Hallowe'en Layout with Googly Ghouls

I love Hallowe'en. Not as much as Christmas, but there's something so fun about kids running around in costumes, super excited and totally juiced up on sugar ;) My favorite Hallowe'en stamp sets are the cutesy kiddie ones. Which is why I especially loved  the Googly Ghouls stamp set in the Holiday Mini. How can you NOT love witches, ghosts, bats and googly eyes??? Best of all, SU!'s Googly Eyes have glue dots on them so they're easy to stick onto your project.

This week, two of my favorite challenges, Try Stampin' on Tuesday and Freshly Made Sketches had sketches that were just perfect for scrap page layouts. And they worked really well together. So I worked it the best I could :) First, the Freshly Made Sketch:

I used the Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP for my layouts. I really love the way the Tangerine Tango color pops. It's so vibrant! My second page is using the Try Stampin' on Tuesday Sketch:

Tips & Tricks:

*Not sure where to start with your scrapbook layouts? If you started out as a card maker like me, you may be a bit intimidated. I used a tip from a fellow stamper - approach it like it's a card and build on it. My photo mat is the image mat from the card. I added the 'BOOO 2012' to the left to build on my page. See how simple it is?
*My flagged element on the the second page seemed a little plain. Yet I didn't want to use DSP because I thought it would be too busy. So I embossed it with the Spider Web Embossing Folder. Love how it turned out!

*I absolutely love the Wacky Wishes hostess set. I wasn't sure about it when I first saw it. But it's so fun and cute! It worked so well on my second page.
*Aren't the Googly Ghouls just adorable? Just stamp, punch out and stick on a few Googly Eyes. :)

Once we have all our fun Hallowe'en photos, I'm going to do a class Saturday November 24th so that we can scrap them without a delay :) See my Class List for more information :)

'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Scrappin' Recipe:
Stamps: Googly Ghouls, Wacky Wishes, Wicked Cool
Paper: Basic Black, Tangerine Tango, Basic Grey, Very Vanilla, Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP
Ink: Basic Grey, Tangerine Tango
Accessories: 2-3/8" Scallop Circle Punch, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, Basic Jewels - Rhinestones, 1/2" Satin Striped Ribbon, Googly Eyes, Big Shot, Tasteful Trim Bigz XL Die, Spider Web Embossing Folder, Typeset Alphabet Bigz Die, Stampin' Dimensionals, 2-Way Glue Pen

Googly Ghouls Two-Tone Embossing

I'm back with the Googly Ghouls stamp set. Actually, today I wanted to show you one of the projects we will be making at the August Stamping Technique Club. If you haven't done heat embossing and you want to try it out, this is the class for you! You can also sign up for 6 consecutive classes and one of the months you'll enjoy a $40 shopping spree! I also have lots of other perks for club members. You can email me at stampingmonica@gmail.com if you have any questions. This is also the DSP that is featured with the Howl-o-ween Painter's Kit - A Starter Kit Special for August. Nearly $300 in product/materials for only $125 (tax and shipping included!). I hope you'll take a peek and think about being on my team :)

Onto my card. I used this week's Retro Sketches Challenge for my sketch inspiration. It's such a cute sketch and with the various cute images in Googly Ghouls it worked perfectly! I used my Large Oval Punch to punch out the mummy, witch and Frankenstein. Other than trimming a few little details off the sides, they fit well in the shape.

Tips & Tricks:

*Love the Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP as well as the Striped Satin Ribbon? They are part of my September Accessory Test Drive. Try out these as well as some other great accessories before committing to the whole package! Be sure to order yours before September 7th.
*I used both Black as well as Tangerine Tango Embossing Powder to give Frankenstein black pants and an orange shirt. I love this two-toned look! Hope you'll join me to learn it :)
*I wanted to use a different shape for the 'Boo' greeting to make it stand out. The 1-inch Circle Punch framed the first 3 letters of this greeting perfectly.
*What can I say about the Spider Web Embossing Folder. Love. It ;) (I say that a lot, don't I!)

Thanks for stickin' with me while I post a bit less. It is a very busy time for me. We're going a bit nuts trying to get everything ready and the kids are definitely reacting to the stress. Still haven't packed up all my stampin' stuff because I need that release, escape. I did choose my shelving system for my new studio though and I'm super excited. It's the Ikea Expedit system.  I can't wait to get them set up, and the flexibility of the doors, drawers, filing trays :) I'll be getting it in white though. 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Ghostly Ghouls
Ink: VersaMark
Paper: Basic Gray, Tangerine Tango, Very Vanilla, Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP
Accessories: Large Oval Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Big Shot, Spider Web Embossing Folder, Black Embossing Powder, Tangerine Tango Embossing Folder, Striped Satin Ribbon

A Spooktacular Promotion!

Have you been thinking of signing up with Stampin' Up!? From August 1st to August 31st, when you purchase the Starter Kit, you will get the Howl-o-ween Painter's Tray Project Kit absolutely FREE! That's up to $75 in product including:
*The Toxic Treat Stamp Set in either wood or clear mount
*A package of Basic Jewels - Rhinestones
*A package of Baker's Twine
*Ribbon, buttons and other stampin' elements to make the project.

That's in addition to the Starter Kit which is only $125, tax and shipping included. With the starter Kit you get $155 in product of your choice as well as all the business materials you need if you decide to do some demos. But... there are NO STRINGS ATTACHED. You can get your Starter Kit, Howl-o-ween Project Kit and run ;) But you do get a 20% discount on your favorite SU! products as well as a wonderful community to share stampin' fun with. I'm part of a great group of demos - in fact, we're having a demonstrator potluck tomorrow :)

Check out my SU! website for more info: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stampingwithmonica/promotions

You can sign up on my website too, or email me if you have any questions :) For all demos who join in the Ottawa area, I'll be welcoming you to my home sometime in September and we can do our projects together! I can't wait, especially since it's going to going to be in my new Stampin' Studio.

'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Sunday Googly Ghouls

Another Sunday Stamps Challenge. And I guess my post title is a bit odd - but because of the stamp set I used if fits ;)

This challenge was hosted by the fabulous Joan Jeffery of J-J Creations. She has provided us with a gorgeous sketch that can be interpreted in so many different ways. I decided to put my Googly Ghouls stamp set to good use :) I love this set, it's so cute! Can't wait to use it in a Hallowe'en Scrapbooking class.

Although I tend to change up sketches and challenges quite a bit, I loved this sketch so much I pretty much left it as is. I added a scallop circle under my ghouls on the left, but I wanted the mummy to really stand out from the Tangerine Tango, so I left him as is.

Tips & Tricks:

*All the materials in my card are a sneak peek from the Holiday Mini. I absolutely love the Woodgrain Embossing Folder.
*I love the Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP. If not only for the name ;) There's lots of fun patterns and the colors (Basic Grey, Basic Black, Tangerine Tango and More Mustard) are sooo Hallowe'en!
*You know what I love about the Googly Eyes? They have a little glue dot on the back. So not only are they darned cute, but there's no fuss in getting them onto your card!
*I am loving the Striped Satin Ribbon. It's so perfect with the rest of the Howlstooth & Scaringbone Suite.

If you're loving this Hallowe'en Suite of Products, look for an Accessory Test Drive in September. Try out the products in the suite, a little at a time. More info is available on the blog page above. I'll also be offering a Hallowe'en Scrapbooking Class on September 16th.

'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Christmas and Hallowe'en - in July!

As Eastern Ontario roasts in this crazy heat wave, I've been playing with my new Holiday Mini Products. There are tonnes of awesome stamp sets as well as brand new accessories in this Mini. What's more, SU! has included more Framelits, Piercing Templates and Big Shot Dies. Awesome ~ it's like they're reading my mind ;)

So first we'll do Christmas. This card uses the new Ornament Keepsakes stamp set. I did use the 1-3/4" Circle Punch but for the ornament, but the Holiday Ornaments Framelits have been made to perfectly coordinate with all the ornaments. I say it all the time, but I love all the product coordination :)

I'm loving the Candlelight Christmas Specialty DSP. It has gorgeous colors (Real Red, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Lucky Limeade and others) as well as classic patterns. I was so excited to break into it and use it on this card! On Thursday July 19th, I'm doing my Christmas in July Class and I'm very excited for the ladies to do this card!

The second card I have for you today is a Hallowe'en card! The minute I saw the Googly Ghouls stamp set in the Mini, it screamed 'The kids will love it!' and 'What an awesome scrapbooking stamp set!'. What child doesn't love 'googly eyes'. Heck, *I* love googly eyes! The stamp set has images of a mummy, Frankenstein, a witch and two others. I did use the Retro Sketches #19 Challenge from last week for my card below.

Do you like the DSP? It's the new Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP. It will be perfect for scrapbooking too! Love the colors ~ Tangerine Tango, Basic Grey and More Mustard. And what about the ribbon? It's satin, it's striped and it's gorgeous! I'm still trying to figure out a way to work it into my Christmas cards. I really wish SU! did this ribbon in a Very Vanilla and Cherry Cobbler or something else Christmas-y. But I'll find a way to make it work.

Hope you've enjoyed these little sneak peaks. Like I said before, how can you *not* like the googly eyes??? lol! Stay tuned for more info on my scrapbooking class. There's also a sweet Hallowe'en treat kit in the Mini that coordinates with this stamp set... Lots of project ideas floating around in my head ;)

'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

A Creepy Crawly Thank You

When you see the card I made for this week's Mojo Monday Challenge, you may be thinking "Oh no! She's finally lost it!". But don't worry my stampin' friends, I know it's not Hallowe'en... even though this week's card uses the Hallowe'en Scaredy Cat stamp set as well as the Frightful Sight DSP.

Why the spidery card? I needed a 'thank you' for the kids who came to my daughter's 6th birthday party last week (where did the time go?!?!). I wanted an insect-y card because for the party because Little Ray's Reptiles came and showed us some really great insects, reptiles and amphibians. It was awesome! If you're in the Ottawa area, I highly suggest you have them do a birthday party for your child. It was worth every single penny. Isn't she cute all wrapped up in a python?

I did change up the Mojo Monday Sketch a little bit to include pennants from the Petite Pennants punch.I thought the spiders worked really nicely with the pennants. To make the card less 'Hallowe-eny' (because it is NOT a Hallowe'en card ;) ) I used the Calypso Coral Organdy Ribbon which you can earn FREE during Sale-a-Bration when you place an order of $60 or more. Still gorgeous, can't get enough of it!

Tips & Tricks:

*Because the Organdy Ribbon is translucent and 1/8" inch wide, it's great for wrapping around a card multiple times. Adds a unique look without being too 'heavy' looking.

*Not sure how to layer your Modern Label Punch? Try layering it on top of the Scalloped Oval Punch - fits perfectly in the center and just peeks over the sides. Super cute!
*SU!'s Basic Black Ink is waterproof and some people don't like using it because it stains their stamps. Here's a little tip... ink your stamp in a dark ink such as Chocolate Chip or Early Espresso and then ink it in black. Makes it much easier to clean off with the Stampin' Scrub.
*Love the Baker's Twine and love how it's now available in the 2011-2013 In Colors. Isn't it lovely how it coordinates with the Calypso Coral card stock and ribbon?

Hope the kids love their cards and hope you like it too! I think I made pretty good use of my Hallowe'en stamps in February, too! 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!