WLS Oct#1 - Shades of Autumn

Good Morning everyone

The first sunday in October so time for a new challenge over at We Love Stamping where the theme for this month is a nice easy one

SHADES OF AUTUMN

So dig out your stamps and have fun with all the colours of this beautiful season

Long ago in the January sales i bought a fab scarecrow & pumpkin stamp set and a layered leaf stencil both by Studio light which ive used here. Ive used a rich gold pearl card for my base and background and after testing inks decided to use acrylic paints for both the stencilling and stamping as they gave a much crisper image than all my different inks.

After doing the background (see below) I put the panel in my stamp platform and lined up the scarecrow stamp.  Onto a mat i put black and navy blue paint and using a sponge dabbed lightly onto the stamp and stamped, letting it settle for a while to allow the paint to transfer, it did need a 2nd coat to get a nice deep colour to cover the background - so the stamp press ideal here for a second stamp.  I then stamped the birds onto his arms the same way.

I loved how the black and navy paint naturally mixed and gave the effect of light and details in an old scarecrow outfit rather than it being a flat colour.  I added a little more light detail with a pastel yellow posca pen - using a white pen for highlights here would have been too harsh.

I then dug out all my offcuts and snippets of card in autumn colours for stamp the pumpkins on, again stamped with paint. These are shilouette stamps so when i cut them out i cut a border around the edge to help them stand out. I then arranged them around my scarecrow.  

Sentiment stamped onto cream card and die cut, adhered to the top and added one of the little pumpkins to finish.

The rich gold pearl ive used as a subtle leaf pattern already embossed into it which sadly was impossible to pick up in the photos, although you can make it out a bit better here, it is amazing when the light hits it.  It is beautiful and Ive had it years from an old company called 'payper box' where you could pick and mix card

The background.  I stencilled the first layering stencil of the leaves onto the pearl card with acrylic paints in yellow, orange & a little touch of green and the acorn bodies in warm browns.  Once dry i stencilled the next layer of the leaf veins in burgundy, the acorn hats in dark brown and the 'confetti' in a pale green.  You definitely need small detail stencil brushes here as the elements were all quite close to each other on the stencils and a bit fiddly when you have the shakes. 

Items Used:

Studio light stamp set 'pumpkin' #SL-ES-STAMP877

Studio Light Stencil set 'Leaf background' #SL-ES-MASK372

Clearly Besotted sentiment stamp set 'seasonal sentiments'

MFT Xstitch rectangle die

Stitched fishtail banner die

FolkArt Acrylic paints

Rich Gold pearl card (from payper box now closed)

Various coloured card

Posca white pen

We have a fabulous prize this month so do hop over to We Love Stamping to join in and be in with a chance of winning 

Id love to enter the following:

https://craftygalscornerchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-280-anything-goes-woptional.html

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https://lilredwagon.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-878-autumn-colours.html

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https://thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/10/fall-season-october-2026.html

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https://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/2026/09/autumns-beauty.html

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https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-859.html

https://inkspirationalchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/09/inkspirational-challenge-377-visual.html - pumpkins, leaves & birds

 

Creative Artist October - Witches lair

 Good Morning everyone

Its the first Friday of the month so time for a new challenge over at Creative Artiste where the theme is anything MIXED MEDIA goes, using at least 3 different mediums.

I decided to go for a Halloween make using a coffin shaped box as the base for a Witch themed assemblage

Approx size 

closed 3x6" / 7.5x15cm

open 6x6" /  15x15cm

See lots of photos below for how i decorated the wooden box and more detailed photos of each section.

I then had fun raiding my stash of trinkets collected over the years to build up each shelf section

The lady in the mirror (see pic below)  I added the paper element and tim holtz chat stickers and mod podged to seal.  Added a broomstick and skull and propped a plastic witches hat on the skull.  As a witch you just drop your broom and hat just as you get home beside the door ready to go again

I added some fibrous 'stuff' 😂 No idea what its made from - man made material but boy did i get in a mess trying to glue the stuff into place, once it touched the small dabs of glue Id added in place it wanted to stick to everything but where i wanted it🤣.....i might have had less trouble using real cobwebs.....

For my birthday I was treated to a couple of junk journal kits by Ciao Bella.  I thought this image in the frame looked a bit spooky and added a Tim Holtz chit chat sticker reach says 'look in your mirror for the other one' as I thought the lady could be looking out of a mirror.  

In hindsight with the shelves I would do differently next time so that the supports are hidden more - one of those live and learn moments.

The top shelf is the book shelf, as you can see its very higgledy-piggledy and this witch just throws them back after use.  I used some thin tubular wooden beads which i thought looked like scrolls side on, just added some dark acrylic paint to take away the wood look.  I made up some tiny books using a script print paper and aged the edges with brown acrylic paint and ruffed them up to look like thumb pages.  More cobwebs added

2nd Shelf is for potion bottles, I added printed bottles at the back to make a fuller looking shelf then added 3 real glass mini bottles in the front.  The green one on the left i filled with holographic glitter flakes, middle one was clear and i added red alcohol ink and a clear one of the right I added dandelion seeds to.  Adding chat stickers and ages with touches of brown paint.  More cobweb added with a plastic spider, small skull and bone.  Chat sticker adhered to the back which reads 'a small grinning skull'

and the base layer

I took a small plastic cauldron and coated with acrylic paint to take away the plastic look and then filled with a teal metallic texture paste and had it spilling over the side.  I cut a Tim Holtz bone in half and added into the cauldron before the texture paste cured - this is the other half of the bone i used in the 2nd section with the potions.

2 pumpkins added to the back, with some cobwebby stuff and a 'genie' lamp at the front, this is plastic which i aged it with acrylic paints. I added some moss and a paper eye to the back panel which is keeping an eye on things

I gave 2 Tim Holtz pumpkins a make over with acrylic paint so a bit more realistic 

I wanted to use a witches hat on the skull but it wouldn't fit nicely in the space or on the head/skull so i cut the back off with scissors so it would fit better.  I also added a little gold paint to bring out the texture more.

I added a 'hocus pocus' chipboard sticker to the front and a door handle/knocker.

There is a big design flaw with this coffin, its upside down, the feet are on the shallow part which in real life would not be good as the occupant would fall out on opening......😂

I first coated the wooden box with bright acrylic paints in a random way and then added texture paste through a foliage stencil which of course was the wrong way around! lol   Didn't think ahead here - of course when you do it, add the texture paste first and then your paint as i needed to add the paint again to cover the texture paste😩

I removed the hinges and closure from the coffin to make painting easier, they just need my mini screwdriver and were easy to take off and put back on once it was all finished

Dry brushed on navy and dark purple paint over the outside so its not as bright and picks out the texture paste.

I added shelves to the deep side of the coffin using 450gsm cardstock and then dry brushed over all the inside with vintage white to soften the brightness so that my elements don't get lost.

I then added gilding to the outside using my trusty Cadence Dora paints, these are my go to for any kind of gilding as find them way easier to use than waxes but get the same effect but being a paint makes them so much more versatile as well.  I first went over with light coats of a blue and green dora paint and then finished with a very light coat of the gold which is definitely my fav colour in the range as you only need the smallest touch and it shimmers like crazy.  

Items Used:

Wooden coffin from 'The Works'

Various Tim Holtz ideology pieces

Other assemblage items collected over the years

Ciao Bella junk journal 'The witch's grimoire'

Folkart matt acrylic paints

Cadence Dora paints

Texture paste

Foliage Stencils

Do hop over to Creative Artiste to see what the rest of the DT have created and to join in with your mixed media makes - anything goes from a small ATC upto a large canvas and everything inbetween as long as you use 3 or more different mediums.

Id love to enter the following:

https://craftingfromtheartchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/09/september-challenge-2026-august-winners.html

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https://halloweencraftsallyearround.blogspot.com/2026/10/spooktacular-october-challenge-1.html

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https://twooldbatshalloweenchallenge.blogspot.com/

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https://craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.com/2026/09/crafty-catz-720-atg.html

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http://craftrocketchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/10/challenge-141-autumn-andor-halloween.html

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https://creativeinspirationchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/10/creative-inspiration-challenges-43.html

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https://tolanythingbutacard.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-outlawz-anything-but-card-october.html

Christmas Stars

Good Morning everyone

Today im sharing a batch of cards that started out using very slim offcuts of Christmas/winter themed papers left over from previous years from making envelopes.  I had no idea where these would end up but first off i used the strips to make a 'new' paper by adhering them all to a piece of paper.

I raided my stash for old silver mirror & glitter card which was about time it was used, the silver going nicely with the blue tone papers.  

DL card white card base (approx 4x8")

I cut my stripe paper to size and put through a 3D embossing folder, this helped embed the stripes together as well as add a lovely tactile feel.  I then dry brushed over the top with vintage white chalk paint and a light touch over the top with white pearl cadence dora paint which gives a beautiful shimmer.  I matted this onto silver satin card and then the card front.

I cut the middle out the silver mat layer which i then used for my die cut elements - thus making it go further and no one would know as the hole is hidden behind the beautiful embossed panel.  

I die cut the circular sentiment from navy blue card, then cut a circular frame from white card using 2 circle dies, then a larger frame from the same silver card used for the mat layer.  You end up with a 'doughnut' so can see through the middle to the paper and embossing. 

I then die cut alot of stars from the various silvers, blue and white and adhered a different centre into the frames....very fiddly but worth it, i used a bit of tape behind the star to hold the solid centre into the frame.

I then adhered 3 under the sentiment as if hanging from circle, I used pinflair glue gel here so could get them at different levels etc..

Close up on the stars.

Navy solid star with silver satin frame

Silver solid star with silver glitter frame

Silver glitter solid with navy frame

Sadly the photos just don't show the beauty of the glitter, mirror and beautiful pearl stars😞  In real life they really shimmer and sparkle in the light.

Version 2 using silver mirror card for the mat layers

Version 3 uses silver glitter card for the mat layer

This shows my paper stripes adhered to A4 paper to make my 'new' paper.  When i did this i had no idea what i was going to make so on one i adhered the patterns horizontally and the other vertically.  The papers are all slightly different widths so i just stuck them on randomly, not over thinking it.

Left photo shows it just embossed and the right one shows it after i dry brushed the white and pearl paint over the stars, it just softens it all and helps bring the different patterns together.  Honestly in real life it is very shimmery

Items Used:

MFT Christmas sentiment circle die

Spellbinders Circle dies

Frantic stamper Star on a string die 

Lisa Horton Slimline 3d embossing folder 'Starry Night' LHCEF077

Various scraps of patterned papers

Jane Davenport gess-oh 'white' 

Cadence Dora paint 'white'

Id love to enter card #1 into the following:

https://pixiessnippetsplayground.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-541.html

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https://12monthsofchristmaslinkup.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-136-anything-goes-christmas.html

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https://craftingacutabove.blogspot.com/2026/09/september-challenge-20.html - 2nd Entry

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https://peaceonearthchristmas.blogspot.com/2026/09/peace-on-earth-challenge-120.html

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https://lovethoseprettypapers.blogspot.com/2026/09/atg-love-those-pretty-papers-september.html

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https://merrylittlechristmaschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/09/mlccb-70-anything-christmas-goes-mlccb.html

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https://hollyandivychristmas.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-212-anything-christmas-goes_01649853709.html