Cute Halloween Card

 Hi!  It's me again with my favorite cat - Mr. Sassy Cat (or Clever Cat if you're looking in the catalog for him).  He's been after me to make another card with him, so that's what we're doing today.  For those of you that know me well, you know I'm not a huge Halloween fan.  So since this is the only Halloween set I bought this year, I feel I might as well get him out to play every once in a while.  If it was up to him, it'd be more often.  But who's in charge here anyway?  Yup, don't answer that!

Since the card is really quite straight forward, there won't be tons of instructions today.  Just quick and easy I hope.

The card starts out with a base of Pumpkin Pie cardstock cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half.  First layer is Basic Black cut at 5 1/4" x 4" attached to base with adhesive.  Next layer is a lovely tweedy print from the In Good Taste Designer Series Paper. This is such a great masculine print, but I think it's a fun contrast to the Halloween theme going on here.   It's cut at 5" x 3 3/4" and also attached with adhesive.

The main layer is Basic White cut at 3 1/2" x 2 1/4".  This has the outside edges lightly colored with the Blending Brushes and Balmy Blue ink to relieve the harsh white expanse, and maybe give a hint of evening time.  Besides I like the contrast of blue and orange, so why not.  The outline pumpkin and hiding cat were both stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  The spider webby line was stamped in Smoky Slate ink and the spider is also black.  The solid pumpkin was stamped using Pumpkin Pie ink.  This was layered onto a Pumpkin Pie cardstock piece cut 3 3/4" x 2 1/2".

Mr. Sassy Cat said it needed something added before he was added to the card.  The Black Glitter Paper in the Halloween section of the July-Dec Mini Catalog was the perfect addition.  The piece was cut at 3/4" x 4 1/4" and laid across the left side of the card front.  It goes edge to edge, so it shows nicely on the orange card base too.  The stamped layer goes on next with Dimensionals, right in the middle of the card.  The sentiment was stamped on a 1/2" skinny Pumpkin Pie strip using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  The right end was trimmed with the Triple Banner Punch.  It was attached with Mini Dimensionals with the left edge overlapping onto the Black Glitter Paper.

The inside has a layer of Basic White cardstock that was cut to 5" x 3 3/4".  This was also colored on the edges with the Blending Brushes and Balmy Blue ink.  The sentiment was stamped in the Tuxedo Black ink, along with the two spiders.  The webby strings for the spiders was stamped with Smoky Slate ink.  I added a 1/4" skinny strip of Basic Black cardstock to the left side of the white to kind of mimic the card front.

After looking at the front of the card when it was finished, Mr. Sassy Cat said it still wasn't quite right and just needed something else.  I tried several different embellishments to give it some bling, even some retired purple and/or orange stars.  Not quite right yet, and he wasn't happy.  Then I remembered the retired star border punch with lots of itty-bitty stars in several sizes.  I punched some from a scrap of the Black Glitter Paper.  Oh yeah!  Just right to finish off the card front and add some very subtle glitter too!  I love it when a plan comes together, and Mr. Sassy Cat was happy too!

Thank you ladies that have been ordering.  I truly appreciate you so much.  If you're looking, the current host code is in the top right corner on the blog page.  I hope you use it when you place an order.

I hope you enjoyed today's post and maybe got a smile on your face.  I know I needed to do something a little fun today to cheer me up.  It's been doing lots of raining here for the last couple of days and has been so gray all day.  That means I'm having a real hard time staying dry when I have to go out.  Unfortunately there's lots more rain coming in the next week too.  But of course, the plants and flowers are loving it, so I can't complain.  Just looking for that rainbow and counting my blessings instead.

Happy creating and stamping!

Sharon

Mr. Sassy Cat is Back!

Hi!  For some reason, this very sassy cat keeps telling me it's time to play with him.  So here we are back again with another Halloween card.  Some of you might remember that I totally loved the Arrange A Wreath bundle that we had before.  I miss using it so much!  When I saw the Seasonal Swirls Dies in the July-December 2021 Mini Catalog, I knew this would be one I had to have.  Now that I have it in my hot little hands, it's time to get it out and use it again.  So this is a mix of Clever Cats stamps, Seasonal Swirls Die, and the Playful Alphabet Dies (haven't used those in awhile) to make this fun card.

Isn't this guy just the coolest cat around?  He's hanging around hiding among the leaves on this wreath so he can jump out and say boo!

I started with a card base of Cinnamon Cider because it's such a nice, warm fall color.  Then I wanted the look of a wood door to hang the wreath on, and this wood print from the In Good Taste Designer Series Paper worked nicely.  It is cut at 5 1/4" x 4" and attached to the Cinnamon Cider card base using Multi Purpose Liquid Glue.

Then it was time to play with Mr. Sassy Cat.  He was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Very Vanilla cardstock.  I used the Stamparatus for this to make sure his fur was nice and black.  After stamping, I fussy cut him out.  Then he sat at the table with me and helped me decide on the colors of the leaves for his hiding place in the wreath.

We cut two wreaths - one from Cinnamon Cider cardstock to match the card base and the second one from Pear Pizzazz to give it more green.  Then he wanted leaves cut from Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Bumblebee, and Cajun Craze cardstock.  Mr. Sassy Cat said it needed more pop so I tried some leaves cut from the Be Dazzling paper that's one of the free items offered during Sale-a-bration.  I liked it, but he said he didn't.   He wanted the Black Glitter Paper instead.  Guess I was out-voted on this one.  He says these have a more subtle look and are more spooky too.  Hmmm.

The wreaths were attached with Multi Purpose Liquid Glue, first the Pear Pizzazz wreath and then the Cinnamon Cider one turned a bit and layered on over it.   Then I had to tuck Mr. Sassy Cat in the wreath so I knew where to place all the leaves.  They were mostly attached with Mini Glue Dots for ease.  After the wreath looked about right to me, I had a few leaves left over and thought they might be used inside the card.   But I decided I liked the look of them falling down from the wreath into a little pile at the bottom of the card.

The BOO! was cut from the same Black Glitter Paper in the Mini Catalog using the Playful Alphabet Dies.  Before cutting, I added some of the Adhesive Paper to the back of the Glitter Paper so it was very easy to die-cut, peel off the backing, and stick those little letters down.

The last part to the card was the inside.  I wanted to use the broom, but Mr. Sassy Cat said cats don't ride brooms.  I talked him into it anyway.  I had a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock already cut to size and the little divots punched out the corners (have no idea what I originally used to do that!).  I stamped the sentiment and broom with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  It just wasn't enough, so I added some color to the edges with the Blending Brushes and Bumblebee and a little Pumpkin Pie ink.  Still needed a little something more.  Hmmm.   Mr. Sassy Cat suggested that I stamp his little friend, Kitty, peeking up from the edge of the card.  And that was juuust right.  So that's how Mr. Sassy Cat and I made this card.  Hope you like it!  If not, blame it all on him!  It was all his fault.  Now that I've played with him again, maybe he'll give me a little peace and quiet and I can go on to create with other stamps too.  We'll see how soon he insists on playing again!

Hope you're enjoying the Labor Day holiday.  Don't forget to get your order in before Sale-a-bration is over at the end of September.  Time's flying!  Please use the host code shown to the left here.  I truly appreciate your business!  Don't these warm and vibrant leaf colors inspire you?  I'll have to try incorporating this idea somehow in a future card idea.

Thanks for sharing some of your precious time with me.  I love to hear from you so leave me a comment, or just text me.  Or of course, you can always call too!!!  Miss you! 

Happy stamping with many hugs,

Sharon

Sassy Clever Cat Card

 I keep forgetting that Halloween and all the other fall activities and holidays are creeping up on me.  I've been so focused on Christmas lately, that I've totally ignored all the rest of fall.  But that is going to be remedied right now.  There is a little stamp set in the July-December Mini Catalog that is easy to overlook.  It isn't flashy, have Designer Paper that goes with it, or dies that coordinate.  Just a funky little stand-alone stamp set.  But the cats in the Clever Cats set are just the funniest and sassiest around.  I just couldn't resist getting this!

See, isn't this guy just the funkiest and coolest cat around?  He just made me laugh when I saw him.  And yes, I've decided this cat is a guy that just knows it all and is too cool for words!  

The card starts out with a base of Pumpkin Pie cardstock cut to 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", folded in half.  I knew I wanted to have a green plaid or check for fall, but everything was looking too Christmas-y.  To compensate for that, I took a Heartwarming Hugs Designer Series Paper cut at 5" x 3 3/4".  Next I got out my Blending Brush and some Crumb Cake ink and changed the Garden Green and White check to a softer, more muted coloring.  As I kept blending the color on, the background changed and now looks pretty much like Very Vanilla instead of white.  What a neat trick when you don't have quite the color you need.  Just blend on some extra color until you get just what you want.

Next the Very Vanilla cardstock was cut with the Scalloped Contours dies.  The broom was stamped on this with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  I added some Crumb Cake marker to the handle and Crushed Curry to the straw areas.  I decided that the edges needed to have Crumb Cake ink sponged on to define those edges.  This time a Sponge Dauber was used.  

There are several really cute sentiments in the stamp set, and I chose to use the "purr-fect Halloween" one for this card.  Thought that would be just what this cool cat would say.  This was stamped with the Tuxedo Black ink on a Very Vanilla cardstock piece that was then die-cut with the Stitched So Sweetly die to fit.  This also has the Crumb Cake sponged on the edges to define them.

The cool cat was stamped with Tuxedo Black, but on Basic White cardstock so his chest would be contrasted against the background.  Then he was fussy-cut with Paper Snips.  He is attached to the broom with both Dimensionals along his upper back and adhesive by his belly and feet.  This helps him to pop off the card just a little bit, but stay connected to his broom.  Wouldn't want him to fall off!

Before I attached the cat to the card front, I thought just a little strip of the Black Glitter Paper (a little less than an inch wide) would enhance the card.  It was attached to the green checked DSP with adhesive.  The cat layer was popped up with Dimensionals.  The sentiment rectangle also has Dimensionals behind it and was placed at an angle on the card.

Lastly, the cool cat said he needed some bling to draw attention to how wonderful he is.  So I added some of the Holiday Rhinestones in a golden-orange color to enhance him.  Isn't he too cool?  Say yes, otherwise he might get his feelings hurt.   *grins*

Hope you had fun with this cool cat today.  If you'd like to order him and his Clever Cat friends, please use the Host Code shown here.  You can use the code even if you don't want these adorable cats!!  I really appreciate all your orders ladies.  You are all awesome and totally cool too!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a little time with me today.  Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think of my Clever Cat friend.  I'd love hearing from you.  It's nice to get some feedback so I know what you're thinking.

Happy stamping and creating!

Sharon