Halloween Home Decor

I am often inspired by fashion, art posters and quilts, to name a few. I created this project for the American Crafts "Inspired" week.

I ran across this quilt on Pinterest and I just knew when I saw it that I wanted to use it for as inspiration for Halloween home decor. I chose to stay close to the original with slight modifications and a few embellishments. See for yourself.

Inspiration from Sedimentary Quilt by Esch House Quilts

Step 1: Select 3 - 4 papers in various shades of the same color and 1 contrasting color. Cut 1/2"x12" and 3/4"x12" strips. Then cut them into shorter strips.

Step 2: Cut a 8x10 piece of cardstock for your background. Starting at the top, adhere the strips of paper keeping the 1/2" strips on the same row and the 3/4" strips on their own row.

Step3: Trim the sides so that all strips are flush with the edge around the page.

Pick your favorite embellishments and add them to the background, using foam dots to add extra dimension.

Supplies: Haunted Hollow (368904) - 12x12 medium weight paper pad, (368675) - Bits Full Moon die cut cardstock shapes

Shimelle Cards

I am completely smitten with the Shimelle collection. The colors, patterns and sentiments are perfect for card making.

See the World Card

Supplies: Shimelle collection (368144) - Ride paper, (368151) - Baxter paper, (368137) - Crane paper, (368155) - Swanson paper, (368165) – dimensional stickers, (368169) – acrylic stamps

Celebrate Card

Supplies: (368136) - Goodall paper, (368138) - Grady paper, (368166) – accent & phrase stickers

Hello Beautiful Girl

I love color, bold patterns and I especially enjoy creating fun backgrounds. I often mix and match various patterns so you will see a lot of that in my style of scrapbooking. 

This particular photo was taken when we were visiting Pearl Harbor in Hawaii this summer. The girls were so interested in what happened and I just know it made an impact on them. They even got to meet a survivor.  This is a photo of the girls "playing" on some of the old canons that they have out for the kids.

Supplies: Shimelle (368140) - Keller paper, (368148) - Jamison paper, (368146) - Resnick paper, (368137) - Crane paper, (368151) - Baxter paper, (368144) - Ride paper, (368173) - die cut cardstock shapes, (368162) - Fitzgerald glitter letter stickers, (368163) - Dunbar foil letter stickers

How to:

• Choose a background paper with little pattern to it. 
• Choose 1 paper with little background or a tone on tone background. Trim it to a 10x10 and adhere it to the background paper, flush to the right and bottom edge. Stitch the top (and fold the paper up) and stitch the middle of the paper.
• Select 2 more papers with a fun pattern, like the stripes and hearts paper I used. Cut them into super duper large page corners. Adhere to the top left and bottom right.
• Add layers behind your photo. Add embellishments and your title.
• Tuck your journaling under your photo layers or write it under your title.

Blinks of Life Guest Design Sneaks

Hi everyone. If you follow me on Instagram (@heatherleopard), you've probably seen that I'm guesting over at Blinks of Life kit club.  I'm excited to be a part of the amazing line-up of scrappers Natalia has put together this month. Take a look...

Here's a few sneaks of what I've created.  I'll be posting them in detail with close-ups in the next few days and you can also see them in the Blinks of Life gallery.

Matsumoto Shave Ice

Hi there. Last week on the American Crafts blog, we created layouts using 5+ photos.  I chose to use 6 of my faves from a stop into Matsumoto shave ice when we were in Haliewa, Hawaii this summer.

Supplies: #summer - (366948) #roadtrip 12x12 paper, (366950) #heatwave 12x12 paper, (366084) 6x6 paper pad, (366971) Bits #sunscreen die cut cardstock shapes, (366964) Bits #vacation wood veneer; Textured Cardstock (AM710-81) 12"X12" WHITE 

How to: Using your favorite American Crafts square punch or electronic die cut machine, cut white squares and adhere them to your background page.  Machine stitch over the squares in whatever pattern you wish. Cut jumbo borders for the top and bottom corner; machine stitch it to the page. Print six 2"x2" photos and place them in an "L" pattern with 4 across the bottom and 2 on the left side. Hand cut your title and place it in the open wide space. Embellish to your liking.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Jingle All the Way

Simple Stories and Thermowen have teamed up this week (this includes prizes) and I am here with a fun way to use up those itty bitty scraps you've been hoarding. You know what I'm talking about...the ones that are a bit too small to do much with but you just love Simple Stories sooo much that you can't bear to throw them away!?!? Anyway, I challenged myself to use them up and I thought I'd pass the challenge along to you.  Take a look at what I created using the new Cozy Christmas collection.

I love this photo of my daughter holding her gigantic stocking that's filled to the brim with little goodies. I knew I had to create a re-create a jumbo sized stocking for this page.

How to:

• Using your favorite stocking cut file, enlarge it to fit the page. If it has circles already, move to step 2. If not, draw circle cut lines. Cut your stocking.
• Cut another stocking the same size but this time without the circles.
• Next, place your stocking with circles cut out over the offset stocking and draw the circles so you know what areas to cover with your scraps.
• Remove the stocking with the circles and add shimmer using glitter spray from Thermoweb. If you forget this step, just do what I did and cover your pattern paper with the circle cut-outs.

• Take your scraps of varying shapes and sizes and line them up in whatever way they fit. You may have to trim a bit here and there.

• Once you've placed all your scraps, place the stocking with circles cut out over the background. Stitch around the stocking and around each circle. Adhere or stitch to the page.
• Add the stocking trim at the top and embellish to your liking.
• Add your photo in the upper right side of the page or you can layer it over part of the stocking.. I chose to place it where it is to ensure it remained a key focal point on the layout vs. getting lost by mixing in with the stocking.

• Add your title in an open space on the stocking.

Many thanks to Therm O Web for the wonderful adhesive and glitter spray and to Simple Stories for the amazing Cozy Christmas collection.

Now head over to the Simple Stories blog, leave some love for me and ENTER TO WIN an awesome prize from Therm O Web.

Twinkle Toes & Tutus

Hi everyone! I am up on the Gossamer Blue blog today with a fun, new Pattern Play. This month, it's all about shapes. 

Geometric shapes are oh so hot and add a fun twist to scrapbook pages. If you look through the gallery, you will see some great patterns featuring many trendy shapes. Today, I thought I'd embrace the shape and create some nested circles to use as my background.

How to:

1. Cut eight 1/2" wide circles offset from each other with a 1/2" between each circle. I created a Silhouette cut file and you can download it HERE. Simply download the file and open it up in Silhouette. You can cut all the circles out of the same paper or simply cut one at a time with different papers, like I did.
2. Once your circles have been cut, lay them over solid sheet of cardstock and space them out to your liking. 
3. Choose a 3"x3" circle photo for the smallest circle in the middle of the layout.
4. Adhere all circles to page with just a little bit of glue.
5. Machine stitch over each circle. 
6. Add your title along the curve of the circle.
7. Add embellishments randomly over each circle.
8. Journal around the circle to your liking.

I chose to add a sense of energy & motion by adding a second set of geometric shapes (arrows and triangles) all going the same direction.

I didn't want to break up the circular pattern by adding a title that is square to the page. I also knew that my title was long so I used a combination of small and large font alphas. I lined the bottom of the small alphas to the inside top of one of the circles and repeated the same process with the large alphas. I still need to add the journaling. You can bet I will be journaling in the white space along the curves.

That's all for me today. I hope you've enjoyed reading along with me and I especially hope to see your take on this month's Pattern Play in the gallery.

Thanks for stopping by and please enjoy your day!

Supplies: September Main kit, Main Add-on, Main Add-on 2

American Crafts Blog Hop Winner

Hi everyone.  Thanks for the wonderful and kind comments you left about my American Crafts project.  As promised, I am ready announce the winner of the American Crafts #SUMMER mini collection giveaway.

I used random.org, who selected comment #3. So..........Amie Lamm-Griffin, you are my winner!!!

Congratulations!

Please email me at heather @ heatherleopard . com

Apple of My Eye | Chicakaniddy Crafts Guest Designer

The American Crafts Blog Hop and my Giveaway can be found HERE.

Hi friends! Guess what? I'm guest designing this month for Chicakaniddy Crafts. When Heidi asked me to be her first guest for the new Scrumptious collection I wrote back with a big ole YES! Have you seen the Scrumptious collection yet?

It's really great for everything fall related like Thanksgiving, apple picking and raking leaves. Of course, being in Texas, there aren't any nearby apple orchards and our leaves fall in the winter. You know what else this collection is good for though? Back to school layouts. It has a wonderful mix of  papers and embellishments with a BTS focus.

My little sweetie was soo excited to start Kindergarten. She's been counting down the day that she gets to go to the big school with her older sister for over a year now. She's the apple of my eye and teachers like apples and she was wearing an apple dress soooo why not use apples on the layout?

How to:

1. Download the free Silhouette cut file I made and choose your favorite apples. Enlarge them to fit 3 or 4 across and down, whatever you like.
2. Cut them out of your favorite papers, leaving a few spaces on your layout for your photos.
3. Add fun patterns and embellishments to each apple. The die-cuts, brads and enamel bits from the Scrumptious collection are perfect for this.
4. Add your title and journaling to complete the page.

I placed my title and journaling in two of the apples because well, there just wasn't going to be room for it anywhere else.

I'll be back in a couple of days with another layout or you can see them both HERE today.

And I'll be back on the Chickaniddy blog later this month with one more project.  Thanks again, Heidi, for having me.