The Stamping Owl

Here is a sneak peek of the cards we will be making in my September class.   It is a fun set of cards that includes nuts, fruit and some Halloween fun.  We will use a variety of color combinations that make me feel happy, warm, and cheerful.  You will make 12 cards, 3 each of 4 designs, and all supplies including envelopes are provided.  The class fee is $20.  There are still spaces available in all sessions: September 17th @ 9 am and 1 pm; September 18th @ 9 am and 1 pm.  Please email me to reserve your spot ([email protected]).

The featured products for this class are the Acorny Thank You photopolymer stamp set and coordinating Acorn Builder Punch.  A sampling of some of the other products we will be using include the Fruit Stand designer paper, Jar of Love photopolymer stamp set and  the Sweet Home photopolymer stamp set and coordinating Home Sweet Home thinlits from the new Occasions catalog.  

I thought it would be fun to make a turkey card this year modeled after my turkey card from last year but this time making the feathers out of the Festive Flower Builder Punch instead of the oval punch and ribbons in the previous year.  You can decide which one you like best.

2014 Turkey Card

2015 Turkey Card

To make the turkey, I used the Owl Builder Punch.  I punched out the owl body from Soft Suede cardstock and cut off the ears and feet.  Then I punched only a portion of the bottom of the body and feet from Pumpkin Pie cardstock and attached it behind the body so that the turkey had orange feet.  His beak is a freehand triangle cut from Pumpkin Pie cardstock.  His gobbler is the small heart punched from the Owl Builder Punch.  

For his eyes, I used whisper white cardstock and first punched out the 2 smallest circles from the Owl Builder Punch.  Then I moved the piece to the middle sized circles on the owl builder punch to punch out the eyes.  The negative space left by the smallest circles are then the darkest part of the eyes.  After attaching to the turkey's face, I colored it in with the Project Life Journaling Pen so that it was black.  

For the feathers, I used the medium sized petal and smallest petals from the Festive Flower Builder Punch.  I stamped the matching vein stamps from the Reason for the Season Stamp set on the petals so that they would look more like feathers.  I guess turkey feathers are a bit thinner but this turkey is a bit more stocky and doesn't have a long neck so they seem to fit.  Maybe they would work out better as peacock feathers.  I'll have to try out a peacock next time!

Here are the supplies used for the 2015 turkey card.

Although Halloween has passed, I wanted to share with you these cupcakes.  I brought them to my sister's house where there were many cute little children and their parents to share them with. Maybe you can use these ideas for a birthday party with a bug theme or for next Halloween.  

I was inspired to make these cupcakes by a retired set called Booglie Eyes pictured here.

I kept this set because of the spider, which is my favorite one of the group.  I made this card as a swap for an SUI regional event in Oregon in 2007.  Yep, I pulled this one out of the archives.

Here are the cupcakes.  I used Oreos, mini Oreos and sugar eyes from the party store.  I used black glimmer icing from a tube for the legs.  They were really fun and simple to make.  Despite being bugs, I would put them in the cute critter category.  

Here are the spiders with one close-up.

Here are all of the designs including a baby spider, ant and owl.   Then a close-up of the baby spider and ant.

I thought the owl would be my favorite, but I ended up liking the spiders and ants more.  Now I need to think about what I can do for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I can see  how I could make a turkey using the Oreo as a base again.  Maybe I can use white chocolate wafers to make snowmen or just open up the Oreo to expose the inside filling for the snowman body.  We'll see how they turn out.  Hope you have fun making your own!

For September, the class theme was a little birthday and a little fall.  The featured product was Expressions Natural Elements--wood veneer cutout words in "Congrats", "Thanks" and "Celebrate".  There was a little timing issue and instead of the Expressions Natural Elements arriving before class, it arrived the Monday after.  So I did some improvising and each of the 4 designs are shown as 2 versions, one with and one without the Expressions Natural Elements.  Each attendee then decided if they wanted to stamp their message or leave the message open as a placeholder for the Expressions Natural Elements when it arrived.  

The first card fits the class name--a cupcake with sprinkles on top with a matching message.  The Circles Card Thinlits was used to make this card that flips to show a message on the circle when the card is opened.

The second card is a fall scene featuring the Happy Scenes photopolymer set and Hearth & Home Thinlits Dies from the holiday catalog.  It reminded many of us of Snoopy--It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

The 3rd card is a critter, of course, featuring the fox from the Thankful Forest Friends stamp set and coordinating Into the Woods designer series paper available in the holiday catalog.  The rabbit and bear could be substituted too.  It is a panel card that opens in the middle.  The sides are scored 2 1/8" from each edge so that when folded they meet in the middle.

The 4th card is a cased card from Cindy Baughman that we call the Aulani or Hawaiian card.  I just changed the stamp image to the leaves from the Remarkable You stamp set instead of the lily pad flower.  The Boho Chic embossed design on the Early Espresso cardstock gives it a tapa-like feeling.  I think using the wood cutouts on this card has a big impact.  Thanks Cindy for the inspiration!  

One of my sisters is born in October, so I usually like to give her a Halloween-themed birthday card.  On her card, I left off the Halloween message and wrote "Witching you a happy birthday" instead.  I like the starry cloak and hat and she even has a few teeth...

This card features many punches.  To make the stars pattern for the cloak and hat, use the Confetti Stars Border Punch on Blackberry Bliss cardstock.  Then use the Tree punch to punch out the triangle portion only for the hat and the coat.  The hat is 1/4" shorter than the cloak.  Then use the Tree punch again to punch 2 triangles from Daffodil Delight cardstock.  Snail the Blackberry Bliss punched pieces to the Daffodil Delight punched pieces.  The brim is made using the Word Window punch.  Her hair is the Washi Tape punch cut using the Fringe Scissors.  I used Project Life Journaling pens to draw her face.  I made her teeth white by coloring it with the uni-ball Signo Gel Pen.  For her cheeks, I used my favorite polka-dot technique--the eraser top of a pencil stamped with Blushing Bride classic ink.  See below for all of the products used to make this witchy card.