Challenge #29 - Hocus Pocus & a Treat

Hocus Pocus is the challenge.

Wave your wands and make a project appear.

Anything Magic goes.

Jana here: It's not too late to send out a Halloween hello. So, I made a card. I layered and had fun. I also colored my first image. I haven't broken down and become the owner of any Copics or Promarkers. Yet. But after trying to make due, I think it will be on my birthday wish list. I'll email a link to DH. Just need to do a little more research. If you use either one of these, let me know what you think. If you have used both, let me know which you prefer.

Anyway, back to the card. The base is Wasau black cardstock, the background paper is K&CO, the white spider web is Martha Stewart, ribbon is from my stash, image is from In Style Stamps, orange spider is one of those rings the girls got in a goodie bag, scallop punches from my stash, Stampin Up "creepy crawly" stamp and the drippy goo punch from Martha Stewart. I had to go old school glue with the Martha spider web. It's felt and wouldn't stay put with glue dots.

HI! Rosemary here, the magic I've created is I started and finished this stitching piece in one week. Yeah, right, okay...Here's the real deal. The magic of this challenge for me is...I finished this myself.

Which is truly Magic because in the past I've spent oodles of money at AC Moore, Michaels, Ben Franklin, etc. getting my stitched pieces blocked and stretch and framed. In reality, this isn't that hard and I think it looks pretty!

Also, another Magical aspect of this is that I actually have this on the wall. Not sitting in a box in my craft room.

I mounted it on backer board which was adhesive and acid free (very important so that when my descendants sell this in a yard sale as Crazy Auntie Rosemary's craft crap it will still have vibrant color) and then into a frame.

Now, for photographic purposes, I took the glass out and sometimes I've had projects framed without glass, but I tend to keep the glass because I have furballs and their fur magically attaches itself to anything of value of mine.

They're good like that.

So, this is my project - please to enjoy!

Closeup is tweaked a little to show the difference in the pattern (The pattern, by the way, is designed by Vicki Hastings from The Cricket Collection of the Cross-Eyed Cricket and is entitled,

Seasonings - booklet No. 100)

Jana here again. We throw an annual Halloween Sleepover Party.

Last year I made these little albums for the girls.

I put them in little bags. And made matching tags

I used my Quickutz to make little tiny scenes for the pages.



Not a fancy album. Or a big one. Only 8 pages.



Just a little something for them to remember the party.


(OMG - says Rosemary, how does she do all of this? It's all the coffee she drinks, has to be. I'm in awe of how cute these are.)



I got carried away and made too many albums.

I have some left over, so I want to give away. (Sorry, I don't have the little bags.)
All you have to do is be one of the first five to join and post the challenge this week.
I have them ready to go. I just need to know to whom to send them.



Now go conjure up something magical.
(Rosemary again, a recap of our "Blue Blue Blue" projects is posted below. Make sure to check them all out and visit their blogs to leave some love.)

Let's see what you did for the theme "Blue Blue Blue"

Once again, the good followers of Order of the Opus Gluei have outdone themselves. I love the different perspectives and takes you each bring to your projects. I am inspired, touched, and very interested in your submittals - they give a little glimpse into you and your inspiration and it is an honor to visit and see what you're making.

This theme is no exception; you each had a unique way of answering the call for this challenge and you did so beautifully.

We have a new participant - Maria - and if you get a moment, go over and drool over her pretty cards. Her blue project is a lovely little mermaid with an embossed bubble background. Beautiful and the little sentiment on the front is adorable.

Our dear Opus Gluei greenhorn, Kristen, made a blog entry submittal - a soulful and heartfelt poem for her brother that is very touching.

Chat Noir (aka Carolann) made a spectacular card - it's going to be for her dad for Father's Day. May this ability to be organized rub off on me in 2010. To me this is the epitome of elegant! It's got a gentle color, and subtle touches of just classic elegance.

Electra, another of our newer Opus Gluei friends, made an altered project that you are going to swoooooon over; it's beautiful with lots of texture and interest to draw you in and yes, there is plenty of blue in it to qualify. She does such cool projects in all sorts of formats that I'm just thinking - how does she do it all? But she does and we're all the better for getting to see it!!!

Jessica, another of our recent friends of the blog, made an elegant card that is so beautiful in its shading. She also has a link to a cool technique that I didn't know how to do and now I want to make something with it! Check out her other cards too, you are going to just love love love them!

Christine also made a card and WOW - that a pretty card! Who wouldn't love to find this in their mail??? It's got such lovely elements - flocked paper, charms, beautiful patterned paper, and bling (oh my)! YUMMY eye candy!

Irit Shalom submitted a sweet and lovely scrapbook layout of her daughter (what a cute girl!) that is also full of the pretty touches I love - bling, soft shading, lace and the butterflies are so perfect!

(((( Irit's wonderful layout has been accepted for publication,

so we have removed it. Temporarily.))))

After a long absence where we missed seeing her beautiful work, our friend of the blog Desi (aka Ivolina) is back! YAY!!!She brings a great 3-D card with paper piecing that she does beautifully (I'd make a mess of it but she is awesome with it) on a blue background. This card has such fine details and lovely elements. Welcome back!