It’s October and it’s…

Another month just flew by and, my word, what a fabulous lot of entries again for September’s challenge – THANK YOU ALL so much!!

We know that it might be obvious but so many of us celebrate Halloween that we just couldn’t let the month pass without using all of our beautiful, seasonal, stamps, papers and embellishments for a challenge. So, it’s October and it’s…

‘SOMETHING SPOOKY’

We hope that this challenge will get your mojos up and running and tempt those of you who don’t usually celebrate Halloween to do something different. For those of you who are fast becoming our regular companions, we hope that you’ll join in the spirit of Halloween with us and add your charm and creativity alongside us. Whether you like witches and hobgoblins, ghosts and ghouls, vampires and bats, zombies or absolutely anything else spooky, the world is your pumpkin! We’d like to see your cards, bags, boxes, canvasses, ATCs, altered art and anything else that you’ve crafted in a spooky style (as long as it’s not offensive)!!! As is always the case, our fantastic host, Country View Crafts, will be donating the winner a £20 shop voucher.

TIP: If you don’t have any Halloween media in your cupboard just take a look at our Jennie’s project – how inventive is she? Brilliantly done Jennie!

To get you thinking and, hopefully, to add some inspiration into the cauldron, we have some stunning makes from our DTMs (Design Team Members) to start us all off….

From Rocky – Guest DTM for October (August’s winner)

www.rockycraft.blogspot.co.uk

"I am delighted to have won the August challenge and so pleased to have the opportunity to be a guest DTM. The theme for October is appropriately 'Something Spooky' which set the little grey cells alight. I found this paper mache house in a charity shop a few months ago, perfect for this challenge.
I have distressed the outside with paints, inks and a woodgrain stamp, added moss bushes and Flowersoft wisteria. The roof tiles are Sizzix Rosette strips cut from orange card, distressed and then dotted with Flowersoft moss. The bats are also die cut before being stuck on an acetate collar around the chimney. The outside lamp is from Ranger, it takes two small batteries in a holder that is Velcro taped inside the roof, there is also a battery operated tea light inside so all lighting is safe. The pumpkin is scrunched up tissue with bits of a die cut bat used to make its features, there is also a sparkly cat and a twig broom on the front porch. Inside there are some die cut ghosts that are covered with glow in the dark glitter."

From Gabrielle – DTM

www.gabrielle-price.blogspot.co.uk

"I love the images associated with Halloween - they can be used in so many different ways to create projects from cards to home decor. I chose to do the latter! I took a paper covered frame and added many layers of Fresco Finish paint, including crackle glaze, and inks until it looked grungy and aged. I then took a piece of calico fabric and painted it roughly with Snowflake. I then added a skull with Black Soot and Vintage Photo Distress Inks through a stencil and added a little more to the frayed edges of the material. I stamped lots of images from Tim Holtz and PaperArtsy on Grungepaper and inked them with Antique Linen and Spiced Marmalade Distress Stains."

From Jennie – DTM

www.jennie-livethedream.blogspot.co.uk

"With absolutely no Halloween stash other than a tiny Happy Halloween ticket I had to be pretty inventive to make this "spooky" banner!  You will recognise some freebie Craft Stamper stamps and instead of bats I have butterflies!  But it was great fun to make."

From Trace – DTM

www.inkypinkycraft.blogspot.co.uk

"I have been playing with some of the new distress paints to create cool layered spooky backgrounds , with my card made using the fab pop n cuts die. the outside features one of the yummy new blueprints and lots of Halloween stamps from Tim Holtz. I used lots of stamping and ink through layering stencils to create the background.

Lots more stamping and inking to create the background a really layered background inside. I am really loving using lots of layered stamping and the new stencils to create interesting backgrounds. A few spooky skulls to finish off. x"

From Brenda – DTM

www.bumblebeesandbutterflies.com

"I used a canvas frame for my spooky make this month, but turned it over and used the back of it so that I had a shadow box type frame. I had great fun with tissue tape, distress paints, stamps, crackle paint and rusting powder it create the frame, background and all the added elements.

I cut some wood to add 'shelves' for all the apothecary bottles and to keep those strange concoctions well out of the way lol.  Check out the CVC shop for bottles, paints, dies and stamps used here and have fun making your own spooky projects this month.

From Chris – DTM

"I'd started to prepare this tea chest for Halloween last year but never got around to finishing it, now I have!

www.mycornerofheaven.com

It's hard to take a picture of glass without reflections and glare so, with the front open...

8 of the 9 sections have backs made from a Graphic 45 Steampunk Spells paper. (More detailed info on my own blog.)"

Wow! We hope that these beautiful projects inspire you to start making your own and, remember, if you don't have any Halloween type items in your stash have a look at Jennie's project. For everyone else that has been buying Tim Holtz's Halloween items and Graphic 45'sSteampunk Spells, etc, you have an abundance of choice with which to come up with something. The challenge is about YOUR interpretation ie what 'Something spooky' means to you. We want to see what bobs your apple, floats your ghost, or tickles your cobwebs <g>!! You have from NOW until 11.50pm on October 31st to enter. (PLEASE make sure you read the rules as we will NOT contact you if you disqualify yourself.)

The winner of the challenge (chosen at random by random.org) will receive a £20 shop voucher from our fabulous host, Country View Crafts, who are bang up to date with lots of the latest dies, stamps and media. There will also be Top 3 winners chosen as well as a DTM's merit award all of whom receive appropriate blog buttons and the opportunity of be a Guest DTM for the following month! Phew! Okay, are you ready? Let's GO, GO, GO !!!

Good luck everyone!!

Your Design Team xxx