Halloween 2015

Halloween is one of my favorites!  Dressing the girls up this year was a blast.
Aurora was BatGirl
Alice was SuperGirl
Arden was Wonder Woman
Because there is plenty of time to be princesses.

All I wanted was 1 nice photo of everyone together...maybe next year.

I got some nice individuals.  

I love it!

The skirt on the Supergirl outfit was so fluffy!  It was the only one I could find that wasn't pink.  It shipped all the way from China.  Insane.  I don't know why every girl costume has to be pink.  

Aurora with the pumpkins we carved, more pictures of that down below.  

We went Trick or Treating with our friends The Hulk and Captain America.  We were the best looking super troop in town. 

We struck out a quite a few houses.  Apparently nobody in this neighborhood knows that if your light is on, you should have candy. 

We got some candy anyway.  

Sharing our wagon with friends. 

She loved carving the pumpkins.  She liked pulling out the guts.  Mom doesn't carve pumpkins, because it's gross. 

She liked using a spoon to get the seeds out. 

We went Trick or Treating a few days before at the Sprint campus.  Our littles got all decked out in their kitty skirts. 

It was nice to get a test run on the Bat costume. 

Everyone had a good time this year, next year will be even better. 

The girls' 3 month session is booked...stay tuned.  Lots and lots has happened in a month. 

Oh yes, and, as of last night the Kansas City Royals WON the World Series!!

Jessica

It's Not Too Late For Halloween

I'm a bad blogger...and I know Halloween has come and gone, but I had one more card to post.

I think any card that you can use a rat stamp has got to be a winner.

I sent this one to a fellow 'lab rat'.

Complete with one really big spider on the inside.

I got off early on Halloween so I got to be home to hand out candy to the trick or treaters. We had some, I don't think it was quite as many as last year. They seemed to wrap it up around 8:30 or so, since it was a school night. Oliver hates trick or treaters. It sends him into another dimension that they are close to the house, ringing the doorbell, and to top it off they take our candy! He simply can't stand it.

I can't believe it's November already. Turkey day is just around the corner, and to make that even more daunting, I'm hosting my mother's side of the family, and hopefully Jonathan's family as well. I'm terribly nervous! It should be a good time, but I don't know how to cook a turkey! Then Christmas is just a few short weeks after...where has this year gone?

A small Oliver update:
He's doing well. His wounds are almost all the way healed, his butt fur is slowly growing back in. He's pretty much acting like nothing happened. He wants to run and play so badly, but he can't yet. We're having our recheck appointment at MU in December, so hopefully all has gone well and he'll be cleared for activity then. I really hope so, because he's gonna love to play in the snow this year. The only thing is, he's still limping on the right leg, we're hoping that he'll "grow" out of it, they did do a ton of work on his knees..so we're hopeful.

That's pretty much it. I have a few cards on deck, and at least 1 set to be made...so hopefully I get to them soon.

Jessica

Slider Halloween Cards

I thought I'd bring you a happy post before I start posting about Oliver's recovery..because it's sad..you'll see what I mean.

But on a happier note..I have a couple of Halloween cards.

These are slider cards. The circle part rolls back and forth in the groove. How awesome is that? They are super easy to make, and I sort of want to make tons of them.

See, it moves! You just tilt the card back and forth, and giggle like a 5 year old.

I loved it so much, I made a second one. I've got 8 of those little stamps..so really I could make 8...believe me, I've thought about it.

I'm a little sad I don't have any more of that paper, it was from Hobby Lobby a few years ago, and they don't sell it any more. Damn.

I hope everyone had a good week, or will have a good weekend. We've been home all week, which sounds fun, but it's not when you baby is 2 hours away. I'm doing much better now that he's home.

Jessica

Watercolored Halloween Card

3 posts in the same week?! Crazy I know.

I'm on a Halloween spree. I've got a card today, and 2 more waiting in the wings. I think I'm shooting for 12 cards this year, so we'll see if I make it in time. It's sort of difficult because I like them all to be different (I say that, but the next post will have to very similar cards..but more on that later) or to try a new technique on each one...so it takes more time.

For example..this card took 2 tries. I used Stampin' Up's water color paper and painted the background. I embossed the image with black powder. When I went to stamp it the first time it was really crooked..so I had to start all over. And since the image is sort of involved, I went with really simple on the rest of the card. I used my Cuttlebug to emboss the front with a spider web.

The image is sort of shiny from the powder, it's also raised up.

The inside is pretty simple too. As I'm sure you're noticing, this is one of my favorite sentiment stamps for Halloween.

I might get something posted tomorrow, but I'm not sure, some friends of ours just had a baby, so I'm hoping to go see them tomorrow. Exciting.

Jessica

Pop Up Ghost Card

I've got another Halloween card toady...I'm getting caught up..sort of.

This one is pretty simple...but I still think it's cute.

Ooooh, pop up ghost..

Some day, I promise I'll get a light box and take properly lit pictures...some day.

It's Monday already, this weekend went by too quickly. Another week of work, and next weekend will go by fast as well I'm sure. Next Tuesday Oliver is having surgery, so life is about to get complicated around here.

Jessica

Embossed Candle Halloween Card

I haven't fallen off the wagon completely..

It's been a long week, and so far, a long weekend. Today we went to Warrensburg to watch the UCM game. My sister is in the band there. It ended up being an all day event...ending with a sunburn which is wonderful.

It's October already..I'm not sure what happened to September..and August for that matter.

I'm putting out my best effort to get in gear and get some Halloween cards made. I have a few done that haven't been posted yet, so that's what I have today.

This one is pretty simple, but I sort of like how it turned out.

The candle is embossed with silver powder, so it's shiny and metaly looking.

The card folds in the center, which is different that I usually do things. I kept with the silver theme and stamped the greeting and some accents in silver pigment ink.

I'm still working on more cards, and I have a few that just need to be posted...maybe tomorrow..maybe not.

Jessica

The First Halloween of the Season

It's chilly today. And that means that fall is finally here (I hope). In fact, a day like today is on my list of perfect days. It's overcast and a little brisk. Oliver and I went for a little walk around the neighborhood today, and it was wonderful.

In honor of fall finally being here I have the first Halloween card of the season today.

Halloween is my favorite holiday, I can hardly wait to set up all of our decorations..and have a Halloween Dinner (if you're not familiar, there will be more on that later).
The card today I think turned out really well. It's the moon and bats for those of us who don't possess the vision.

The bats are attached to the string.

And the moon has the sentiment on the inside when you open the card.

I've got several things on the horizon, 2 more finished Halloween cards, and a few other special things.

We're pretty busy this weekend. We're going to a Royals game on Friday night, the agility class Saturday morning, then RenFest with Oliver and Aunt Katie Saturday afternoon. It's pet weekend, he's very excited.
His life vest came in last weekend, and we're going to test it out, Friday perhaps. I hope to have video..he won't like it one bit I'm sure. For anyone who doesn't know, he's having surgery in October and we're preparing for the therapy he will need afterward.

I hope to get several posts up the rest of this week and into the weekend.

Jessica

Halloween Costumes 2010

It's that time of year again. The time of year when I torture my animals for my enjoyment. Actually it's not that bad..and they don't suffer (that much). Well, this year we didn't get new costumes, and it was way too hard to get all 4 of them in a shot together, but it was fun anyway.

Bean took it the best last year, but I guess he'd forgotten.

He was definitely sorry for whatever he'd done to deserve this.

But quickly forgot and did his trick for a kitty crunchy.

Chippy kept trying to back up out of the bandanna.

We actually got a good shot of him this year. We didn't pester him too long, I feel bad for Chippy cat and that Oliver loves him so much...which translates into bites and scratches.

Aster has the least complicated costume of all, and he throws the biggest fit.

I think this is a pirouette or something.

And his pathetic attempt at escape. He drags is back legs around, even though there is no reason he can't use them. The second Jon took off the skirt he was over that gate and up those stairs so fast if you were to blink, you'd miss it.

Oliver handled it the best this year. He didn't mind wearing his lobster suit, he just didn't like the hood part over his head, he kept shaking it off.

He's a vicious lobster.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Friday. It's my Monday, so I am not, but I get a 4 day weekend full of activities next weekend, so I'm looking forward to that.

Jessica

A Fluffles Halloween

I do believe this is my last Halloween card..I hope I haven't forgotten anyone..if I did, sorry.

I've been trying to work on my scrapbooks some. It's been a year since our vacation, and the book isn't done. It's embarrassing. I've started on our Year 2 of marriage book, since that too is coming to a close in just a short week and a half. I'll never catch up..why? Well it's because I make Halloween cards...

But it's my favorite, so here we go.
It's Fluffles of course! This one is pretty simple. The cardstock is Concord Crush from SU! and the spiderweb paper is from a Basic Grey paper pack I've had for a while.
The drippy slime punch is Martha Stewart. It's green paper with green stickles on it.

On the bottom it says "Wild broom rides 5 cents" It's from a stamp set from All That Scraps.
The inside is plain for now, that's why there's no picture.

I hope everyone is having a good Friday. I'm looking forward to the weekend, hopefully lots of craft time. Somehow I doubt it. Oliver has puppy class, and my sister is coming over for study help. And we're going to the Ren Fest on Sunday..woo hoo. It's pet weekend so we're taking Oliver. It should be fun. Look for pictures soon.

Jessica

A Haunted House Card

So as promised, a day late..but that's besides the point. I have another Halloween card for you.
This one I was really excited about. I completely cased it from a tutorial that Dawn at Dawn's Stamping Studio did. You can see it here. And for a first attempt I don't think it's too bad.

The background is "watercolored" and the house image is embossed. I have big plans for this technique. The possibilities are endless..but probably most of them will involve this house. I love love love Halloween. It is most definitely my favorite holiday.

You can see the house a little better here. Since the watercolor paper is textured it's difficult to get a good transfer when yous stamp on it. In Dawn's video she gives a good idea to help with this, which I tried..but I think I have a better idea and next time I'll try it and see if it works better. This card was a ton of fun and I can't wait to get some more colors to "watercolor" with.

Today is my Friday, and that means 3 day weekend. Tomorrow night we're going to a Ray-Pec football game to see my sister in the band. Hopefully we get to the park a few days, and hopefully I can scrap scrap scrap.

Hope everyone has a good rest of the week.

Jessica

A Broken Glass Halloween Card

Today was my day off after working the weekend..and I was so looking forward to it. Of course it never goes as planned. I like sleeping in, had to get up early for a chiropractor appointment that we had to bump to make room for Jonathan's doctors appointment in the afternoon. (he has what we suspect to be gout, the labs aren't back yet...yes 28 years old, with gout) Awesome! A little tutoring, and finally a little scrapbooking.

This is what I made today..and I think it is awesome!


That image is from a Stampin Up stamp set. I used a brayer (which sucks, that I will be taking back and getting a different one) to roll the background. The inks are Rich Razzleberry and Cajun Craze..also Stampin Up. I stamped it in black over the background, and you probably can't tell but I took a little bit of a white gel pen to some of the highlighted areas..

But the best part is the cracked glass technique! It's about 5 layers of thick embossing powder, which gives it a really cool look, but once it's cooled you can snap it and it looks like broken glass. Cool right?
I tried to get a better shot of it, but you just can't appreciate it unless you are looking at it in person. It was so easy, and looks so cool I pretty much plan to do everything with this technique from now on.

I hope everyone had a good weekend, I do have another card to post..maybe tomorrow. And another Oliver video..maybe the day after. I'm very much looking forward to my 3 day weekend.

Jessica