Quick and Easy Halloween Cards

I've been so neglectful of my blog this week! There are a lot of magazine submission calls that have been stealing my time away from yall.

With the focus on saving time, and still getting out all my Halloween cards, I had one nice long SIT and banged out tons of cards, no duplicates, but still simple and fun.

This is definitely the quickest of the bunch. Threw on some Martha Stewart washi tape, tie some twine, and stamp bats and sentiment (stamps Paper Smooches "spookilicious" and Inkadinkado)

This one uses repetition of one large ghost stamp (paper smooches "spookilicious") and sentiment. I used the pattern paper to give the card more umph than it otherwise would have had without it (DCWV "bewitched")

In this card the pattern paper is really the only focus (DCWV "bewitched") The only thing I added were the bat stamps and sentiment stamp (paper smooches "spookilicious" and Inkadnkado).

The little owl is a quick paper piecing project. The multiple layers on this card are a lot of fun. Again I used pattern paper as the focal point (DCWV "bewitched") and separated the layers with washi tape and twine. (owl stamp Paper Smooches "speekilicious")

My final card! I made a autumn/Halloween mixed theme with this stinkin adorable little squirrel. Pattern paper is Recollections "night and fall" and DCWV "bewitched."

My main tips on multiple (but still one-of-a-kind!) cards:
Focus on your theme (halloween)
Grab your favorite stamps and papers for the theme (I used three stamp sets and two paper pads for all cards)
Make sure your work space and clean and organized!!

By grabbing my favorite halloween-themed stamps and papers, I saved myself the time of searching through all my items in between cards.

Have fun! Happy (almost) October!

<3 rachel w k

Apple Season

Our leaves are beginning to turn red! It's such a lovely time of year... especially now that I'm living in a part of the country that experiences "seasons"

There's a very autumn inspired color story at the Play Date Cafe this week...

mmmm some pumpkin, red wine, and moss. I got out my paper smooches stamps and my fussy cutting scissors...

Stamps are all Paper Smooches from the sets "Falling for You", "Hang Ups", and "Happy Camper". Images were stamped multiple times on different patterned papers and fussy cut. Paper piecing really is my favorite thing to do. And so relaxing!

Patterned paper is from Colorbok, Recollections "Night and Fall", Echo Park "Everyday Eclectic", and Authentique "Festive".

And I finaaallllyyy (yes, it's really only been two days) found a copy of the Holiday Cards issue from Paper Crafts!!! I checked multiple local bookstores and craft stores, and third time was a charm :)

Now time for bed and magazine browsing and puppy cuddling. 

<3 Rachel w k

Happy Autumn

This has been a pretty beautiful first weekend of autumn. I even made apple cider... can it get more New England than that?!

apple cider!

apple cider with a pup on my lap

Threw all the apples in the pot with some water, brown sugar, and a lot of chai tea bags... wait 3 hours and mmmmm Happy Fall!

The CAS-ual Fridays challenge to create a clean and simple card that celebrates autumn. This includes one of my many fall/halloween cards made in one, very long, sitting (like the batty card from yesterday)

So I found a very very cute Halloween stack at Michael's. It's a Recollections stack called "Night and Fall" with lots of cute images and patterns. The tree here was paper pieced with Jillibean Soup papers and Paper Smooches "Spring Groves" stamp. Last but not least, adorable Martha Stewart halloween washi tape.

I hope you're watching the Emmy's tonight! Heidi Klum looks gooorrrggg (duh)

<3 Rachel w k

Happy Fall!

Happy first day of fall and happy birthday to my dad! I'm celebrating by making homemade apple cider and as many fall/halloween cards as my brain can handle.

I made this batty card for three challenges: Moxie Fab Focal Point challenge, Paper Smooches Sparks cool shades challenge, and the Play Date Cafe #150 color story...

My batty card uses DCWV "Bewitched" paper, Paper Smooches "Falling for You" stamps, and Inkadinkado Happy Halloween stamp

I used StazOn ink in jet black, black twine, and k & co washi tape with Martha Stewart washi tape.

How have you celebrated the first day of autumn?? My cider is making the house smell yummers right about naw :)

<3 Rachel w k

Celebrate! It's Birthday Month!

Every awesome person in the world has a September birthday. This includes my daddy (and me!), so here is his birthday card. It's getting thrown in the mailbox tomorrow :)

The birthday card is also made for the CAS-ual Friday challenge of black, white, and any other color. The Paper Smooches Sparks challenge is to use this sketch:

And I used black, white, and splashes of aqua....

Pretty CAS, huh? I used EK Success gate border punch on the black and added the strip of polkadot Martha Stewart washi tape. The sentiment is stamped with StazOn ink in Jet Black, then cut for a little banner flare.

Continuing the aqua splash on the inside of the card. The adorable monster was paper pieced using paper from Jillibean Soup "Apple Cheddar Soup" and teal cardstock from Momenta. Stamps are from Paper Smooches "Falling for You" and "Sentiment Sampler"

Happy Birthday to my Daddy!!! 
Who's September birthday are you celebrating soon??? (...besides mine, of course)

<3 Rachel w k

Retro-Fabulous Birthday

I really wish my dog knew what "Stop" meant. This is my main thought right now. Puh-leeeease stop barking.

Also one of my bestiest friends celebrated his birthday yesterday. So he gets this retro girly card that I made for the Paper Smooches Sparks challenge and the Moxie Fab movement challenge and the Moxie Fab asymmetrical challenge. I'm sure he'll appreciate all these challenges as a part of his bday card ;)

So some pages from the new October Afternoon "Cakewalk" stack are perrrrfect

I thought the strip of light blue paper in the background helped pull your focus from the bottom of the card to the top where the sentiment is. Movement. Also. Asymmetrical. Is it Friday yet?

So my friend's name is not Judy, it's John. He is also not a She, he is a He. So I made a small alteration...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

materials: October Afternoon "Cakewalk", Paper Smooches "Sugar Rush" and "Sentiment Sampler", StazOn black ink, Memento black ink, Copics, liquid pearls, washi tape

<3 Rachel w k

We go together

Happy 8 year Dating Anniversary to my hubbo and I :) My oh my how time flies

He gets a card that is also for the sketch challenge at Lawnscaping

I used Lawn Fawn stamps "Gnome sweet Gnome" and "my silly valentine". I reverse stamped the girly gnome and traced over the image with a black pen. You can see how shaky my hands were today, cuz that trace looks baaaad. Still gotta practice my reverse stamping!

Hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend :)

<3 Rachel w k

love

Today is an ATC post (artist trading card)... if you wanna trade ATCs with me just gimme an email rwkrafts{at}gmail.com!

The Play Date Cafe challenge has some beautiful jewel tone fall colors of evergreen, olive, smoke, and cherry blossom 

The sponsor this week was gel-a-tins stamps. And how convenient that the lovely Donna just sent me two gelatins stamp sets?! So I used the funky alphabets and circle background stamps

materials: gel-a-tins alphabet and circle stamps, memento ink in black, olive, teal, and rhubarb, Copics, liquid pearls

I also wanted to share a Christmas ATC I created for the Craft's Meow design team call. I wasn't chosen for a DT member, but I still want to share one of my entries...

I stamped Distress Ink in evergreen and lipstick red onto my craft mat, then spritz with water. I picked up the wet ink with a paint brush and splattered it onto the ATC base. Once dried, I stamped the ornaments, sentiments, and added the washi border.

Happy Labor Day weekend! Matt and I will be celebrating our 8 year "dating anniversary" on Monday :)

<3 Rachel w k