My girlfriend asked me to make bunco invitations for her group with a fall theme. She had already purchased all the plates, napkins and gifts – so the colors were ready for me to use. 
The DSP is Autumn Vines and the card stock is Really Rust. The belly band and pull out piece are Sage Shadow. The image is from Happy Blessings (Holiday mini) and is stamped in Basic Brown and colored with a blender pen and ink pads.
I thought I’d also show you some place card ideas using Happy Blessings. 
The scarecrows overalls are paper pierced and the rest of him is watercolored. Haven’t decided which to use – or whether to go back to the drawing board!
On a personal note – my Great Aunt Eleanor died yesterday morning. She was 94 and had been in great health until a week ago. Such a wonderful lady – I cannot even tell you how much she will be missed. Up until she turned about 90 she was still playing golf, bridge and swimming every day! It is so hard to imagine not having her with us! Hugs, Fran
Category: Special Projects
Shrek and Fiona
I took a silly turn yesterday while trying to finish up some Halloween treats that have to be mailed today. Look what I came up with! It’s Fiona and Shrek!
The pattern for the candy boxes came from here (Stamp a Little Love Baby!)- (which makes these cuties!)
Here’s what I changed – 
Shrek is made from Kiwi Kiss card stock for Top Note Die and Ruby Red for the box. His eyebrows are the 1 3/8″ circle punch punched with the scallop circle punch. His eyes are the 1″ circle punch (both Kiwi and Whisper White) and the centers are 3/4″ circle punch. His nose is the small oval and his mouth is drawn with and Old Olive Stampin Write Marker. His ears (or whatever those are!) are the 1 3/4″ circle punch rolled into a cone shape and held together – and on – with Mini Glue dots. He has a bit of Ruby Red Stampin Pastel for his cheeks – just a touch!
Fiona has the same things – but a bit more!
Her eyes have 3/4″ circle punch center of Brilliant Blue and she is sporting Ruby Red Hair (front and back) Her lips are the Ruby Red Stampin Write Marker and she’s wearing a bit heavier blush of Ruby Red! (Such a looker!) So there you have it! I’m wondering what other characters we can come up with now! Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
Witches Hat to Santa’s Hat
I made these little witches hats using the tutorial I found on Wendy’s blog. Aren’t they cute!
Then I made them into Santa Hats!
Fast and fun! I found that you need to use Crystal Effects to hold the pom poms – so be patient! Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
Big Shot page and more
Here’s my boy – off to college sporting the Big Shot Tulip and Serif Essential dies! If he only knew!
The little picture decorations were made with the top of the Tulipe die. And I just kept going with the Big Shot – 
This is the 3-D ornament. And here are some Basket and Bloom dies – 
It’s just too easy and way too much fun! Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
Halloween Tree
My friend, Julie, was telling me about some paper trees that she’s making – and it got me thinking (and creating!) This is the idea that I did last Christmas – just using Halloween paper! The instructions for these trees can be found here. 
It’s hard to tell – but instead looping the strips, I used my bone folder and curled them up. Then I tore apart a Halloween headband that I found at the dollar store and glued it to the top. 
The little bats are plastic rings that I cut apart and used glue dots to attach to the tree. Very spooky! Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
Big Shot Pillow Box ideas
I love playing with the Big Shot Pillow die! It is so fast and easy! Here are a few of the boxes I’ve done so far – 
This is the basic pillow box and the Birds and Blooms Die. The center of the flower was stamped with Itty Bitty Background in Chocolate Chip.
This one is cut in the More Mustard DSP and then I punched a 1 1/4 inch circle and backed it with acetate. To make the scallop flower, punch a 1 1/4 inch circle in the Old Olive cardstock and punch out the circle with the scallop punch. (Don’t try it the other way around – it doesn’t work!) The little flower is from the Basket and Blooms BigZ die. This is filled with pieces of More Mustard ribbon.
Still working on using up some retired Halloween paper! The top pillow uses Batty for You to make the tag and the bottom pillow uses the Go Go Bots alphabet die to make the letters. The “O’s” were cut again in Whisper White and the inside was placed back into the Basic Black letters. Then I punched out some 1/4 inch circles to make the eyes!
Have fun with your Big Shot and I’ll return to posting next week. I’m off to take my son to college – then maybe I can get back to normal life – whatever that is!
Dies Used
113466 Pillow Die
113484 Basket and Blooms
113485 Birds and Blooms
113450 Go Go Boots alphabet
Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
Holiday Projects
It’s Holiday crazy around here! I keep bouncing from one thing to another – so I thought I’d better share before it gets way to confusing! Let’s start with Halloween. These are the Martha Stewart test tubes. The pattern for the holder can be found here. (Lisa Sommervilles blog!) I loved the labels that came with the test tubes so I included them in the design. The set is Batty for You and All Holidays and the DSP is retired – but you can used the darling new Halloween DSP! (I have to use this up before I open a new pack!)
Continuing on with Halloween – here’s the Decor Elements piece that convention goers could order. I chose a round jar – just to make it as hard as possible for me!
But Christmas is around the corner too! So I covered some 2 x 2 wooden blocks with the Holiday DSP and added some various chipboard letters and some candle cups to make a display for my mantle.
Does this give you Holiday fever? Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
Halloween Rub Ons
I ordered the Halloween Rub Ons and couldn’t wait to use the faces to make a few gifts for my next door neighbors grandchildren. This has become sort of a “tradition” – giving their grandchildren something cute at Halloween. 
The little jars were purchased at Michaels for a dollar! After rubbing on the faces, I put a 1 3/4 circle (punched with the wonderful new circle punch) in Chocolate Chip on the top and added a little wooden piece that I found in my “odds and ends” box. To make it brown, I rolled it over the Timber Brown Stazon pad. A piece of a stick would be really cute here too. The leaves are die with the Big Shot Birds and Bloom Flower Pieces die and all of it is adhered with Tombow Multipurpose glue. If you look closely, you’ll see some of the border rub ons around the bottom of the jars. With the little piece left over, I made a tag. Add some ribbon and raffia – it’s finished! I think these would be even cuter with just candy corn in them, but I hesitate to give unwrapped candy as a gift. So I found some candy corn Hershey kisses – and they’re pretty yummy! (I HAD to sample them to make sure they were edible!) Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
Rub Ons
Here’s a fun project to try! I found some cute little bowls at Target that were just solid white. They are cereal bowls and were only about $2.50 each. I brought them home and spiced them up with Rub Ons, ribbon and buttons!
These are Rub Ons left over from Sellabration. I don’t have any of the Old Olive grosgrain (but it’s in the new catalog!) so I ran the White grosgrain across my Old Olive Classic pad several time until I got the color I wanted. I adhered it with sticky strip. The button was adhered with Crystal Effects.
It was Samantha’s idea to put a single Rub On in the bottom of the bowl! 
I did two in Old Olive and 2 in Chocolate Chip. There isn’t a Chocolate Chip button, so I used a Creamy Caramel button and a brown Sharpie Marker to make my own.
Wouldn’t these make cute gifts? Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
The Best Feeling in the World!
I’m back from Convention – and it was wonderful! We had so much fun and saw so many great ideas – my head is still spinning!
But I have to share with you what made it extra special for me! Here goes!!!
Yep! They’re all mine! I was super thrilled! Thanks for looking and sharing the fun with me! My kids are running when they see me with my computer now! Enjoy! Hugs, Fran