Workdesk Wednesday-Halloween Edition

Hewwo.  My name is Poppy and I be your guest columnist today.  Today is Halloweenz and that meanz it is a day to be scairdey cat and have spooky stories. Here is my bery spooky story.  It haz a bad ending, like a CAT-tastophy.  So I axed my mom for a pet zombie cuz I think that would be cool.  Well, so they can be a little mean sometimes but I saw the teebee show and you put chains on them and they are very good.  Well, so I waited and I waited and I waited for my pet zombie to come.

What did my my mommy and papa bring me instead?!!!

BABY BROVERS!!!

Dio and Charles

What do I want wittle brovers for?!  Dey are good for nothingz. They cause troubles and neber stop moving.  They poop in my box and play with my papers and eated my best mouse.  They make me haz stress.  Mommy sez I have to said one good fing about them so that is they get good crunchie food and I'm aloud to haz it and so is my big brover, Jack.  Oh hey, it is his birfday today.  He's 12.

Mommy hazn't done lots on her desk latelies but its got good stuff on it.  She has a card that didn't get mailed (wait, dats not good), new used Tampin' Up set of wild fings, a new new set of cannery stamps and diez, Ha'ween cards, notebooks, punches, and ledders.

Mom did make a free by free card with a wittle envelope.  She needs to make 2 more but she's been doing stuff. Last night she stabbed squashes with a big knife and made faces in them.  My new wittle brover, Dio, he eated the squash guts and got them in his furs.  See, baby brovers are just a pain.

 Happy Ha'weenz!

The Fine Print: Baby brother kitties are rescue kitties, they are neutered, they will not go outside, and they are not declawed and yes I know the other kitty just died. Why are people so judgemental?! (Can you tell what questions I've been fielding lately?) Scarecrow on 3x3 by The Angel Company, French Roast mini pearls by A Muse Studio. Bottom card not by me and is unsigned so I can't give credit to the artist.

Harvest Tractor

In my quest for excellent fall stamps, I once picked up this set from Stampin' Up.  It has potential but somehow always falls short of my expectations.  Yet, I pull it out every year to try again.  This year is one of the better years.  This very detailed stamp absolutely needs to be stamped on a smooth card stock otherwise the image just gets all washed out.  I think I should have dispensed with the pale green ground though.  It makes it look a little more like spring planting season than a fall harvest season.

The Fine Print: Stamp by Stampin' Up "Time and Seasons" set, paper by DCWV, mini scallop border punch by EK Success, brads by Recollections.

Quickie Treat Bag

I am on the A Muse Studio Challenge Blog design team and that means whenever a new challenge rolls around (usually every 2 weeks) I am to make something following the challenge.  I enjoy doing it as long as there is a keeper around to remind me where we are in the month and when the next challenge is to be posted (That would be now, Judy).

This time the challenge is Anything but a Card.  In every swap and challenge this theme has to come around some time or the other and I just hate making things that aren't cards. At least this time I didn't know what the challenge was until the last second so I didn't time have to complain about agonize over it.  I just had time to whip together a Halloween treat bag!

I even had candy eyeballs to put in it, so how fun is that?  Now I'm all set in case I get a trick or treater at my house.  And if I get one of those health nut trick or treaters I can offer them a Pounce cat treat. It guarantees a soft silky coat and clean teeth.

The Fine Print: orange chevron paper, onyx and white baker's twine, web die cut, spider from the candy box die set, all by A Muse Studio.

Halloween Centerpiece

I always though this was kind of a silly stamp.  I mean what a weird combination of things: vase of flowers, Jack O'Lanterns, a slice of watermelon tied with a bow.  I've always liked this stamp though even if it does boggle my mind some.  The image has all these parts sitting on a plaid striped cloth but I cut that part off because I colored it with terrible colors.  It was intentional, mind you; it just worked out that way.

I had great plans for today but they were waylaid by allergies.  I took enough allergy pills that I was seeing little black specks whenever I closed my eyes.  However, my brain reassured me that they were poppy seeds and not little bugs, so that okay.  My new theory is that I am allergic to myself.  It's all in a day's work.

The Fine Print: Stamp by Imaginations, paper by DCWV, large scallop border die by A Muse Studio.

Zombie Cats

I haven't been posing to my blog much lately because I don't have anything to say.  It dawned on me that I don't have to say stuff; I can just post pictures.  That will keep you abreast of my latest crafty stuff and be friendly to those who are illiterate (which isn't you of course, because you are reading this).

The Fine Print: Really?  You are giggling like a little kid over the word 'abreast'?!  Image by Magenta.

Workdesk Wednesday 177

What is on my workdesk this Wednesday?  Why, zombies, of course. 

Okay, the real desk looks like this and has a bit of a Halloween theme going on too.  I am good at making the cards but lousy at getting them out in the mail. So I have a stack of them to mail if I can get the get up and go to actually do it.

Here's a card I made last year or even the year before or maybe even the year before that.  It was at a workshop or class.  I found it in my Halloween stash and decided it was time to mail the thing (I said I was lousy at mailing).

Here is something else that is Halloween themed: a black cat.  A spoiled, pampered black cat who was happy that his grandma left an afghan for him to lie on while peering out the window and then pouted when his mom tried to pick it up and put it away.

Poppy cried and was sad to be left out of the photography session but then she had a diva fit and refused to pose.

The Fine Print: No, really, my life is this dull. No clue on the stamps, but if I had to guess I'd say Stampin' Up.

Trio of Birthday Cards

Once upon a time, possibly a long, long time ago, but not in a galaxy far away a non-crafting friend gave me a birthday card making kit.  It had pre-printed card bases, various die cuts, embellishments, ribbon, and instructions for making the 15 or so cards in the kit.

I looked it over and thought it was neat but only ever made one of the cards out of it.  That is because I sort of felt it was cheating to use the card kit to make cards.

I queried people about how they would feel if they got cards from a card kit and it turns out that I was the only one with an issue with it.  I've since gotten over it, as evinced from my frequent use of kits from Club Scrap, Simon Says, and other places.

Those kits just give you stuff to play with and sometimes include a few samples of what you could make.  They aren't as specific as this kit so that is why it has been ignored until now when my mom asked me to make some birthday cards for her to use.  As I started using it I realized that I don't have to follow the directions and make the cards shown exactly as is.  I can change things around, add my own embellishments or even stamp on them.  Sometimes my lightbulb of ideas is slow to turn on, but once it comes on it shines bright!

The Fine Print: Middle card stamp by A Muse Studio, bling by Recollections, sequins (top card) by Hero Arts, fibers (bottom card) from Michael's, card kit by Paper Magic.

Today's Post

I thought I had a couple more frogs to share with you today but apparently only one of them stayed still for a photograph and even then he was a tad camera shy.

I spent the afternoon outside today, which is scary because there is pollen outside.  We went to the pumpkin patch which had a corn maze, hay stack climb, petting zoo, wagon rides, and of course, pick your own pumpkin.  There was a lot more there too but it was filled with those small sticky humans commonly referred to as 'children,' possibly more scary than pollen since they don't make an over the counter drug for those.

Corn Maze
Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter



My new friends "Veal" and "Hamburger"



The pumpkins I picked
(apparently the cameraman didn't think pumpkins were photo worthy)
(I suspect the boobs distracted him)

The Fine Print: Stamps by Inky Antics, punches by Martha, dies by Spellbinders, corn, cows, pumpkins and pollen courtesy of Mother Nature.

And Now.....

for my next trick I shall spontaneously combust!  Hmmmm.... there seems to be some technical difficulties.  I've only managed to light one spot on my back on fire.  Of course it is right in the middle where I can't reach.  I've tried stopping, dropping, and rolling to no avail.  Ah well... such is life.

Meanwhile, here's a spooky bird, the harbinger of doom and destruction, or at least the harbinger of a poopy windshield.

The Fine Print: Really, someone bring a fire extinguisher, this burning back thing is lame.  Stamp by PSX (remember them?), patterned paper by Memory Box.

A Working Wednesday

Hi! My name is Poppy and I makes appearances today because my mommy is bery buzzie doing homeworks. She gots lots and lots of homeworks and it is called a test.  Tests makes people crazy.

I tooks a pitchure of my mom's desk but we didn't link up to worksdesk Wednesday earlie because we'd be too buzzie to play along this weeks but can sez hi to those who stops by.  My mommy is doing homeworks and I'm doing having a sad.  We had to let Grandpa Kitty go to the Grate Catnip Garden and Cheeto Factory in the sky yesterdays.  I fink that means he isn't going to live wif us anymore or even send a postcard.  Me and my big brudder Jack satted on mommy's lap all day yesterday.  Jack even sat on her lap when she went potty which made her do laughing.  I won't complain jest yet but we den't get no crunchies wif our dinner last night or our breakfasts this morning. I herd it woz special old kitty food but I am shure it is jest a rumors!

Yesterdays my mom made some tears, a card, and some frogs.  See!

The Fine Print: Auto red-eye correct did weird things to Poppy's eyes, she isn't really that intense.  Owl scene by Stampendous and frogs by Inky Antics.

Riddle Me This

What is black and white and read all over?

A newspaper!

Bawha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha HA ha ha HA ha ha ha ha ha HA ha HA ha ha HA HA ha ha hee ho ha ha ha snort ha HA ha ha ha ha ha ha HA ha ha HA ha ha ha ha ha snicker ha ha bawha HA ha ha ha ha ha ha ho Ha ha!

Yeah, I didn't find it funny either.  For one thing newspapers aren't really white and they sure as heck aren't read all over otherwise so many of them wouldn't have folded and made the world declare that print media is dead.

I am not and have not ever been a fan of riddles, but I do enjoy a good challenge and it is time again for another A Muse Studio Challenge.  This one is brought to you by Angie and her challenge is to do black and white with a touch of color. 

Whenever I am giving the option of black and white with a touch of color I just know that the color has to be red, which then makes me think of the riddle about black and white and read all over.  I should mention that Angie threw an added kink into the mix this time.  Your card can only be one layer.  Since I already had made the card to the right I had to weep.  But I persevered and made a new one layer card. I can admire a well made one layer but making them does make me a bit twitchy. Okay, a whole lot twitchy!

Anyway, if you are feeling the vibe, feel free to make a one layer card with black and white and a touch of some other color and join in the challenge today.

The Fine Print: Stamps, papers and illegal use of ribbon by A Muse Studio; "Extraordinary" background and "Ahhhnouncing" set, onyx, cherry, and sugar card stock, onyx stitched ribbon.

Counter Response

Today I met this very paranoid person in the laundry room.  He was quite upset that I took his clothes out of the dryer that had stopped 10 minutes ago and folded then.  He was upset that I touched them.  And for the record, his clothes weren't anything special and I never once sniffed the crotch of anything. Never mind that they were clean and I have no sense of smell, that ain't my thang. 

But old Brad, he wouldn't let it go and wouldn't accept my apology.  He ranted on and on and on very out of proportion for the situation.  He went on to say that the next thing I'll be doing is taking his wet clothes out of the dryer to use his time up.  That makes no sense because our dryers are free.  But it did make me think to myself, "No, Brad, if I wanted to mess with you like you seem to think I want to, I would take your clothes out of the dryer and pee on them."   Because I'm that kind of girl.  And I have to pee a lot.  And once you let it known that you are that irrationally paranoid I have an over-whelming urge to mess with you.  

Over dinner I told my husband about Brad the Paranoid and he said that probably Brad was posting to his blog about how the Gang Stalkers were indeed after him as evidenced by how they sullied his clothes today.  So I said I'd have to post my counter response and here it is.  But yes, Brad, even though I just met you, I am after you.  Tonight, I'm going to break into your apartment and watch you as you sleep.  I may even touch your toothbrush.

The Fine Print: I touched my husband's clean clothes, took them out of the dryer, and folded them today too, becuase I figured once you're headed for Hell you might as well make a trip of it.  He was disappointed I didn't run them between my legs or rub them up against my naked breasts.  Patterned papers by DCWV, border punch by Martha, frog stamps by Inky Antics, greeting by Hero Arts, scalloped squares by Marvy.  Crap how many weridos do you think the words "sniffed the crotch," "naked breasts" and irrationally paranoid" are going to bring to my blog?  What the heck, the more the merrier!

Coffee Card

Here's another card I made at the Stampin' Up workshop I was at the other night.  Coffee's not my thing, but I know others are quite taken with it.  I really like the brown patterned paper piece.

The Fine Print: Everything by Stampin' Up and that's all you need to know really.  Happy Friday!

Gateway to Halloween

Oh yeah, this is the point where I'm supposed to write down some wonderfully witty words and show off a card or two.  Well, the wonderful witty word maker is taking the day off, so we'll just jump straight to the card.

I made this card at a recent Stampin' Up workshop. I thought it was a neat design. I'll definitely have to make some more like it.

The Fine Print: All the eveythings by Stampin' Up except the big scrolls on the front of the gate by Sizzix. I just realized that they are glued down in different directions on each gate.  We'll blame the landlord for that shoddy work. ;-)

Whatever Wednesday

My rule of thumb (and possibly some of the other fingers too) is when you aren't sure what to do with yourself, do what you usually do.  Occasionally the other thumb chimes in and his rule is when you aren't sure what to do with yourself, do nothing, but that option always makes me twitchy.

So, here it is Wednesday, where I usually participate in What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday, so that is what I will do.  True confession time, I thought joining WOYWW would keep me motivated to keep my desk tidy and made stuff to show you.  Quit laughing!  The reality, I don't care what my desk looks like or what y'all think and I make stuff because I want to make stuff.

I wouldn't call my desk messy.  There is still room to play and plenty to play with.  I only have one card to share with you because the others came out blurry.  Is it the camera, the operator, or the batteries?  Who can say.

The Fine Print: If you think my thumbs are full of wisdom, wait'll you hear what my big toes have to say!  Card stuff except for polka dot paper by Club Scrap "Memoirs" set (from a zillion years ago, amazing what you find when you poke around the dark dusty corners).

Serenity

Just so I don't make a complete fool out of myself (a partial fool is acceptable, and expected) I thought I'd share some more of the September Club Scrap kit with you.

I really like the extra large scroll work flourish stamp that was in this kit. It has such potential!  I also enjoy the soothing colors used.  They got the name spot on when they named this "Serenity."  The breathe card makes me smile.  I'm an asthmatic, so that breathing thing often flummoxes me.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I often cut off the extra side on tri-fold card and even the card back out with a decorative border.  Here's an example of that.  One thing I like about the Club Scrap kits is they lend themselves to having paper flowers used with them.  Gosh knows I have plenty of those.

The Fine Print: Paper flowers by Prima, jeweled brad by unknown, decorative punch by Martha, inks by Memento, everything else by Club Scrap.

Perfect is Boring Anyway

Last Friday night, also known as The Night Before World Card Making Day, I realized that my desk and surrounding area was far too messy to make anything on WCMD.  However, I was sleepy and my back hurt so I didn't wanna pick up.  It was too early to go to bed though so I picked things up with lots of pouting about how I didn't wanna in between.  Then it was all picked up and finally bed time!

Then just to be contrary I woke up feeling good about the stuff I had picked up and wanted to do some more.  So instead of making cards I made order out of my crafting space. One thing I did was break open the September Club Scrap kit, which I hadn't yet done.  I folded all the cards and prepped all the bits for a later date.

If you've been reading my blog you know I've been less than enamored with the Club Scrap kits lately.  My gripe is the dull, dark, dreary colors of the papers they've been using.  Not so with this kit!  I finally did get around to playing with it late in the day on WCMD and have puttered with it since then too.  It will have to take a backseat to Halloween and swap cards, but I'm enjoying the non-dull, non-dark, and non-dreary colors of this kit. Expect to see it sprinkled here and there throughout this month.  Perhaps I shouldn't say that.  Whenever I say "stay tuned for ___" I go off on another tangent and don't get back to whatever it is that I tell you to stick around for. 

This card is a tri-fold card, something Club Scrap loves to throw into their kits. I usually just chop one of the flaps off and add a border or additional cardstock to even out the card base again.  However, this time I went for an actual tri-fold card.  Sorry about that last photo and how bleary it is.  When my camera says "battery low" it does not mean wrap it up soon; it means goodbye, I shan't focus anymore.

The Fine Print: Patterned paper by unknown but possibly Basic Grey, border punch by Martha, everything else Club Scrap "Serenity" kit.

October

Since it is firmly October now, with no turning back, I thought it was time to share my October calendar with you. I know you are all a'quiver with anticipation.

You can hardly see it in this scan, but I finally figured out how to get a nice, fine application of colored mist.  It is just like hubby suggested: stand a half mile away.

And here's a silly Halloween card, because, why not?

The Fine Print: Calendar stamps by A Muse Artstamps, wasbi mist by A Muse Studio. Halloween card stamps by Stampin' Up "Twick or Tweet" set, papers by unknown, orange pearls by Recollections. Am I the only one who thinks the trick or treat chick looks like she's wearing fashionable cat-eye glasses?

Card Making Day

In honor of World Card Making Day today, I made a card.  Yes, you read that right.  A card.  There aren't any rules or anything that says I have to make a whole bunch of cards.  I had originally planned to make a whole bunch of cards but it didn't work out that way.

This card is called a changing card and it requires a lot of time, work, and feats of engineering.  This was my first attempt at it and I think it came out pretty good.  I had fun making it.

The Fine Print: all the everythings by Stampin' Up.  I hope there were more cards made in Your World Card Making Day than there were in mine.

Fail Has Fallen

All I had today to share with you is a lousy card I made last night.  The silly thing is that it doesn't look quite as horrible today as it did last night. Don't take that to mean it turned awesome overnight, because it didn't do that.  It just got more tolerable.  I've had other cards do that to me too.  However, this one I had confirmation from my hubby that it was a fail card, so I was surprised that it changed.  Here is the card:

I thought the speckles were too over-powering and the leaves too blah. However it was better than my first attempt which while it looks better today as well; it still hasn't improved enough to be put on an actual card:

I have to admit that I love the look of colored mists, but don't like how you have no control over them.  Hubby suggests spraying from a farther distance. Perhaps it does take more practice.

The Fine Print: card base from the stash, pattern paper, stamps, ribbon, and splash spray by A Muse Studio--French Roast wood grain, French roast twill ribbon, and "Fresh Foliage" set.

Happy Autumn

I found an old card to share with you today since I don't have anything new.  My desk is so messy that I fear I may never craft again because there's no room to play and no idea where to start on shoveling out the mess. I might just have to close up the house and move.  There may be no other options.  I'm sure you understand.

That said I had this goal starting to put up a blog post every day for a year.  I had some vague recollection that I started this goal around the beginning of October (World Card Making Day).  I went back and checked it out. Indeed I achieved my goal!  So, now what?  I guess for now I'll sit and wallow in my mess.

Either that or take up knitting.

The Fine Print: Paper by DCWV, acorn and leaves stamps by A Muse Artstamps, greeting by unknown, ribbon by DeNami.

Wednesday and a Workdesk

Hewwo! My names is Poppy and I'll be your guest columnist today because Grandpa Kitty bited mom in the hand and made bleedin' come out. So I let her rest her hands today, 'cept for petting.

Moms says she doesn't really feel like doing workdesk Wednesday today because she says that it is just the same old mess from before.  But it isn't!  It is a bigger, newer, and improved mess! No, reallys, it is kind of scary.  It didn't makes it into the pitcher but mom has been using her new box of card blanks ebery time 'cept when she has to do A Mews design team cards becuz the A Mews papers is keeped separately.  We gots new Tampin' Up punches and an unopened box from Club Scraps to play with.  Moms did all her homeworks this week already so I hope we can play soon.

She did maked this card though for spooky Halloween.  I wike being spooky! There was a kitty in my yard so I mades my tail all big and scardey looking and he gotted the spookies and ranned away before he could eat my birds.  I gots a pumpkin neckwace that blinks to be eben more spooky too.  Maybes next time I models it for you.

The Fine Print: The hand is fine, Fido's teeth are too dull to break skin most of the time. That cat does not like to be combed!  Stamp by Inkadinkado, paper by DCWV, dies by Spellbinders, twine by Doodle Twine, matte black bling by Recollections.