Harvest!

Ahhhh.... the long awaited day! We harvested our pumpkin yesterday and I was so excited. One would have thought I had grown a 1000 pounder, I was so proud!

So now she sits on the porch awaiting some of the smaller pumpkins, in the patch around our deck ,to finish turning orange. It has been such a thrill to watch the pumpkins grow and even my honey(in the picture) helped after he got over the shock that I had put the seeds down near the deck!

Simple Halloween Tags

I have been in a Halloween mood for about a month! Typically, I start to feel " Halloween in late July! It is crazy, but I am an October baby so I guess that is why I want to "rush" the season! Well, now it is here and it is time to start making some fun crafts and treat bags! I just LOVE to make treat bags! I made these very simple tags for my other Etsy shop www.octoberpumpkintoo.com and you can whip some out too! I used vanilla cardstock from A7 cards to punch my tags ( I can't believe how this was so similar to manila tag paper) and stamped the images from Little Yellow Bicycle stamps from last season. I used my favorite chalk inks for the images. They turned out great and it was such an easy project!

Nearly Done

Here she is...nearly done! I LOVE this pumpkin and I can't wait to take it from the vine. I am trying to be patient though, just a couple more weeks! We have had a lot of fun growing and watching the pumpkins grow this summer. The weather is changing here in Ohio and I think the pumpkins have pretty much stopped growing, so soon I can take them off the vine and move them to the porch! Can't wait!

Pumpkin Palooza!!!

Holy cow! Pumpkins galore! This is the beginning of the growth of our biggest so far! The pictures are from bloom through day seven and I have day 18 to post yet when I upload from the camera! This pumpkin actually grew while we watched it...it has been amazing!

There is a little story behind the pumpkins I planted this year. A farmer on our road is 96 y/o and he still plants and harvests pumpkins every year to sell with the help of his son. They are FANTASTIC pumpkins...some long and tall(my favorite), some squat and fat, some vanilla and all unique, not the " trucked in" variety that seems to have arrived in most of our southern Ohio markets the past few years. So I realized my sweet farmer may not be with us forever and I began to harvest my seeds from his pumpkins the past two years to carry on these "heritage pumpkins". I have tons of blooms and small tiny starts of pumpkins so I hope I get to have a sweet collection for the porch soon! I cannot believe how the fall and Halloween are creeping up on us so quickly in 2010! Amazing! I am ready for the crisp clear weather though, the sooner the better!

Kind of an experiment!

Yesterday, I was cleaning and needed a break. I plopped down and decided to try my alcohol inks on a manila tag ( I saw this in the Stampers Anonymous Demo at Stampaway USA). I had used them before on metal and even acrylic but I don't know why I skipped the manila tag. So this tag is the product of my first attempt on manila cardstock. It turned out pretty cute I think and it was definitely fun! My 17 y/o thought I was nutz and said I looked like a smurf as my hands were covered in blue ink...but it is okay the ink is nearly washed away today!

As a side note, I want to say "Hi!" to my mother who is sitting in ICU the past 3 days ( she is my design artist and co owner of october pumpkin). She is keeping up with the blog from a wifi connection. Mom is stable and making a fast recovery but it has been a scary experience! If you can, add your prayers to our family's for a swift recovery for Mom! I love you Mom! I love you to Dad, you have been very brave through this! Better days are coming!

New Trillium Set

I made this tag with our new Springtime Flowers set. The stamp I used is the Trillium. It is of course the state flower of Ohio! I liked the greens on the tag they felt so peaceful and cool. Refreshing, since it is very brown and crunchy here in southern Ohio. I used a trusty foamie for INSPIRE and watercolors for coloring my image. A glitter brad from American Crafts accents the card and ribbon from Basic Grey. It was fun to make. I don't know how I find tags so much easier to create...I will sit forever to make a card but if I make a tag it comes together super quick!

One more tag today!

This is another foamie tag! I LOVED the scary Jack...BOO for real!!!

BOO! Working from storage!

Today, I do not know what got into me! I had an urge to dig out my old foamies and play with them! I LOVE their boldness and the way they take to kraft paper! I have so many foamies and many untouched so I challenged myself to unpack a bunch and bring them upstairs to the "studio"(really the kitchen table LOL). Here are a couple tag projects I made and a clay embellishment. I was cleaning in my actual art room and saw the clay in a drawer at nearly 1 am so I got it out and made some easy simple things to use on upcoming Halloween cards and tags. Can I say how easy was that and inexpensive too? So maybe tonight you can feel inspired to drag out some of your older supplies and make something new and fresh! Have fun!

Oh yes, the tiny pumpkins on the BOO tag are of course from october pumpkin! If you want some check out the Ghost Walk set!

Fall is lurking in the air!

I had a great time making this tag and thinking about the arrival of fall soon! I am getting emails about Halloween and Fall paper crafts arriving in my favorite shopping haunts and I am making my wish lists! Surprisingly, I a have a list of "toys" and stamps rather than papers. Usually, I am a paper freak when it comes to the fall, but this time around I guess it will be die cuts and stamps! I hope to use my new stuff with our october pumpkin stamps to give you fresh, fun new ideas! The stamp above is october pumpkin's witch and I embossed her on new paper from DCWV Haunted Stack. The glitter brads are American Crafts and the bats and saying are from Studio G clear stamps. The edge of the tag was done with my Tim Holtz "On the Edge" scallop, it is fun and whimsical. I used a 1 1/2 inch black grosgrain to tie the tag, unfortunately it is not seen in the pic! So break out your tags and make this cute witch for yourself today! It was a very easy tag to make and you can do it too!

A Treasure!

This is my signed copy of A Compendium of Curiosities!

Oh WOW! So COOL!

I had a GREAT, unexpected experience Saturday! I was at the Stamp Away USA Show, shopping and checking out the rubber stamp industry( I am always researching) when I was in a nice booth, Small Studio Productions, looking at Vintage Cabinet cards. At some point I look up and the owner is chatting with a fellow and I think to myself, "Is that Tim Holtz?" . The owner confirmed this when I asked! I thought, " WOW, I didn't know he was doing this show!" So I scoot on down to Stamper's Anonymous and sure enough a demonstration with Tim Holtz is going on. I get a spot with a great view and learn tons of new stuff to try. Tim is so kind , he is signing copies of A Compendium of Curiosities, as he works, for ladies who had purchased a book. Of course , I HAVE to get mine...I love book signings! Mine gets placed in the signing pile that is growing, but I don't know where. The demonstration is so interesting I just hang out and wait... who cares, right? How often do you get a live chance to see Tim Holtz work? Near the closing of the convention, he gets the stack and starts signing. The pile gets to the last book and I am nervous because my book hasn't appeared. He flips open the book and says, "What's this?" and he is turning a white page. He says to a gentleman he works with, " This isn't suppose to have an extra page, the other books don't. Hmmm, we are going to have to do something with this". At this point I am thinking, "What on earth?" . He signs my book and then starts to put a design in the book below the signing!!! Oh my gosh, I felt like I won the lottery! How fun! I took tons of pictures to capture the moment and I just want to say, that made my DAY! Thanks tons, Tim Holtz! Now, I can't open my book to read it though, because I am afraid I will ruin my signing and artwork, LOL!

Ladies and gents , if you ever have a chance to watch a Tim Holtz demo in person, please do! He was so kind and patient with everyone and took plenty of time to show many techniques, it was very fascinating! Thanks Tim Holtz for a great demo!

Priceless Moment

We had the best experience while vacationing on Lake Erie a few weeks ago! I LOVE herons and here in southern Ohio we have a rare few. We have a heron that lives or feeds in our creek and we often see her fly from the creek in such great elegance but cannot get too close to her. While on Put in Bay Island, we took our golf cart out to the Ohio Division of Wildlife Fisheries and on the pier was this MAGNIFICENT heron! At first we were about 100 feet from her, then we noticed she was accepting fish from others, so we crept closer. Finally, we were about eight feet from her!!! I snapped this shot with my new Nikon and look at what I got!!! I LOVE this pic and I LOVED her!!! So sweet!

Dreaming of Sea Glass

This is a sweet little girl from the late 1800's! The picture of her was taken on Rye Beach in Huron , Ohio. I don't know who she is but I was drawn to the image as I was looking at vintage pictures of Ruggles Beach, Ohio. Soon we will visit the lake for a summer trip and I will get to do one of my favorite things and search for seaglass! LOVE it! Yes, there is seaglass in the lake, though I do not want to advertise this because then there will be less for me! LOL! This ATC uses a stamp from october pumpkin, The Shell Trio Set, as a background. The entire card is spritzed with Tattered Angels and the sand layers are edged with Twinkling H2O's. The seaglass is of course from Ruggles Beach, Ohio!

Penguin Parade

The stamp set above is a NEW stamp too! So cute! I have watercolored the October Pumpkin penguins and matted them on a distressed mat. My polka dot paper was made with a background stamp from Unity Stamps. It all came together nicely I think! You can get your own Penguin Parade at Etsy at www.octoberpumpkin.etsy.com

NEW Rubber Stamp - Leroy Le Lobster

NEW STAMPS! NEW - NEW- NEW!!! This stamp I LOVE! He may be my favorite yet! I had a great time making this card at 1:30am - sudden burst of energy!

I photographed him this AM and here he is - I hope you get one to make your own bright summer card! This is sure to put a smile on anyone's face. Leroy can be purchased at my shop http://www.octoberpumpkin.etsy.com/ Treat yourself this weekend!

Sometimes Crabby!

That's me right now! My blogspot is acting peculiar tonight! I am trying to post an ATC I made from a vintage photo and the pics post sideways! Now, the font keeps changing over from my normal font...SOOOO hang with me, maybe all will be better tomorrow! In the meantime, this ATC seemed appropriate for the occasion! Of course, the crab is from the stamps in the Etsy shop! Check out our NEW lobster too! My mother, the stamp designer, has a new blog at www.octoberpumpkin.typepad.com for more card ideas!

Message in the botlle

Here is a pic of the message inside the card! I did have to put the card inside a small gift bag instead of an envelope, but that was okay since I was not mailing the card!

New Stamp Set

This is a new stamp set designed by my mom for october pumpkin! The message in the bottle is part of the set. I made this card for Dad and it had many layers and textures that were FUN to do! A layer of the sand is Bazzill Bling and I used Twinkling H2O's on the bottle, clouds and the green layer of water. I sure wish these showed up in the photo because it was very pretty on the card! Inside the card is the message from "inside" the bottle. That was a last minute idea that worked out well!

Ruggles Beach

Today, I created my first artist trading card! The theme is a summer beach. Our family visits this beach every summer. It is named Ruggles Beach. Ruggles Beach is on the shore of Lake Erie, Ohio. The photograph was taken in the late 1800's on the very beach we vacation on.

I LOVE the fun everyone is having in the photograph and how the men are entertaining the crowd with their pyramid!

This was a fun project, but a tiny bit rough because I was overly excited about using my distressing ink. The seagull is from a collection found at the october pumpkin Etsy Shop. Maybe you can try an ATC of your own tomorrow!

Just Rubber

A new option is available in the Etsy shop if you have a design you have been wanting and it is for stamps of just rubber! There is a new wave of folks turning to the rubber only form of stamps for the sake of storage and economizing. So, I thought I would offer some and see how folks like them. I, personally, still love my clings, I feel I have more control with them but we all have our favorite way of using our supplies.
I hope everyone is enjoying the warmer, sunny weather! We are seeing the ducks in the backyard acting very joyful. Chickadees tried to make a nest in our grill and we had to safely place it elsewhere. Our favorite backyard friend we watch, Chunk, has risen from hibernation and showed himself Saturday! He is a groundhog who is SO big and SO cute. So spring is here, thank goodness. I want to wish everyone a great spring!

Brant Point Lighthouse Rubber Stamp

This morning I have listed Brant Point Lighthouse in the Etsy shop. This is the second lighthouse to be mounted on wood and more are to arrive. Hopefully, I will get another done this weekend. Today will be busy with groceries and errands, but maybe tomorrow! I like to have my favorites in wood mount to display in my art room, maybe this could be a favorite for you too. I love the idea that the lighthouses are great for projects and cards for men and women, you can get alot of use from one stamp. This card was made by me, but my mom has watercolored the image for me...such a huge help! I love the watercolored image! You can do this too! I know she uses top of the line watercolors, but I found some great watercolors for those of us that are beginners at Michaels. If you use your coupon, you can get a set for a great price. I use the tubes by a company named Reeves and bought a set of 18 for such a reasonable price. They last forever too.
Have a great day and maybe try a watercolored stamped image today for your cards!

Wood Mounted Stamps are available!

Finally, I have a few wood mounted stamps assembled and up for sale at Etsy. If you love the wood mounted blocks, these are for you! I like to display my favorites in my art room!

This card is Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse in Maryland. My mother watercolored the stamped piece for me while she was in Florida by the ocean. I just had to decide what colors to use with it, that was fun! I think the colors remind me of boat flags and a sporty theme. It surprised me because I began thinking I would use ocean colors and as sometimes happens I change my mind as I get my papers and supplies out. I hope you enjoy the card and snatch up a stamp for yourself! Have a great day!

Dreams of warm weather and sand!

October Pumpkin Stamps designer is on her way back from where it was supposed to be warm and sunny! I hear it was so cold and blustery and really not weather to go to the beach! I guess this winter we can only dream of the sunny days and warm, soft sand and the joy of making a sandcastle! This light and airy card is stamped with our sandcastle stamp you can get at www.octoberpumpkin.etsy.com

I like this stamp size. It can be used not only for cards, but stamps nicely on a scrapbook page with your vacation pictures at the beach! Enjoy!

Such a long time since...

Uh oh... it has been since October since I have posted, oh dear! I began physical therapy in October hoping to correct some damage to my back and muscles from years and years as an RN and it seems that it has taken tons of time, not only the therapy but the recovery after the session. Then adding frequent visits to the YMCA for more strengthening has really made this an all out project! After four monthes, I am STILL going faithfully to physical therapy and wondering if I am going to win an award for " The patient with the most treatments!" Lying on the treatment table today, I thought "Hmmm...oh yeah , I have a blog I think, I better take a look at that!"

So here I am and I have some cute cards to post ! This card is our beach girl from the Beach Kids Set at www.octoberpumpkin.etsy .com She is so sweet! She could be looking at a shell she just found or looking out to the sea. I love how her hair blows in the wind!