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I just realized that I forgot to post this Halloween Banner that I made recently using Basic Grey and some Sizzix dies.

Banner is made with this die and the Eerie Collection - it was a snap to put together.  I raised some of the stickers with foam squares and created the glitter letters using this method.

I am definitely going to make another one of these for Christmas!

Sizzix has a great pop-up die in the shape of a ball that I love.

It is great for cardmaking but I found a new use for it – to make halloween pumpkin decorations.  Take a look at this.

Isn’t it adorable?  I just love it. Of course you could make the same thing inside a card but I like this little guys as a stand alone decoration.

I didn’t make this as a pop-up (no elastics on the inside) and used 6 side panels to create it (and not the layered panels with the hole for the elastics).  It is still flexible enough for me to slip in a little electronic tea light inside so that it glows at night (we are having a huge halloween bash next week and I am using these to decorate the house).

For the top of the pumpkin I just rolled a piece of brown cardstock and glued on some thin, curly strips of green cardstock and poked it into the hole that was already there.

For the jack-lantern face I used this die. 

I think I am going to make a bunch more of these for around my house - using patterned paper for some of them.  The kidlets can take them home at the end of the night.

The CreativFestival starts here in Toronto, ON tomorrow and I am going to be at the show with Scrapbook & Cards Today all day. Scrapbook & Cards Today is hosting the Paper Arts Park which means product showcases, make ‘n’ takes, giveaways and more!

Today I thought I would show you one of the make ‘n’ takes that we will be hosting. 

This gorgeous card is made using Sizzix Textured Impressions (embossing folders) and dies (paper flower, felt flower).

If you have never checked out Sizzix’s Movers & Shapers card making system (which is used to make the above card) take a minute – it is an incredible time saver + it makes stunning, personalized designs.

Hope to see you there (if you are local).  :)

(Cardstock by Prism, Patterned Paper & Ribbon by Basic Grey, Adhesive & Foam Squares by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L)

Cards don’t need to be full of do-dads to be nice cards.  Take this one for example.

I love the layers of white cardstock on this card.  I used the same cardstock for the card base (embossed it with this), for the punched border, for the die cut butterfly and the die cut letters (I backed the letters with an adhesive sheet before I die cut so they would be easier to adhere down – they are pretty thin letters). 

By repeating the white cardstock on so many elements it helps to keep the design simple. (Image how different this card would look if I used a variety of different papers for each of those pieces.)

(Patterned Paper by Me & My BIG Ideas)

A touch of Stickles to complete the butterfly and the card was complete.

Simple and sweet and ready to be given away the next time I need to say hello to someone.

I {heart} my Sizzix Big Shot for many reasons – it cuts through just about everything, including chipboard, I can emboss with it, it takes every die out there…  But there is another reason I {heart} it.

It is as easy 1,2, 3.  Let me show you.

One.

Two.

Three.

It is so easy that my five-year-old has got the system down!  No excuses that it is too hard to figure out the adapter!

His favorite die?  The monkey of course.  He can cut monkeys for forever and a day.  Just give him a pile of scrap papers and he is happy, happy, happy. 

We currently have about 632 monkeys loose in the house…

I finished the album that I created for Magnus.  Not just an album about him, but an album for him – to handle and play with and to keep in his room. 

He loves to make funny faces for the camera and then see himself so this is what the album contains.

The above photos shows one full side of the album and the below photos show the other side.

(Supplies:  Album Die by Sizzix, Paper and Chipboard Embellishments by Cosmo Cricket, Ribbon by Bo Bunny, Adhesive Sheets by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L)

To bind the album I created small loops with the ribbon and hand stitched the centers with embroidery thread.

This created a flexible hinge that is strong enough to take a beating from my 5 year old.

I am sure that it will eventually get destroyed as he plays with it but I am OK with that.  Having it for his own and seeing the photos of himself makes him feel loved and that makes me happy.

It is always lovely to receive a note in the mail and I made the below card with this thought in mind.

(Supplies:  Floral Paper by Amy Butler/K & Co, Grid Paper by Jillibean Soup, Border Die by Sizzix, Stamp by Hero Arts, Archival Ink by Ranger, Black Foam Squares by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L)

I used some left over scraps to create this card in minutes but I know when I send it off in the mail it will make some one’s day.

I lifted the border with black 3D foam squares to give the card some dimension but I wanted the card to have clean and simple lines so I only added a simple stamp to finish it off.

It is so easy to brighten up some one’s day.

My daughter, Harper, is staying at a friend’s cottage this weekend so we sent along a little thank-you gift and included this card with it.

(Supplies:  Papers by Jillibean Soup / Flair by American Crafts / Textured Impressions, Frame and Border Frame by Sizzix) 

I made sure to die cut the cream cardstock first and then run it through my Big Shot with the embossing folder  so that the embossing wouldn’t flatten out.

I love creating a patterned paper with dies cut.  Take a look at this…

(Supplies:  Patterned Paper by 7Gypsies, Ribbon by American Crafts, Stamp and Punch by Fiskars,  Black Foam Squares and Adhesive Sheets by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, Die Cut Border and Flower die by Sizzix)

To get this look I used an adhesive sheet on the back of some paper and then ran it through my Big Shot with this die.  By applying the adhesive sheet to the paper before I cut I am sure to get edge-to-edge coverage and don’t need to worry about applying adhesive to the teeny-tiny parts of the die cut.

Pretty easy way to create some stunning patterned paper for cards or scrapbook pages.

Yesterday my copies of the last issue of Memory Makers arrived.Even thought I have been prepared for it for awhile it still made me sad.  I have read and been part of Memory Makers for a long time.  The last issue seems so final.

So it is with a sad good-bye that I end this chapter.  I will savor this last issue for awhile.

Here are my pages from this month’s column.

And here is this month’s color palette (great for fall layouts).

If you make something with this palette make sure to show me.  I love to see what you make.

(In addition to my Color Swatch column I also have a DIY wedding quiz in the issue – be sure to check it out.)