Lunar New Year Challenge | Year of the Snake with Halloween and Christmas Products

There are only two more days until the September Lunar New Year Challenge closes so I wanted to sneak in one more inspiration card for this month! While I was making Halloween cards I discovered that there was a snake in the Spellbinders Halloween Icons Press Plate & Die Set. 

I was getting worried about the lack of snake products for the Year of the Snake which begins on January 29, 2025! I'm not a fan of snakes but I became excited after discovering this snake. Naturally, I decided to heat foil it with Speckled Aura Hot Foil on a Perfect Touch Rectangle cut from Lipstick Red cardstock.

There are certain numbers that are considered good luck and two is one of them so I foiled the snake once, flipped the cardstock 180 degrees and foiled it again. The sentiment is from a holiday set called A Merry Little Christmas Sentiments and it was heat foiled with Matte Gold Hot Foil on Nectar cardstock. 

I cut the base panel from Schoolhouse Red cardstock using the largest Precision Layering A2 A Die and I had to use partial die cutting with a Precision Layering A2 B Die to create the perfect shape for the sentiment, which is popped on with foam squares for visual interest. Next month, I'll be sharing a card with this same snake press plate but heat foiled eight times. What can you find in your stash that would work for the Year of the Snake?

Visit the September Link-Up Party post HERE to see all of the design team projects and be inspired to create your own! When sharing your challenge entries on social media, feel free to save this badge and post it along with your project. Please tag us @lunarnewyearchallenge on Instagram and use the hashtag #lunarnewyearchallenge so everyone can find and be inspired by all your amazing projects.

If you're inspired, some affiliate links are included below at no extra cost to you. Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you again soon!

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Spellbinders | Three Same But Different Halloween Cards feat. Woof-or-Treat

Hello, crafty friends! Do you ever sit down to start a specific project but get sidetracked and feel the need to do something else instead? These cards were made under those exact circumstances. I started putting away the cards I made for my Happy Haunting Collection Spellbinders Guest Post and just had to use some of these products and the same colour palette again. 

The focus of all three cards is the Woof-or-Treat dies. They're supposed to be puppies but to me they're capybaras, which my family is completely obsessed with right now. Besides, baby capybaras are called pups. ;) We even got Jellycat Clyde as soon as it was released - mind you, it was so popular, we had to wait until its third production batch! 

Right now, I'm completely obsessed with the Perfect Touch Rectangles and used the largest one (A2-sized) on this card, cut from Eggplant cardstock. I heat foiled the sentiment Skully Press Plates using Matte Silver Hot Foil.

The pups on this card were cut from Slate Gray cardstock, their ghost sheets were cut from Fog, their legs and noses were cut from Pink Sand, and the pumpkin baskets were cut from Meadow and Peacock cardstock, and Glitter Bright Green and Glitter Teal foam sheets. The tiny decorative bats are from the Haunted House set and was cut from Onyx cardstock.

This second card also features the Perfect Touch Rectangles but I used the second largest cut from Spiced Cider cardstock so I could use a border of patterned paper. I wish I had the Spider Web Background so I was happy to find Boo Pumpkins which features a great webbed design on the back. It wasn't quite dark enough so I used Black Soot Distress Ink on the edges.

This time, the pups were cut from Pale Rose cardstock, their ghost sheets were cut from Snowdrift, their legs and noses were cut from Pink Sand, and the pumpkin baskets were cut from Meadow and Peacock cardstock. The witch's hat is from the Witchin' Heels set and was cut from Glitter Teal foam sheets.

The sentiment is from the Halloween Icons Press Plates and it's one of my favourite Halloween sets with the best sentiments. I heat foiled this sentiment using White Hot Foil on Onyx cardstock. I love the clean look, as if it's white embossed but so much easier!

My last card also features one of the September 2024 Monthly Club Kits from Spellbinders. I don't normally showcase the 3D embossing folder but, to my delight, this amazing "Pumpkin Patch" 3D Embossing Folder of the Month was included in my package this month. Club Kits close on the 27th of each month so get them while you can!

The first step was to mist water on the Onyx cardstock, emboss it with the Pumpkin Patch 3D Embossing Folder and let it dry. I die cut the pups from  Spiced Cider cardstock, their ghost sheets were cut from Pale Rose, their legs and noses were cut from Pink Sand, and the pumpkin baskets were cut from Meadow and Peacock cardstock, and Glitter Bright Green and Glitter Teal foam sheets. The sentiment, also from Halloween Icons, was heat foiled Matte Silver Hot Foil on Peacock cardstock.

These pups are cute enough on their own but I had to use wiggly eyes on all of them to amp up the cute factor! They come in various sizes and you can also get enamel eyes for a different look. I hope you enjoyed this post featuring three same but different cards featuring the Woof-or-Treat pups! My son's favourite is the one with the Pumpkin Patch background. Which one is yours?

Here's a list of monthly club kits I share, as well as some of the value kits offered by Spellbinders:

Stitching Die of the Month

Glimmer Hot Foil Kit of the Month

The Deluxe Caboodle Value Club

If you're inspired, please shop my affiliate links below and remember to accept your cookies so I can be credited for the referral. Spellbinders would love to know that you were inspired by me. Thanks so much for your continued support!

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Spellbinders | Spooky Fun with Zombie Pandas

Hello, my lovelies! If you know me, you know about my lifelong adoration for pandas and ever since I received Spellbinders' Dancin' Birthday Panda, I've wanted to make a Halloween version. As soon as the Happy Hour Collection was released and I saw the skeleton hand and drips from Boos! Cocktails, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

I'm not into horror flicks but I do love a good zombie thriller, especially when there's a good plot or overall storyline. Besides, these pandas are way too cute to be scary, even when dripping with blood or being snatched by a giant claw. LOL

The kept the colour palette very neutral and moody, including Snowdrift, Onyx, Pink Sand, Chili Pepper (a great replacement for Spellbinders' retired Pomegranate cardstock) and Glitter Red cardstock for the pandas, Alabaster for the skulls and hand, Portobello for the card base, plus a piece of Doodlebug Gingham-Linen Rainbow Petite Prints for the hill.

I used a blending brush and Frayed Burlap ink to add some depth to the skulls and hands. I also cut a second layer to give them extra strength and dimension. I used Glitter Red behind the panda eyes to give them that bloodshot look, except the sparkle makes it cute!

The sentiment from All Seasons Autumn was heat foiled with White Hot Foil on Onyx cardstock. I also added two layers of Portobello die cuts underneath for dimension before glueing it on to the card base.

I used the Color Block Scenic Dies to create the hill from Beetle Black Gingham, available separately, or in the full Doodlebug Gingham-Linen Rainbow Petite Prints. Since those dies are only 5.5" long, I extended it by cutting it a second time for this 3.5" x 6.5" mini slimline format.

You can find all of the products from both the Happy Hour Collection and Exclusive All Seasons Collection by clicking HERE or on the banner below, as well as products from other releases that I've been sharing with you over the last couple of weeks.

Here's a list of other Dancin' Birthday Panda cards I've made which show the versatility of this little cutie:

Panda Valentine's Day Cards

National Panda Day

20th Anniversary Card

If you're inspired by me, please use the affiliated product links listed below at no extra cost to you. Be sure to accept your cookies so I can be credited for the purchase. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Spellbinders Guest Post feat. Happy Haunting Collection

Hello, crafty friends! I'm on the Spellbinders Blog with three cards featuring different ways to use the Happy Haunting Collection, one of many awesome releases now available in the Spellbinders store!

Affiliated product links are listed below at no extra cost to you. Details on how I made each card and more photos are on the Spellbinders Blog. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Happy Halloween feat. Catherine Pooler

My son hasn't participating in Halloween in many years so I was going to skip it almost entirely this year but then I decided I couldn't. It was fun going through all my old Halloween posts and being inspired to create a very colourful card with some Catherine Pooler products, including Hey Pumpkin and Jack-o-Lantern.

I used the Color Wheel Download to choose my colours and ended up with Clay Mask (with Polished), Whipped Honey (with Shea Butter), Tranquil (with Stone Blue) and Lilac (with Royal Treatment). I stamped the three pumpkins with Shea Butter, Lilac and Clay Mask. The faces were stamped with Slate, the stems were stamped with Stone Blue and the leaves with Polished. 

I stamped extra leaves in all of the colours and created a pile, which I then picked up with a sheet of Glad Press 'n Seal. I set the pile aside and stamped the Old Oak Tree using Pebble, Hoodie and Slate using sponge daubers to create an ombre effect. I love how it gives it that foggy, spooky effect.

I used blending brushes to add Tranquil, Stone Blue, Lilac and Royal Treatment with a tiny bit of Polished to the background. Then I used liquid glue to adhere all the leaves, save a couple where I used glue dots. To finish, I added the pumpkins with foam tape.

For more Halloween inspiration at any time of the year, just click on my Halloween Label in the sidebar for a trip back in time!

I hope you enjoyed today's project. I appreciate you stopping by and, if you're inspired, please shop my affiliate links below. Thanks so much for your continued support!

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Spellbinders | Boo Dance Party Collection

Hello, crafty friends! I'm on the Spellbinders Blog with three adorable Halloween cards featuring the new Boo Dance Collection, complete with interactive trick-or-treaters, stamps, dies and hot foil plates!

Affiliated product links are listed below at no extra cost to you. Details on how I made each card and more photos are on the Spellbinders Blog. Thanks so much for stopping by! 

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Ellen Hutson | Essentials by Ellen Tricks for Treats Week

This week, Ellen Hutson Design Ambassadors are sharing more projects using the Fall + Halloween Release. I've made a matching card and tag set using 6 of the new release items. Even though I used so many products, I kept my designs clean and simple.

I had a lot of fun playing with the Tiny Stars Background, which is a foiling stamp. On the card, I used lavender petal hot foil on Gina K white layering weight cardstock; you can see the green hot foil on vellum in the background. I combined both the lavender petal and green hot foils on the Farmhouse Tags.

I also used the Essentials Stars dies with the A2 Piercing Plate 2 to create texture. There are two layers of licorice twist cardstock and the silver glitter outlines are stacked on two layers of Neenah heavyweight for extra dimension.

On the card, I used Catherine Pooler's Grass Skirt ink pad and the ink-to-paper technique to create a small panel of green cardstock, which I used to heat emboss a sentiment from Tag It - Halloween, then die cut it using the Nice of You Die.

On the tag, I heat embossed the sentiment from Tag It - Halloween on sour grape cardstock die cut using the Farmhouse Tags, which were layered with licorice twist cardstock and tied with midnight twine. I created a shadow layer for the ghosts and bats from Halloween Boo-quet on sour grape cardstock and licorice twist cardstock for the card and tags, respectively.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Ellen Hutson | Essentials by Ellen Fall + Halloween Release IG Hop

Ellen Hutson's Fall + Halloween Essentials by Ellen Release is available NOW and the Brand Ambassadors are celebrating with an Instagram Hop to bring you inspiration using these fabulous new products! While appreciated, comments left here are not eligible for one of three $25 gift certificates. Please head to Instagram for all the details! 

For this release hop, I combined several of the new products as I love to do. I created a custom sentiment and ended up with a Halloween thank you card. How's that for something different? ;)

I started by stamping all of my images from both Pumpkin Season and Halloween Boo-quet with Gina K Obsidian Amalgam ink. I used Copic markers to lightly shade the kitty and broom handle. 

Instead of ink blending a base or anchor for my scene, I decided to use an infinity shaker and mix two different sequin packs to make it extra fun! For the top panel, I used the A2 Piercing Panel 2. Just like the original piercing panel, this one will be used often.

Pumpkin Season can either be coloured with your favourite medium or it can be stamped with smooth inks. I used a combination of colours from Concord & 9th (Ballet Slipper and Grapefruit) and Catherine Pooler (It's a Girl, Coral Cabana, Pink Champagne and Rose Petals). The sentiment was ombre stamped with It's a Girl and Pink Champagne.

To create the secondary sentiment, I heat embossed two phrases from Tag It-Halloween on vellum. Then I used one of the Farmhouse Tags and used the fishtail end to partially die cut it twice so the fishtail appears on both ends, creating a small banner.

Most of the elements were adhered flat to the card with glue dots but a few were popped up on foam tape for added dimension and visual interest.

Be sure to click HERE or on the image below to head to Instagram and begin the hop for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to EllenHutson.com!

Thanks so much for hopping along with us!

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