love and thankfulness ~ Darsie and Al (my son). Here is a picture of my new home!!

 

Thank you!

As you may have heard, my duplex was destroyed in a fire on Tuesday due to a negligent act by my neighbor. My son and I were sleeping when we were awakened about a fire at the back of my neighbors' portion of the house. We made it out safely, thanks to someone seeing the fire and waking us up and getting us out of the house.

I am overwhelmed with gratitude, tears and amazement at the outpouring of prayers, donations and well wishes that have been sent our way.

Please feel free to leave comments if you wish, and my son and I will read them when we can. I will respond to each of you individually if you leave your email address as well.

The fabulous design companies I work for have created a Donation button to help us during this tragedy, and words cannot express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation. You can find the JustRite Papercraft post HERE for more information.

Once donations are tabulated, I will send a personal thank you email to all those who have shared their generosity. I am honored to be amongst such a caring and giving community of artists and friends.

Thanks to God's Good Grace, and a good Samaritan, my son and I are alive today. We can only go up from here.

With Love,

Darsie and Al

CAS Christmas

It's CAS Christmas with The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store and today I have used the negative piece from the Spellbinders Paper Arts™ 2012 Holiday Tree as my focal point. I cut the tree from KaiserCraft Silly Season paper stack and and will use it for another project. I used the paper with the negative image and layered it over another piece of patterned paper!

My sentiment is from JustRite Papercraft's Noel Christmas Ornaments stamp set and my finishing touch is a pretty burgundy seam binding bow.

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The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store carries a versatile collection of supplies for your papercrafting needs from Spellbinders dies, JustRite Papercraft stamps and other stamps, Ribbons of all textures, styles and thicknesses, beautiful papers from a multitude of companies and lots of fabulous embellishments.