We went to McKinney Falls State Park, which has some really cool trails and rock formations. The giant bald cyprus trees come up out of the two creeks that join up to form the falls inside the park, which flow over hulking ledges of limestone. I'm happiest when I'm out on a path somewhere, and this was no exception, despite the 102 degree temperature.
Didn't see too many critters - just lots of grasshoppers and some coyote poop. Coyotes LOVE to poop smack in the middle of trails. Seriously - it's a thing. Maybe I'll get the Nobel Prize for figuring out why.
Anyway, we are in the second longest heat streak in Austin history, with the coolest day in the streak at 102. This is my absolute favorite weather. Hot as hell and not a cloud in the sky. My fave summer ever was 2011, when we had the longest streak like this on record - 27 days! They think the one we're in will break after 23 days.
To me when the August streaks end, it means the lead-up to Halloween. It's when I can get out my spooky stamps and door decorations and indulge myself with my favorite holiday's images.
I was listening to a podcast the other day (the Scary Stories podcast) and the woman was talking about how we are programmed to actually enjoy being scared. It's all about the chemistry, of course, but it's why we love rollercoasters, and haunted houses and, scary stories.
We used to sing these spooky songs in elementary school in the lead up to Halloween, and I loved them - I still sing them in my head in the fall, and get that same creepy feeling. This one was my favorite - and we all used to jump at the BOO.
In Texas, 99% of the time, you're sweating like a pregnant mouse in a wool sock in your Halloween costume, but once a decade or so, we actually will get a cooler snap, and those Halloweens were the best. It's no fun bringing home a pumpkin full of melted chocolate.
I'm hoping the kids in my neighborhood are bringing their A game to trick or treating this year, because it's pretty much my favorite.
So today is all about Halloween! The new Hero Arts Oh What Fun catalog is out, and all the cards you'll see from me are in the catalog (pages 46-47) as well as some Christmas cards I'll blog later. You can flip through the online version or buy a copy here.
I fell in love with the Halloween backgrounds this time, so that's what I focused on - especially this awesome collage of all things spooky.
I stamped the image once in Unicorn ink on black cardstock, and then stamped it again in Intense Black on white cardstock. Then I cut out select images, and colored the white edges black and glued them in place on top of image. I love the little ghost dog on the grave. And the hand. Then I took my Circle Infinity dies and cut out the sentiment. I used these black enamel dots to break up that white space. They have a whole new line of these that match their ink and cardstock! It just makes me happy :) Plus the way the white ink looks on the black cardstock adds to the ghostly feel. I had so much fun doing this one.
Do you see what this is on the next card???
"While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping"
IT'S A WHOLE NEVERMORE BACKGROUND! I nearly peed my pants when I saw that. No one is a bigger Poe fan that I. I even went and saw his dorm room one summer.
Unfortunately, the bird that I used is retired, but if you look in the catalog, you'll see the beautiful substitution they made on my card with the Halloween Mirror set. I'm such a dingbat. Anyway, I used the paint splatter stamp from this set for the bloody background. MUAHAHAHAHAH!
I took a Gel Press background and added a thin strip of this green glitter paper across the bottom and added the sentiment from this set below it. I positioned the circle in the middle and then stamped the kitty and the cauldron from this same set on top. For the bubbles coming out of the cauldron, I added glue to them and added the glitter from this set. So fun.
I hope you've enjoyed these. See below for details on the giveaway today!
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There's a blog hop to kick off this awesome catalog today AND a $50 gift card to give away. So just leave me a comment telling me your favorite Halloween or Autumn tradition from elementary school and you will be entered to win! Be sure and see the inspiration from the incredible team below. They amaze me month after month. Good people attract good people, and Hero is a good magnet for a reason!
In grade school we always had a parade on the playground of all the children in their costumes. Parents and family would come and cheer on their kid! Such fun!!
ReplyDeleteSuper fun cards! Elementary school...hmmm...I think I was a little older (maybe Jr High) when I finally didn't have to wear one of those crappy polyester costumes with the plastic mask - my neighbor had a Halloween party and I somehow was able to wear one of my dad's old suits and go as a "bum".
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Halloween tradition is throwing my stuffed bat off of my balcony onto teenagers as they trick or treat. It is SO MUCH FUN!! The girls AND boys scream!
ReplyDeleteHahaha. I love this.
DeleteOh my goodness batmans I am digging these Halloween cards! Halloween is the holiday of my choice to craft cards and scrapbook pages for! It's a fun day to be someone else all day as well!
ReplyDeleteAwesome cards! I too like crows and say 'Go for it!
ReplyDeleteI remember Trick-or-Treating, climbing a long driveway to the home of an older couple. They enjoyed the kids and gave full-sized candy bars.
ReplyDeleteWonderful cards!
ReplyDeleteWow, great Halloween cards! Very spooky w/the red splotches and crow.
ReplyDeleteI love that background stamp! Nevermore... Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteexpected chritmas but halloween is nice.
ReplyDeleteLoved your spiderweb card - freaked me out all right!
ReplyDeletelove luna the cat set - actually just love cats x
ReplyDeleteLove the Halloween scene background stamp
ReplyDeleteYES, these are all so great!
ReplyDeleteI love your beautiful card <3 I hope I will win so I can get some of these goodies
ReplyDeleteOh, these cards are awesome! I especially love the first one with the black and white images. I remember really getting excited about trick-or-treating. (My massive sweet tooth must have outweighed my massive sense of introversion.) We would go for blocks and blocks, and on some streets, where not many kids stopped, we would get cans of pop or full-size candy bars. I swear some years I still had Halloween candy left at Easter.
ReplyDeleteLove all of your cards.
ReplyDeleteYou totally had me with the letter type.
ReplyDeleteI love all of your Halloween cards! They are super cute and creative.
ReplyDeleteThese Halloween creations are the best! I love them all! Great designs!
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween cards and yours are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteStunning card. Favorite Halloween tradition must be trick or treating!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Halloween activity as a child was carving the pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns to put by the front door to "scare" the trick or treaters. Great cards....is Halloween really that soon??? then Christmas, oh no I'm behind in my card making as usual.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite autumn tradition was making our costumes and trick or treating!!! Love the Halloween cards!!!
ReplyDeleteCool cards and I love the cover card stamps. The new tiny word backgrounds are wonderful...the mind reels at the possibilities.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness what fun Halloween cards. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteNice cards for Halloween. I can tell you love Halloween.
ReplyDeleteI love the season and really like getting into the Halloween "spirit"! Your cards captured that perfectly! Love your little splashes of color!
ReplyDeleteThese are wonderful! Love the raven on as I am a Poe fan.
ReplyDeleteHalloween is my favorite holiday! I just love it. I stopped trick-or-treating pretty young because it was SO much more fun to stay home and help my dad scare all the kids in the neighborhood. We'd spend a lot of time setting up the scene... usually in our garage. We had tombstones with all the neighbor kids' names on them. We had a real antique coffin donated by the local coroner each year, as well as a real skeleton from the hospital. I love being the corpse in the coffin and pretending to be dead... then jumping up and scaring the little kids!
ReplyDeleteOn a different note... if you're a Poe fan, be sure to see the musical "Nevermore." It's SO good.
I can't wait to starting stamping Christmas! Hero just got the fire lit!
ReplyDeleteOooh spooky and fun!! :D
ReplyDeleteWe made monster hands with candy corn and popcorn.
ReplyDeleteGreat Halloween cards!
ReplyDeleteLove the spiderweb card. And what a great background stmap!
ReplyDeleteWonderful cards! My favorite part of Halloween was Trick or Treating.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing...
Your card reminded me of the Black widow we found the other day in the backyard. She had a spider egg sack she was guarding. Eek! Love your scary card.
ReplyDeleteCute cards! The spider one is my favorite although I hate spiders. shudder!!
ReplyDeleteHey these are perfect! Too cute and not too scary! :)
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween and these cards are so fun! I never think to send Halloween cards but now I think I will change that.
ReplyDeletethe nevermore background is so fun ... love the skeleton casket too
ReplyDeleteFestive cards!
ReplyDeleteHalloween is my favorite holiday. I love your cards. I need all the things!!!
ReplyDeleteThese are really fun cards! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't like being scared now, but as a young kid, I sure did like jumping out and scaring the parents! My husband HATES to be scared! fun cards you showcased here!
ReplyDeleteGREAT cards!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite memories from elementary school was when the principal would read scary stories over the intercom on Halloween. He often read Poe, and those were the best!! I wish our principal at the elementary school I work st now would do this!! I think our students would LOVE it!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a spectacular collection of Halloween cards! I love them all, really! But my favorite is the last - sucker for cats! All really clever - thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween and these cards are fantastic! Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteTotally awesome cards! Love the cat & cauldron especially and the spider & web are a close second!
ReplyDeleteIn elementary school we would make pumpkins and black cats to put in the windows. We had to choose which one to make....so unfair. I wanted to make both! I'm almost over it although just now I have a strange urge to buy some construction paper in BOTH black and orange.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder there are other reasons to make cards even before we get to winter holidays! Every hallowe'en whether we were off to a "big kids" party or still young enough to trick or treat, my mom insisted all four of us kids could stand together for "5 seconds" in our driveway for the annual costume pic. With your question you brought back some great memories of sibling solidarity to please Mom- Thanks!
ReplyDeleteFun cards!!! And what a treat for you add a Poe verse. Your cards remind me how fun it was to have Halloween parties in elementary school. It was so fun to wear our costumes to school all day, and take the spooky treats mom made for our parties. Great job Lydia!
ReplyDeleteFantastic Halloween card designs. I loved them all! Thanks for sharing your time and talent with us.
ReplyDeleteFun cards! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWonderful Halloween cards. Thanks for your inspiration.
ReplyDeleteFun cards! Thanks for the chance to win and sharing.
ReplyDeleteFun Halloween cards, Lydia! Thanks so much for sharing all the wonderful inspiration!
ReplyDeleteAmazing and creative inspiration! Beautiful cards!
ReplyDeleteLove the Halloween cards! My future daughter-in-law would LOVE them too, thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteI just got that Halloween background stamp and thank you for how to use - so cute!!
ReplyDeleteGreat cards - I remember how hard it was to wait for trick or treating - get dark, have to eat dinner. Running around the neighborhood safely.
ReplyDeleteSo cool! Loved them all.
ReplyDeleteI remember making Hallowe'en cards for classmates. Not nearly as great as yours!
ReplyDeleteLOOOVE this background stamp and all that you did with it. Little fact about me: when I was in High School I memorized both The Raven and Tell-Tale Heart. I could recite them from end to end. LOVE!
ReplyDeleteGreat Halloween cards. My favorite memory is dressing up in costume and parading around the neighborhood with friends and bringing home lots of candy.
ReplyDeleteReally liked the focus on Halloween! So Fun!!
ReplyDeleteLove that you did the Halloween products. These cards are awesome.
ReplyDeleteThose fabulous cards are a true "boo"! They'd be cute for trunk or treat!
ReplyDeleteFun Halloween cards! Love the Halloween Scene Background stamp!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Halloween memory was of the school parade we would have every year. All the kids and the teachers and principal would go out on the playground, all wearing our costumes. One year my Mom came to the school and joined in too, all dressed up of course!
Great Trick and Treat cards. Wonderful cards!
ReplyDeleteGreat Halloween cards! My favorite part of Halloween as a youngster was making our own costumes from stuff in the "dress-up box"
ReplyDeleteAll such fun cards! Your first one is my favorite!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your lovely cards--the cat is adorable!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Halloween tradition was pumpkin carving. The best was a pumpkin vomiting it's innards out on the porch step. Great cards and new release!
ReplyDeleteYou are the first person on this hop to focus on Halloween. What fun cards.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing from elementary school was collecting all the candy!
ReplyDeleteFantastic set of Halloween cards!! :)
ReplyDeleteWhile I love Christmas cards, these Halloween cards are great! I wonder how it would look with the glow in the dark embossing powder?
ReplyDeleteit's been a looooooooooooong time since
ReplyDeleteI was in elementary school. I do remember
the costumes my mother made me every year
for trick or treating. At that time we
could bring in any kind of treat we wanted.
No peanut restrictions, etc. Love your
white on black project. The dog sitting
on the tombstone is great (maybe that's
where my Bear is sitting - She's been gone
about 4 years). thanks
for sharing. txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot)com
They really put me in the mood for Halloween.
ReplyDeleteWe used to have a cake walk at our school, my dad won 3 cakes one year. Awesome cards!
ReplyDeleteUnique ways to celebrate Halloween.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun Halloween cards.
ReplyDeleteSuper screepy and cute, love them.
ReplyDeleteFabulous collection of Halloween cards!
ReplyDeleteThanks for showing us a whole new dimension with these products! Cleverly done.
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween cards! I can never find enough of them! My favorite of this batch is the Raven card, with that background stamp and the little addition of the 'blood drops'.
ReplyDeleteReally nice cards. I love halloween.
ReplyDeleteSimply wonder cards!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards.
ReplyDeleteLove these sweet Halloween cards!
ReplyDeleteCool Halloween cards. I like the black and white.
ReplyDeleteI love that you went the Halloween route - I have been so enthralled by the Christmas cards that I forgot the new release has such great halloween goodies too - I adore that raven card with those red splotches and that fabulous Nevermore background stamp - I absolutely have to get that myself!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove the Halloween Card ideas!
ReplyDeleteLove these fun Halloween cards. My favorite Halloween tradition from my childhood (which by the way was over 60 years ago) was, of course, trick or treating. Now my favorite part of the holiday is seeing my grandchildren in their costumes and enjoying themselves.
ReplyDeleteGreat cards! I agree the nevermore stamp is awesome. Can't wait to get it!
ReplyDeleteLove the black and white card...it reminds me of an embroidery piece I did as a kid.
ReplyDeleteSPOOKTACULAR!!! BOOTIFUL !! FANGTASTIC !! Bloody loved these cards (and Halloween) ♡♡
ReplyDeleteSuper fun and wonderfully spooky cards! Awesome inspiration!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to create with these amazing new sets! You have done such an amazing job creating with them.
ReplyDeletewow You fussy cut those little fingers!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could read the never more stamp better.
I like em all as usual.
One good thing about being in a 30 floor highrise apt building is you have a lot of doors to knock on without going outside. So I had 174. Not anymore. Maybe 20 sign up. Sad. Young legs could go down no problem in pairs and groups. Now parents escort (and likely are crippled the next day)
The big dream was to do all three of the buildings, but I never made it past a couple more floors in the next building. We would hear about the kids that did it. Badge of honor. 87 floors (no first floor) times 6 apts each. Over 500 opportunities!
I stopped after 12/13 yo. But we see kids now that could be in HS.Some people feel that is too old. I have flipped and decided I would like teens to be teens so it is ok with me.
We came in with shopping bags of candy. Mom stole tons for herself. On one hand she liked coconut and black licorice and I never did, but she also loved chocolate so I lost a lot of that. All in the name of saving my teeth of course.
Love all the cards
ReplyDeleteI love the simple black and white of this first card using the Halloween Scene Background Cling the best! Very cute and not scary!
ReplyDeleteLove your cards!! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLove your cards - Halloween is my favorite holiday and while I have way more Halloween stamps and dies than I need, I am definitely getting these - a nevermore background stamp! Too cool! And I love the collage one too!
ReplyDeleteI love the spooky cards! My favorite Halloween memory was having dinner just before we went out trick or treating. Usually it was a yummy spaghetti dinner but we were aways so excited to go out trick or treating!
ReplyDeleteI always love seeing the new release, so much fun! Thanks for sharing all this inspiration!
ReplyDeleteCarol B
I love Halloween cards!! They are my favorite to make. Love the web!
ReplyDeleteYou're the first person on the hop, I believe, that made Halloween cards. These look great. I like the way you layered the white elements onto the black image. It adds a lot of character and depth. I love your gel press background. I would love to see a video on how to do that. I have questions as too different types of paper that people use and how to later inks and paints onto the press to get the designs I've seen. I bought a gel plate but haven't got up the nerve to try it.
ReplyDeleteHi Annette! Have you seen my Gel Press playlist on YouTube? I do a new video for them every month! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJIbf6Vl1ixVP6AI2Z8r-Rkc7cGrtE5Ut
DeleteWhen I was a kid we took pillow cases to get candy on our street... and we filled them!
ReplyDeleteLove the evermore background!
Wow great cards
ReplyDeleteWhat clever turn you did on your card and I loved your comment about Texas weather, it's like that in Florida too, you step outside and you feel like a dripping lit candle, come on November.
ReplyDeleteGreat Halloween cards! Love the black and white with just a splat of red here and there!
ReplyDeleteSuper cute cards....I cannot believe that Halloween is just around the corner already. Thank you so much for sharing your great work today.
ReplyDeleteNice cards
ReplyDeleteThese cards are so cool! I love the designs.
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween and your cards are great. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards Lydia.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE these cards!!!!! We don't really celebrate Halloween here in New Zealand but I enjoy seeing the cards created at this time of year. Your cards have tempted me to buy the spider web and that gorgeous Halloween scene stamp. They are sooooo cool!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a Halloween fan, but your cards sure are cute!
ReplyDeleteFantastic ideas in creating cards with this set.
ReplyDeleteSuper cute Halloween cards!
ReplyDeleteLove the Nevermore Bold background stamp. Fantastic cards (I just have to pin them). Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLove the Halloween cards!!
ReplyDeleteFavorite fall tradition is making homemade apple juice. My dad had an apple press and we would go to an Apple orchard and pick up a trailer load of apples...some in the community would come and help. Good times!
ReplyDeleteThese are awesome!!!!!! So glad someone did Halloween cards, and these are seriously amazing! Especially that first one, such an eye-catching design and technique!
ReplyDelete