A Touch of Grace

For a really spooktacular treat for the older trick-or-treaters, I made these coffin boxes and stuffed them with bite size candy bars.  I found the templates for the boxes on the Martha Stewart Crafts site.  The inside of the box is lined with Halloween paper I purchased from Stampin’ Up! a couple of years ago.  I placed the mummy tag on a foam dot and adhered it to the top of the box similar to what I did with the broomstick treat bag.  The mummy tag was created with the JustRite Stampers Witch Way to the Treats set that I got from the Stamp Simply Ribbon Store. 

The boxes are quick and easy to make.  The Martha Stewart Crafts site provides an easy to use template that you can download with instructions for making the box.  Use your imagination on how you want to design it! 

Shopping Links:

A Touch of Grace:  Zip Dry adhesive, Foam Dots, Quickie Glue pen, SU circle punches, Martha Stewart mouse and bat punches (Michael’s), black pearls, Old Paper and Antique Linen Tim Holtz Distress inks, Prismacolor pencils, black and ivory cardstock, lunch size paper bags, Genesis Paper Trimmer, cutting mat, craft knife, skeleton bones and accessories (Michael’s), glitter, SU Halloween paper, Basic Black cardstock,

Stamp Simply Ribbon Store:  Witch Way to the Treats JustRite stamps, cording, Versafine black ink

Joan’s Gardens:  Martha Stewart leaf punch

Last week I was thumbing through a magazine at the check out line in the grocery store when I came across a picture of treats stuffed into a broomstick made with small paper bags about 3″ x 6″.  My creative mind immediately went to the treat bags I was making with the JustRite Stampers Witch Way to the Treats set that I got from the Stamp Simply Ribbon Store.  I couldn’t resist making a broomstick treat bag on a larger scale using the theme I was going with in my Halloween project to give to my great-nephew for Halloween. 

In this close up you  can see that I used the same tag that I made for the treat bags I posted here.  I cut a limb from an oak tree in our yard for the broomstick.  To make the lower portion of the broomstick I used two lunch size paper bags.  On the first bag I cut strips about 1/4 of the way down from the top of the bag and filled it with chocolates.  I then cut strips in the second bag from top to bottom of the bag.  I spread out the cut bag and placed the first bag filled with chocolates on top of it, I inserted the oak branch inside the first bag, and pulled the strips up to cover the bag and oak branch.  I used brown floral wire to secure the paper strips.  Once the strips were secured, I trimmed them to about 1 1/2″ leaving plenty of room for the broomstick to show.  I then took thick cord (the same cord I used on the treat bags yesterday, see link above) and wrapped it around the floral wire to hide it (see picture below).  I adhered the mummy tag to the brown cord on the bag using Zip Dry adhesive.  

I found a skeleton garland on sale at Michael’s and used it throughout the Halloween project.  The garland had five skeletons and was marked down to $2.40, can’t be that! One garland completed the entire project of treat bags, broomstick and coffins (come back tomorrow to see those, so adorable!).  I cut the skeletons from the garland and disassembled the bones.  You can see the hands above the mouse on the tag (Martha Stewart mouse punch).  The mummy’s head was paper toled and placed on a foam dot for dimension.  I adhered the legs and feet to the first bag and pulled them through the strips (see right side of bag).  I adhered the skeleton torso to the front of the bag and glued a mouse crawling across the ribs. 

My eight-year-old great-nephew is going to flip for this broomstick treat.  It works like a pinata, but instead of hitting it with a bat, you rip it open and the candy spills out.  How fun is that!  The broomstick is a perfect treat for a Halloween party and it makes an adorable presentation on your table. Using smaller bags would make great treat bags for a classroom party at school.

This photo shows the back side of the broomstick to show how I wrapped the brown cording around the floral wire.   I adhered both ends with Zip Dry glue, it dries fast and the hold is unbelievable!

Thanks so much for dropping in, I love when you stop by for a visit!

Shopping Links:

A Touch of Grace:  Zip Dry adhesive, Foam Dots, Quickie Glue pen, SU circle punches, Martha Stewart mouse punch (Michael’s), black pearls, Old Paper and Antique Linen Tim Holtz Distress inks, Prismacolor pencils, black and ivory cardstock, lunch size paper bags, Genesis Paper Trimmer, cutting mat, craft knife, skeleton bones and accessories (Michael’s), glitter, floral wire, oak branch

Stamp Simply Ribbon Store:  Witch Way to the Treats JustRite stamps, cording, Versafine black ink

Joan’s Gardens:  Martha Stewart leaf punch

I made these Halloween treat bags for our table decorations.  They’re quick and simple to make and add so much to tabletop decorations.  We invited my mother-in-law over last night for dinner and she loved the Halloween treat bags, the ghost ballroom centerpiece and other goodies I have set up on the table.  These treat bags would be adorable for a school party. 

This close up provides a better view of the tag.  You can better see the dimension of the mummy’s head and the glitter on the leaves and mouse. 

To make the toppers for the treat bags I used the Witch Way to the Treats set by JustRite Stampers that I got from the Stamp Simply Ribbon Store for the mummy tag.  I colored the image with Prismacolor pencils.  I sponged Antique Linen and Old Paper distress ink around the edges of the paper and placed black pearls on the tag.  The mummy’s head was colored and cut out a second time and placed over the image using a foam dot.  Using punches, I punched a black circle and adhered the mummy image to it.  I used a Martha Stewart leaf punch and punched three leaves (two black, one ivory) and covered them with glitter and adhered them to the tag.  I added skeleton bones over the leaves.  The mouse is a Martha Stewart punch as well.  I glittered the mouse .   .   .  LOL .   .   . he’s so elegant!  Setting the tag aside, I filled a bag with candy and wrapped the topper around it.  I cut a black strip of paper 3″ x 8″ and used the Martha Stewart mice edge punch across the top of the black strip.  I scored fold lines and wrapped the black strip around the bag and stapled it on the sides.  I cut a 2″ x 8″ strip of ivory paper and randomly stamped black spiders from an Inkadinkadoo $1 stamp set I purchased at JoAnn’s and adhered it to the black paper using Zip Dry adhesive (Zip Dry was used exclusively on all the Halloween projects, including the ghost ballroom centerpiece).  I then adhered a black 1/2″ x 8″ strip of paper around the center of the topper and over that placed a 1/2″ x 8″ strip of ivory paper punched with the Martha Stewart mice edge punch.  Zip Dry is by far the best adhesive I have found to work with.  It dries very quickly and gives you a good firm hold, which is important in Florida with the high humidity.   I attached the mummy tag to the bag using foam dots, wrapped cording around the topper and tied a knot.  I love the little mice on top of the bag .  .  .  so adorable! 

Shopping Links:

A Touch of Grace:  Zip Dry adhesive, Foam Dots, Quickie Glue pen, Scor It, SU circle punches, Martha Stewart mice punches (Michael’s), black pearls, Old Paper and Antique Linen Tim Holtz Distress inks, Prismacolor pencils, black and ivory cardstock, Halloween bags, Genesis Paper Trimmer, cutting mat, craft knife, skeleton bones and accessories (Michael’s), glitter

Stamp Simply Ribbon Store:  Witch Way to the Treats JustRite stamps, cording, Versafine black ink

Joan’s Gardens:  Martha Stewart leaf punch

Happy Halloween!  This week I have several Halloween projects (including JustRite treat bags, broomsticks and coffins) to share with you beginning today with this first design.  Using stencils I have designed a ballroom filled with vintage dancing ghosts. 

The scene you see in the design is from The Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World.  At the end of the post, you’ll find links to the stencils I used as well as other products I used.  The total size of the ballroom is 7″ x 10″, a perfect centerpiece for our small round kitchen table.

I printed the image onto white cardstock and paper toled the ghosts.  Using stencils, I embossed and cut six pieces; the overall frame with the topper, two pillars, two side panels, and the row of six columns that span across the bottom.  The row of columns was made using the same stencil as the pillars by turning the stencil upside down and using only a portion of it. I sponged Tim Holtz black soot distress ink onto the pieces to give my ballroom a dingy appearance. 

The design has a lot of dimension which I’ll try to illustrate in the photographs below. 

The flowers were made with punches and prima paper flowers.  Two stencils from the Star stencil collection were used to design the ballroom. 

In this view you can see a little of the dimension.  If you look closely, you’ll see a bar of the white foam on the right side of the frame, approximately one inch in length, as well as white foam behind the columns.  The foam dots raised the frame and columns off of the paper toled ghosts.   The pillars stand out 1/2 inch from the focal image. 

I used a Martha Stewart leaf punch, as well as Fiskars flower punches, and prima flowers for the floral decorations attached to the design.  The leaves were hand drawn and cut with a craft knife.   To add a little elegance, I added black, gold, and green glitter to the the flowers and leaves.  The black stamens in the center of the roses were made using a small flower punch.   

I embroidered the pillars and columns using black sewing thread.  I attached black silk bows to the side panels and placed roses in the centers of the bows.  The ribbon is 1/8″ white May Arts silk ribbon that I dyed black.  The bows were made with the Bow Easy. 

This picture is somewhat of a teaser.  I purposely made it dark and small to give you just a glimpse of the all the Halloween treats I’ve cooked up.  For some fun Halloween ideas,  come back tomorrow to see which treat I’ll be featuring.  While the ballroom took some time to complete, the treats were simple, quick, and easy to make.

Shopping Links:

A Touch of Grace:  PD0004 Star Collection - Pillar; PD0002 Star Collection; Scor It; Zip Dry; Foam Dots; black embossing paper, silver grey embossing paper, stylus, glitter, sewing thread, needle, light box, Genesis Paper Trimmer, Fiskars punches, self-healing mat, sponge, dauber, graph paper, black pearls,

Stamp Simply Ribbon Store:  Bow Easy, May Arts Ribbon, JustRite Halloween stamps (featured tomorrow)

Joan’s Gardens:  Martha Stewart Leaf Punch

Guess what!  I’m one of the six designers chosen by Random.org to give away the Mystery Blog Candy being given away during the JustRite Font Blog Hop.  Woo hoo!!!!

I chose Random.org for my drawing as well. 

And the lucky winner is:

Elle K - 194   Timestamp: 2009-09-20 20:50:28 UTC

(Elle, please contact me at jerrik@brandonomfs.com with your full name and address so that we can mail you your new treats.)

Congratulations Elle!!!!  You’ve won the following from JustRite Stampers:

JB 08650  - 2” Wooden Stamper

JB 08795  Holiday Demi Phrases

JB 08780 A Merry Little Christmas

These items were featured on Splitcoaststampers Product Review.  I’m providing a link that illustrates how to use the products you’ve won:  Items won, as well as a written tutorial

Have fun with your new treats!!  

Good Morning!  I hope you’re having a nice, relaxing weekend with your families. 

A reminder that today, 12:00 noon,  is the last day to leave a comment for the Mystery Blog Candy being given away by JustRite Stampers.  Be sure to check with JustRite Stampers at 6:00 p.m. to see if you’re one of the lucky winners.

Don’t forget the Super 7-Day Font Sale  going on over at JustRite Stampers.  If you’re looking for some fabulous font sets, you won’t want to miss this sale, they are offering 30% off all JustRite font sets and the Horizontal and Vertical font stampers.  The sale began September 17th and runs through to September 24th. 

Good luck to you all!

Welcome to Day 2 of the JustRite Stampers Font Blog Hop. JustRite Stampers is celebrating a Mega Font Blog Hop, a two day extravaganza with 54 designers, in style with a Super 7-Day Font Sale.  If you’re looking for some fabulous font sets, you won’t want to miss this sale, they are offering 30% off all JustRite font sets and the Horizontal and Vertical font stampers.

The sale begins September 17th and ends September 24th.  And to add some fun into the blog hop, Mystery Blog Candy is being given away during the Two Day JustRite Font Blog Hop!!  Why is it a mystery?  .  .  . Well, there’ll be three blog candy giveaways on each day and you can only win by leaving a comment on the right blog!  The real surprise is you won’t know which blog has the candy .  .  . even the designers don’t know!  So, as you visit each of the 54 designers over the two day event, take time to leave a comment  .   .   . You may be one of the lucky winners!  You have until 12:00 noon on Sunday to leave comments for your chance to win.  You’ll want to check back at the JustRite Blog on Sunday evening to find out if you’ve won.

Ladies, go grab a cup of coffee (you’ll want a large cup  .  .  . LOL), a yummy danish,  sit back, relax and enjoy the blog hop.  I hope we’ve provided you with lots of inspiration for your holiday crafting and decorating!

For the designs below I used the above products from JustRite Stampers:  Special Occasion Uppercase Font set,  Small Letter Font set, Horizontal Wood Stamper set, Autumn Blessings Borders and Centers, and Wood Stamper  Oval (large).

I decorated a jar of Pecan Pumpkin Butter and a bag filled with ingredients to make Spiced Pecan Pumpkin Quick Bread to give away as a Fall holiday gift set.

A group picture of the bag, the jar, and the pumkin bread that I baked for my family. Every Fall I receive a loaf of pumpkin bread from a dear friend.  She packages it up so beautifully.  I’m forever in awe of her thoughtfulness, kindness and talent. This year, I’m giving her this gift set in appreciation for all she does to make me feel special.  

A close up of the front of the jar.  I covered the jar with the Harvest collection designer paper from Me & My Big Ideas, as well as the lid.  I used Petite Ovals and Petite Scalloped Ovals nesties for the pumpkin image, a Spellbinders tag die for the tag, and Circles and Scalloped Circles Nesties for the jar lid.  The three strips were cut at 1/4″ and wrapped around the jar. I edged the strips, as well as the oval and circle with a gold Krylon pen. The pumpkins were water colored with Stampin’ Up!’ re-inkers.

I placed a bow on top of the lid with a tag attached.  The bow is made of green taffeta ribbon from May Arts.  The leaves were punched with a Martha Stewart leaf punch.  The tendrils were made with Chocolate Chip cardstock.  I used the Bow Easy to make the bow and encircled it with the gold cord I used for the tag.

I made two more taffeta bows and attached them to the butter spreaders, so pretty when you’re having guests.  They were very easy to apply, I simply attached them with a Glue Dot close to the ceramic edge.  For clean up, simply remove them from the utinsel.

I attached another water colored pumpkin panel to the lower corner of the bag and added berries that I purchased at Michael’s.  The Michael’s in my area is having a 50% off of all Fall items.  I purchased several beautiful pieces for my home as well as a few sprays to use as embellishments for my crafts. The two metal pumpkin tea lights pictured above in the group picture were purchased at Michael’s.  So pretty, I can’t wait to light them at the dinner table.

I cut a portion from the Fall spray and adhered it to the bag top, together with a tag that reads, “Spiced Pecan Pumpkin - Quick Bread.”  I used bows throughout the project, I’d be lost without the Bow Easy.

You’ll want to head on over to Taylor’s blog from here.  If I know Taylor, she’ll have something that will knock your socks off!

Shopping:

JustRite Stampers for Special Occasion Uppercase Font set,  Small Letter Font set, Horizontal Wood Stamper set, Autumn Blessings Borders and Centers, and Wood Stamper Oval (large).

A Touch of Grace:  Gold Krylon Pen, Scor It, Zip Dry Adhesive, Scotch Removable Tape

Stamp Simply Ribbon Store:  May Arts Ribbon (HM56), Bow Easy

Products Used in Design:

Paper:  Me & My Big Ideas (DP); Old Olive, More Mustard, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Pumpkin Pie, Naturals Ivory

Ink:  Stampin’ Up! Re-inkers; Stampin’ Up! Markers, Staz On (brown)

Accessories:  Krylon pen, double sided tape, ruler, Scor It, Nestibilities: Petite Ovals, Petite Ovals Scalloped, Circles, Scalloped Circles, Tags, Megabilities, Spellbinders Leaf, Bow Easy, May Arts tafetta ribbon, gold cord (Stampin’ Up!), Glue Dots, Dimensionals (All Night Media and Stampin’ Up!), Martha Stewart leaf punch, berries and Fall foliage (Michael’s), Zip Dry adhesive, coffee bag, Scotch Removable Tape, Pecan Pumpkin Butter and Spiced Pecan Pumpking Quick Bread (Williams Sonoma).

Good Luck with the Blog Candy and enjoy the hop!

JustRite Blog
Debbie Olson
Jerri Jimenez
Taylor Van Bruggen
Holly Simoni
Barb Schram
Terre Frye
Michelle Kovack
Kim Moreno
Catherine Doucette
Kellie Fortin
Kimberly Crawford
Kathy Jones
Michelle Giraud
Angela Barkhouse
Heather Pulvirenti
Tami Mayberry
Jennifer Buck
Keri Lee Sereika
Jami Bova
Laura Davis
Stacey Kingman
Bonnie Sharp
Stephanie Severin
Janine Orchard
Debbie Seyer
Margie Higuchi
Lauren Bergold
Anja Curvers
AJ Otto

Thank you for stopping by to visit, I always love to see you here!

JustRite is celebrating a Mega Font Blog Hop, a two day extravaganza with 54 designers, in style with a Super 7-Day Font Sale.  If you’re looking for some fabulous font sets, you won’t want to miss this sale, they are offering 30% off all JustRite font sets and the Horizontal and Vertical font stampers.  The sale begins September 17th and ends September 24th.
And to add some fun into the blog hop, there’s Mystery Blog Candy being given away during the Two Day Just Rite Font Blog Hop!!! Why is it a mystery?   .  .  . Well there’ll be three blog candy giveaways on each day and you can only win by leaving a comment on the right blog!  The real surprise is you won’t know which blog has the candy  .  .  .   even the designers don’t know!  So, as you visit each of the 54 designers over the two day event, take time to leave a comment  .   .   .  You may be one of the lucky winners!  You have until 12:00 noon on Sunday to leave comments for your chance to win. You’ll want to check back at the JustRite Blog on Sunday evening to find out if you’ve won.

Enjoy the Hop!
JustRite Stampers Blog
Michelle Wooderson
Sankari Wegman
Heidi Blankenship
Eva Dobilas
Beate Johns
Sharon Harnist
Barbara Anders
Sharon Johnson
Deb Saaranen
Becca Feeken
Kazan Clark
Lauren Meader
Tammy Hershberger
Linda Beeson
Jenny Gropp
Lori Craig
Tanis Giesbrecht
Jenn Balcer
Lisa Somerville
Karen Maldonado
Pamela Smerker
Karen Taylor
Latisha Yoast
Julie Overby
Mary Pfaff

Thank you for stopping by, hope to see you tomorrow when I will post my design for the blog hop.

Hi Ladies, I finally have pictures of my craft room.  I’ve decided to go ahead and post before and after pictures.  The reason I chose to do this is not only so you can see the room before the renovations were made, but I wanted you to see why I haven’t been posting.  Please understand my old stamping room looked nothing like this.  It was in order .  .  . somewhat .  .  . no .  .  .  really .  .  .  it was!

This room was my sons’ playroom since they were very small.  When Stephen left for college a year ago, the idea came to me to move my stamping room to this room as it is twice as large.  But there were air conditioning issues and frankly, I could not tolerate the heat.  After we completed renovations to our house in May, I called my AC guy and he was able to resolve the air conditioning issues.  At that point I moved every thing out of my old room and into this one.  My hubby took one look at the room and took pity on me.  He told me to find someone to make it my dream stamping room.  I did!  And quickly  .  .  .  before he could change his mind. 

So for the past couple of months this is what the room has been like.  Seriously, could you design in a room like this?  Last week it got worse.  I had to move this mess out of the room so that the cabinet installers could come and install my long awaited cabinets.  The contents you see in these pictures are currently in both my sons’ bedrooms, an attic, and the upstairs hallway.  The upper floor to my house is truly a maze .  .  . LOL.  The cabinets are now installed.  I’m missing two drawer fronts and one cabinet door that will be in next week.  Apparently there was a mistake in measurements resulting in pieces that didn’t fit.

So without further adieu, here are the pictures I promised.

Entry into room before renovations.

Entry after renovations.

We’re going to go around the room starting with the right side (or west side of the room). “Before” pictures will be first, followed by “after” pictures.

The tall white armoire is a custom paper armoire.  The lower drawers have been designed with racks to hold 8 1/2″ x 11″ cardstock.  The upper portion with the doors has been designed to hold 12″ x 12″ cardstock and designer paper.

Over the countertops you’ll see open cubbies.  They are 15″ in height and 8″ deep.  The bluish cast you see is a reflection of my flash.  If you look at the bottom of the armoire that has several drawers (custom for my stamps), that is the color of the cubbies.  The cabinet colors are ivory and maple. The small white door to the left is a door we nicknamed the “dwarf” door.  It’s an entry into one of our attics.  Several of the boxes you see in the “before” pictures are in there.  After I’ve moved every thing back in, I’ll use the attic for overflow (old stamps and items I don’t use on a regular basis).

This room is a room over our garage which accounts for the odd angles in the ceiling. This is my second largest work station.  I’m placing my sewing machine here.

Oops, sorry, some of the shots are at an angle.  It was late when I took these shots and I guess I was a wee bit tired.

Here I have two more work stations. Perfect for classes!  Do you see the four black oval shapes on the countertops?  Those are grommets for eletrical outlets so that I can drop electrical cords right down.  I love that!  No wiring all over the countertops or hanging over the edges.   

I’m placing my printer here underneath the cabinets.

I love the bookshelf.  Now I have a place for all my stamping and craft magazines and books. 

This is my main work station.  It’s perfect for water coloring and designing.  It’s huge, room enough for two people.  I love the “L” shape.  I chose this location because of the bright natural sunlight coming in that window.  The window is 6′ x 3′, allowing for sunlight all day long in the room.  I’m placing my Wizard underneath the overhead cabinet to the far right and will place my dies in the cabinet above.  Underneath the countertop I’ll place my Cuttlebug and Revolution, together with the Quikutz dies and Cuttlebug dies I have.  Two drawer fronts and one cabinet door are missing.  When they came in, they were the wrong size.  The replacements will be installed next week.  See the drawer and two cabinet doors that don’t have knobs.  Those are fake, it’s the side view of the three drawers that pull out from the front.  The knobs will be here Wednesday to be installed.

See the niche behind the door, that’s where I have my Stampin’ Up! classic and craft ink pads.  My Wizard and Cuttlebug are behind the ink towers.  I can’t wait to get started on this room!

We’re at the end of the tour.  I’ll be back to post pictures once I’ve moved every thing back into the room and everything is in order. 

 Thanks so much for stopping by!

Hi everyone, it’s been ages since I’ve posted.  I’ve not had access to my stamping supplies, they’ve been packed in boxes for nearly two months.  I moved my stamping room to another location in my home and am having cabinets made for the room.  Little did I realize it would take this long.  The cabinets were installed Thursday and Friday, but are not yet complete.  Hopefully everything will be completed on Monday.  I have before and after pictures that I’ll be sharing with you soon.  Once you see the pictures you’ll understand why I haven’t been able to stamp.

I didn’t pack my water colors and have been working on this painting.  It’s roughly about 8 1/2″ x 11.”  I didn’t draw the fairy, sadly I’m not that talented .  .  . LOL.  I purchased a book at Michael’s a couple of years ago entitled “Enchanting Fairies” by Barbara Lanza.  I blew up a drawing provided in the book and transferred it to 8 1/2″ x 11″ water color paper.  I painted the fairy with a mix of Schminke and Winsor Newton water color paints.  After completing the painting, I adhered Swarovski crystals to the fairy’s hair.  The crystals don’t show up well in the photos; in real life they sparkle like diamonds and emeralds.   While the painting is a bit “amateurish,” I’m pleased with my first attempt at a water color this size. 

I’m providing a close up of her face, you can see I’ve also placed a few crystals on the fairy’s ear and forehead.  I’ve named her Dawn Marie.  I think she resembles my very sweet and beautiful second cousin, Dawn Marie.  Dawn lives here in Tampa and is a senior at University of South Tampa.

I’ll be back soon with pictures of my stamp room and new designs.  You won’t want to miss this coming September 17 & 18! JustRite Stampers is hosting a blog hop and has invited several of the top designers to join in.  I’ll be posting my design on Friday, September 18.

I hope you had a wonderful summer with your family and friends! 

Many Blessings!