Candy Corn Fudge

I can't attest to the taste of this Halloween-themed fudge, but doesn't it look delicious? I found this over at about.com and thought it unique enough to share. I'd love to hear if anyone makes it and how it turns out! Check it out at:

http://candy.about.com/od/halloweencandyrecipes/r/candycorn_fudge.htm

Personal art time

I finally had a bit of time to catch up on a personal art commitment. My local art group had a "Fall/Winter Holiday Sketch Challenge" - we needed to make 11 cards using the provided sketch (see below). Even though I didn't make the Tuesday deadline, I finished up my cards today. I used gold and pumpkin colored Coredinations papers, Cuttlebugged with the new Victoria flourish folder, sanded and cut into inch squares. Since the longer side of the card wouldn't accomodate exact inches, I used 1 1/2" rectangles for the center of those sides. The sentiment is stamped and gold embossed on patterned paper and edged with gold Krylon pen (which is my substitute for one of the layers). This is layered on a cream cardstock with a printed orange fall ribbon. The base card is dark brown.

It certainly felt good to sit down and create!

Halloween Cupcakes

I've got a short break between morning and evening classes today, so thought I'd do a quick post. Don't these cupcakes look yummy? They're from Country Living (you can find the complete recipe online at countryliving.com) and the web decorations are so easy. Just melt white chocolate chips in a ziploc bag, cut off one corner and use the bag to pipe the melted chocolate onto a template (given on the website) covered with waxed paper. Once they are cool, lift them off the waxed paper and press them into the cupcake icing.

Seeing these reminded me of a similar project I did years ago when my oldest child was very young. I made snowflakes with icing that hardens using this same technique. I then strung them with ribbon and hung them on our Christmas tree. The next morning Kimberly got up before us and by the time we came out, all the snowflakes that she could reach were missing from the tree! And, if I remember correctly, she had a bit of a tummyache that day!

Halloween's a coming

Has it really been almost a week since I posted? How can time fly so quickly? We've been super busy with the new store - today was my first day off in two weeks and I just relaxed and puttered all day long.

Since I have no new art to share, I will share these cute Halloween images from my files. Maybe you will be able to make some Halloween art!

I hope to do better this coming week and post more often!

Spooky Pendants

Yesterday afternoon I taught a "Spooky Pendant" class using the Memory Frames from Ranger. Students chose from an assortment of papers, stamps and "doodads" to create their own two-sided collages for the frame of their choice. These were the two samples I provided.
Warning: the photos are not the best - these were hard to photograph without a glare.

For the rectangle pendant I stamped Stamping Bella's "Witchy Bella" and colored her with Copic markers. She was then cut out and layered over a Halloween paper. The reverse side was stamped with an Impression Obsession "eyeballs" border and the words were also stamped with an IO border and then cut out.

In the square frame I stamped a harlequin background (also from Impression Obsession) on orange cardstock and layered a patterned paper before stamping, embossing and coloring the spider. It's hard to see but I also stamped "eeek!".

The reverse side has layers of Halloween patterned papers and a jack-o-lantern I stamped on orange, cut out and glued on. The word was also cut out from the stamped border.

These were fun to make and are really cute hanging on a black cord with a ribbon bow.

Halloween Technique Tags

I will also be teaching a "Baker's Dozen" set of Halloween tags using many different techniques. I made six samples and students will be able to duplicate these or use the techniques to make their own unique tags. Some of the techniques and products used include glimmer mist, glimmer screens, alcohol inks, heat embossing, Distress inks, art metal, paints, grungepaper and, of course, lots of stamping!

Halloween Card Class

One of the first classes I'll be teaching at the new store, Anthologies, will be a Halloween cards class. These are the four cards for the class.

The first card uses Copic markers and Perfect Pearls. (Just realized I'd taken the photo before finishing coloring the witch - she is dressed in purple!)

This card uses the new Black Magic Coredinations cardstock and a Cuttlebug folder.

It's hard to make out in the photo above, but this card is a clear card, layering papers so as to hide the adhesive.

And the last one uses the Iris Folding Technique with lots of gorgeous new Halloween and fall papers.

Shady Ladies Art Retreat

I have been accepted to teach at the Shady Ladies Art Retreat in Salado, Texas, next spring - April, 2010. These are the two classes I will be teaching - Heritage Art Quilt and Dream Canvas. Check out the Shady Ladies blog at: http://www.shadyladiesartretreat.blogspot.com for more information and to see all the classes being offered.

Inspiration

I thought I'd share some of the creative inspiration hanging in the store. I created the first layout (my "baby" is on the left) but can't take credit for the other beautiful layouts.

Welcome to Anthologies

We survived opening weekend! Three days of huge crowds, make-and-takes, demos, door prizes and lots of sales. Whew! Today I was off and I slept in very late to recuperate.

Here's some peaks into the new store. The first photo shows the front of the cash wrap which you can see from the front door. Doesn't it look like a candy store?

This is the lovely stained glass window made by a dear friend of the owner to cover the window into the office. It's even more stunning in real life.

Tracy made this beautiful piece using an old window as the base and the gorgeous Domestic Goddess line of paper from Graphic 45. I love the addition of the old utensils. This hangs in our kitchen area.

One of several photos of the vintage area - my favorite. The white cabinet holds the breast cancer line of papers from Melissa Frances. Not sure if you can make it out (click to enlarge), but I made the banner at the top of the cabinet and it has two photos on it of my husband and I when we were approximately 9 years old.

Don't you just love the addition of the white bench?

This cabinet holds more Melissa Frances products as well as some old kitchen items (a grater and sifter) which I altered with some papers and ribbons. The layout on the right is one I did of my mother's graduation photo, G45 Domestic Goddess papers, embossed metal and a background of corrugated cardboard.

Farmers' Market papers, bakers' twine and "jelly jars" - I love the old Dr. Pepper case on the wall and the white kitchen stool.

Cowboy corner, complete with "horse" and boots...

Anthologies is now OPEN!

Today was the grand opening of the new paper arts store, Anthologies! (And the reason for my blog absence these last few weeks. Working 60+ hours a week doesn't leave much time for anything else!)

Here's our first customer (Linda Hahn) peering in before 9 am trying to get a sneak peek. Can you tell she's excited? Soon after that a crowd assembled, just waiting for the doors to open at 10.

Here's an employee group shot (plus some friendly volunteers who were called in to assist today) just before we opened the door!

And in they came, happy as larks to have a place to shop, crop and create!

Our first make-and-take group. They made darling little treat containers with Bo Bunny clamshell packaging, candy and little stamped medallions from Just Rite Stamps. Within the first two hours, we sold 36 dozen of those little clamshells!
It was a busy, fun, exhilarating and exhausting day. Wonderful to see that our beautiful store, jam-packed with gorgeous products, was so well-received and made so many people so happy today. It was a beautiful day at Anthologies!

Now, to bed I go as tomorrow is another 12 1/2 hour day!