My Lil' Bewitching Monsters ~SOUS Sketch~

My Lil' Bewitching Monsters

 I am so wickedly excited to share this layout with everyone! And very, very excited for the incredible sketch by Stuck on U Sketches own scrappy goddess, Nanne! But sorry folks...got to go to the challenge site and check it out there! =)

 I was super inspired by the large focal background shape in the sketch and new I was certainly going to do that (as says the sketch) but wanted to choose something whimsical to go with my Halloween design (flourish frame from Cricut: Cindy Loo).

 This beautiful creature and her bubbling cauldron are both from Happy Hauntings, embellished with coordinating colors of Stickles and some draw accents on her lovely green face...love! I also accented the cuts with an offset purple shadow.

 This wonderful shape is and matching stamp are from Papertrey Ink: Fabulous Frames (an incredible and versatile set)! It also happened to be the perfect size to frame this family photo and the placement followed the sketch as well, wrapped with 2 colors of floss and I added just a bit of washi tape for fun. The fun bats are from Happy Hauntings (accented with an offset blue shadow and Stickles in Gunmetal).

 I really wanted this title to be a focal point and with the size...how could it not be? LOL! I welded titles from Mini Monsters and added letters from Cuttin Up. I took this detail photo to show you the embossed word, I added black accents and then Glossy Accents to some of the bubbles...

 Almost forgot to talk about paper! How dare I! The star and orange prints are both from Ghosts and Ghoblins by DCWV (I don't own too much Halloween paper so it's going to repeat in projects). And all the solids are Walmart paper (which for me cuts the best of anything I own in my Cricut!) 

 Well gosh, that does it for details...

 And just about time...Halloween is around the corner! How did that happen? There is something ghostly, ghastly, haunting and horrid happening to make time fllllllllly....witches, maybe????

 Hugs to all   ~Leah

Barn Yard Dance ~SOUS Oct 19 Pumpkin/Veggie Die Cut Challenge~

Barn Yard Dance 

 This is easily a favorite layout for me! And mostly because I have always been dying to do a "barn" page! I grew up with the cutest little white barn (still at my parents house) and so the memories are good! I was also very excited to scrap these darling photos of my little girl in kindergarten for her Barn Yard Dance with her class!

 So our newest Die Cut Challenge at Stuck on U Sketches was the perfect excuse to get working on this! 

Pumpkin or Veggie Die Cut

 I used this beautiful tone on tone paper by Basic Grey(Nook and Pantry Cornbread side b) as the background and divided the space using hand cut 'hills'. This title is a mix of fonts, the banner from Country Life, yard from Lyrical Letters and dance from Cindy Loo. I also cut everything with a black shadow.

 The barn was cut from Everyday Paper Dolls. This is a great, tough cartridge because there is no layers. Which means cutting the same cut multiple times in other colors and hand cutting, not too hard though but worth it. I used my new Farm and Barn: Background Basic's stamp by PTI to stamp the wood slates.

 Not sure why but I've always wanted to do this cut, there is alot to it but its really neat! All food cuts are from Country Life as well. I do have to say my most favorite on the page are the radishes. Who knew! But I like them way better here then I would on my dinner plate! LOL! For the wheat I kept all the cuts on the mat and colored with different distress ink tones in warm browns. The radish, the green prints are all Cosmo Cricket Material Girl. (Those cowboy boots on Jordyn were my husband's as a child. As far as I know pretty much the only thing my MIL ever kept! And now Cody wears them everywhere and they are looking much, much more worn out!)

 Here is Jordyn and her dance partner Max, and some carrots with a PTI tag.

 Hope you like this as much as I do....can't wait to visit the rest of the SOUS DT and our participants! See ya soon!

A Couple VERY Different Cards... ~Oct 17 SOUS Card Sketch~

 So some of us have been chatting about how exhausted we all are! And during my kiddo's school conferences the teachers pretty much said the same thing! So much to do during this time of year. It also seems like the full sprint of the school year starting and Summer coming to an end is catching up with us all! 

 Luckily we always or at least try, to always, squeeze some crafty time in! And with that today is a Card Sketch reveal for Stuck On U...Hope you like! 

 I also had a chance to do some card making and got to play with a couple very, very different cards for this sketch! My first was for a birthday party that my daughter and I went to...

 The paper is a 6x6 Basic Grey Olivia stack. The background shape was cut with my Cricut Expression and the smaller with a Papertrey Ink die, as was the alpha background. That was my first time using those for such a thing and it was very, very tricky and didn't come out even...oh well. =)

 The Sweethearts Cricut cartridge has a great cut with a bunch of different shaped hearts, so that's what I used for the blue ones here. Layered over and stamped over with another Papertrey Ink stamp. This also shows well the border punch and layers of gloss. I also added a ton of Diamond Stickles everywhere!

 I'm pretty excited about this card...very fun and something different for a seasonal birthday. 

I can tell you the background paper was inked with purple and is by Basic Grey, the orange is by DCWV. 

Mainly these stamps come from Papertrey Ink Friendship Jars: Fall Fillers. The tag sentiments, spider web and tiny eyeballs in the polka dot holes. The circle sentiment is 2012 Birthday Tags, the frame stamp and stripe stamp are Fabulous Frames (with coordinating dies). Ghosty is by TCP Studio Happy Halloween.

 How about that blue eye! Creepy cool? Not sure where the idea came from but I thought it was an unusual detail. I added in some floss bows and more purple inking. Both cards were really fun to make I have to say! Plus, anything holiday is just a blast for me!

 Hope you all have a great rest of your week! ~Leah

Z is for Zoo! ABC Challenges

Little Animal

 Hiya friends! Happy Monday! Believe it or not I usually love Mondays, kids back to school, the hubby back to work and back to my regularly scheduled...schedule! LOL! Today is a challenge reveal for the always wonderful ABC Challenges and we finally made it to the very end of the alphabet and so...we are at Z for Zoo. We'd LOVE to see your zoo animals (and not the bug/insect species...animals people! Roar!)

 I've created this fun little card for maybe a birthday card or for someone expecting a new baby boy! I used Roo from the Pooh and Friends Cricut cartridge and the embellishments and animal print paper from DCWV Safari Kids collection. Too perfect!

 I thought I was about the loose Roo because my 3 year old had taken him and was helping him wave "hi Mom!" So silly! He's just lucky he didn't rip his hand off, then it wouldn't have been such a cute moment! =)

 Ok friends, quick post from me today! Hope you've all been really well! Hugs!

Who Needs Rules? ~SOUS Original Sketch Oct 12~

Who Needs Rules?

 Well obviously I don't need rules! LOL! Ok, really though...I've never liked getting in trouble so I am more a rule follower then anything (and good thing since I ended up marrying a police officer, right?) But I am afraid I may have broken a rule or two with following sketches...my bestie Nanne created a fabulous sketch for us at Stuck on U Sketches. You have got to head over there and check it out! 

 I started out with good intentions. Choosing this neat paper with the hortizonal design along the top and bottom (like the sketch). I added 2 photos instead of one...and then I really went off in my own direction, didn't I? And that cool paper...DCWV Generation Tech. A great collection for the boys (young and old).

 These way great sneakers...from Boys Will Be Boys! Love em'! I embossed the sole with a herringbone folder and added real laces (time consuming but a perfect touch!) I also fussy cut and punched a good amount from the glossy paper pack, I've added some great glitter Bo Bunny brads too!

 Both title pieces are from Graphically Speaking, more fussy cut pieces and fun brads (also cut this alien border from another paper from this collection and added journaling in white! I just LOVE my little guy and his 2 different shoes! I'll never forget this about him...

 I can't help but to laugh at this photo...I have no idea what on earth he was saying...but whatever it was, he couldn't get pass it to even take a picture! =)
 I've added some stamping and white embossing with random stamps from my stash!

 I just realized that I went from bottom to top in explaining my page! hehe! Okay now on top..I've added a red accent/shadow behind the title, dry embossing the blue who. I know there is so much color and so much going on with this page, but it really is fun...and certainly goes well with the silly boy in the photo!

  Thanks for hanging out with me today...please stop in and visit my sisters at SOUS if you haven't already! Hugs!
 ~Leah

Happy Crawloween ~SOUS Die Cut Creepy Crawly~

Creepy Crawloween

 It does not seem to matter what I am creating...one thing stays the same, and that is using my Cricut Expression. I am such a fan of die cutters, I can't even begin to imagine papercrafting without such a machine. Well maybe that is why the sticker isle at the craft stores are so huge, not everyone knows my secret yet! LOL! 

 Stuck on U Sketches has a new DIE CUTTING challenge to start off the month of October and it's going to get you...Creepy Crawly! What a delightful spook! 

 I really wanted to find some nasty insect to add, something to go with the super cool and super scary printed image on my pattern paper, but I don't own much other then spiders...but let's wait on that...

 I've created my own flowers here using a more pointy tipped flower from Mothers Day Bouquet. Cutting out the layers in slightly different sizes helps the shape come together, also I added some dimension between some layers and added Distress Stickles in Black Soot. I've added some Recollections leaves and purple Prima's, along with a small branch punch and feathers.

 This incredible paper collection is Ghosts and Ghouls from last years line by DCWV. Love. I fussy cut this large piece and then distressed the edges, inked in black, sprayed w/ a off white mist and rubbed black distress stickles on the already glossy image.

 And lastly, getting to our die cut challenge...my spooky spider from the Cricut cart, Wild Card (a bat is also with the image, you can just hide that image if you wish not to cut both, or cut both and save the bat.) I've stamped and black embossed with a flourish stamp, white inked the edges and added Distress Stickles in Barn Door to the end of the spider.

 I have to admit that Halloween creations may just be some of my favorite. It almost requires extra techniques and that is always fun...plus, takes your project to the next level. It's all about the details!

 Thanks as always for stopping in...look forward to visiting you all soon!

~Leah

Trick or Treat Witches Feet! ~SOUS Card Sketch~

Trick Or Treat Witches Feet!

 Hello Hello all you super fine paper crafters! I'll got a card sketch reveal for you today...a lil' something I cooked up for you all over at Stuck on U Sketches! Nanne is our hostess with the mostess for the month but I snuck this in =)

I must be thinking Halloween because all I can see with this sketch is a big eyeball...and let me tell you, I tried to make that work, LOL!

 Maybe not the massive eyeball that I envisioned staring at you...but this works! And, maybe a first for me actually doing a square card too! 

 This super fabulous image comes from the Happiness Jars: Fall Fillers by Papertrey Ink. One of the coolest lines of stamps with coordinating dies that I have ever, ever seen. So much so, that you need to check it out if you haven't before...go here! The image was colored with Prisma pencils and embellished w/ Stickles.

 Love creating these, easy, quick, funky and fun! Plus...I can add a googly eye... LOL! I even added some tulle between the popped layers.

 Am I awesome or what...still doing the inside! Go me! The papers and a mix of Bo Bunny Hooligans (years past) and some other ancient light gray/dark grey I've used for the cover and inside of the card.

 Well friends, hope you enjoyed! I have more Halloween coming...look out! =)