Boo, Hiss & Pass the Sweets

Dia daoibh!

Here we are, halfway through October, which means Halloween is creeping closer and I am entering that very important time of year when buying enormous bags of sweets is considered preparation rather than greed. Here in Ireland the evenings are getting darker, the weather is doing four seasons before lunchtime, and the Halloween treats are being bought, hidden, found and mysteriously disappearing long before a single trick or treater has knocked on the door. 

It is also time for Ally’s Angels Challenge #111, where our theme is always Anything Goes. Basically, crafty freedom with absolutely no adult supervision. What could possibly go wrong?

For my card I decided to embrace the Halloween madness and pulled out the Spellbinders Trick or Snark stamp set. With those colourful little monsters, balloons, a pumpkin, a ghost and a bat who appears to have appointed himself Head of Operations, there was plenty going on before I even got to that brilliant sentiment. “Let’s eat candy and judge people.” Well now. Finally, a Halloween activity I am fully qualified for. 

I stamped the image and coloured everything with my trusty Promarkers, going nice and bright with the Halloween colours. I added a few flatback pearls and some die cut stars embellished with iridescent glitter. I have to admit, these little fellas make me smile. They have balloons, sweets and absolutely nowhere important to be. The bat has even managed to get himself a lift without holding a single balloon string. There is always one clever lad in the group.

Do pop over and join us for Ally’s Angels Challenge #111. Remember, the theme is Anything Goes, so raid that craft stash, rescue something you bought three years ago and definitely intended to use immediately, and come play along. There is loads of fabulous inspiration from the Design Team too.

And with Halloween just around the corner, I shall leave you with my annual survival plan. Buy sweets for the trick or treaters. Eat the sweets. Buy replacement sweets. Hide them somewhere sensible. Forget where I hid them. Buy more sweets. A flawless system. 

Oíche Shamhna Shona daoibh go léir! 👻🎃🍬

Sláinte,

Wendy R.

Spidey’s Got Moves

Dia daoibh!

You know those random Halloween die cuts that linger on the craft table long after the sweets are gone and the decorations are packed away? Well, I finally tackled mine. Among them was this wee spidey, one of a few Spellbinders die cuts I received as a gift, and he’d been staring at me accusingly for weeks. I paired him with a Spellbinders stamp sentiment, and it turned out both cute and slightly creepy at the same time.

The spider is layered and attached to a wobbler so it actually wobbles when you touch it. Pretty cute but strangely unsettling, like something you’d expect to see skitter past your feet at 2 a.m. The sentiment is stamped with StazOn, and I added a touch of glitter and a few Nuvo enamel drops for sparkle and texture. Bold stripes, cheeky spider, mission accomplished. This is officially the last Halloween card for the stash until next year, or so I tell myself.

A few challenges: 

• Cardz 4 Guyz  #379 Use Orange/Black/Purple 1 or more
• Creative Crafting Uncles #70 - Halloween
• Mix It Up Challenge #80 - Anything Goes (option: Clean and Simple)
• Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge -November 2025 - Anything Halloween

• CAS Colours & Sketches #572 - Sketch Challenge

And on a funny note, I left the finished card on the table, and my son nearly dropped his tea when the spider started wobbling. He jumped, shouted, and declared I was never to leave “moving insects” lying around again. I’ve never been prouder of my crafting skills.

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 🕷🕸

Ghosted... But in a Cute Way!

Dia daoibh! 

Halloween is finally here! The night when the doorbell gets more exercise than the treadmill ever did! Between dodging tiny vampires, witches, and one very determined dinosaur, I managed to whip up a batch of chocolate-covered apples at last (about time, says everyone in the house). Sticky fingers, sugar highs, and a few ghostly giggles later, I finally sat down to make something spooky of my own.

My Ghosts in Envelope card is from Furrow and Feather, cut on my trusty Silhouette Cameo from Parklane cardstock. I added a sprinkle of glitter and finished it off with glossy accents for that eerie shimmer. I’ve made a few of these little hauntings to send off to extended family (because nothing says “thinking of you” quite like a ghost popping out of an envelope!).

🎃 A few challenges:

• Leigh SB Designs Inspirational Challenges #45: Halloween / Anthing Goes
• Die Cut Divas - Anything Goes (October Welcomes Brass and Bliss)
• Make My Monday #263 - Halloween Colors
• Beautiful Blossoms #34 - Anything Flowers Goes (optional Mood Board) 
• Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge - October: Anything Halloween

• TIME OUT Challenges #300 - Autumn Celebrations Around the World  

And on that note... may your treats outweigh your tricks, may your costume survive the rain, and may you remember which child belongs to which witch before bedtime!

💀Oíche Shamhna Shona Daoibh!💀

Sláinte,

 Wendy R. 

Witch... please!

Dia daoibh!

Ah, Oíche Shamhna, the Irish Halloween, born from the ancient festival of Samhain, when the line between the living and the dead was as thin as a tea towel and everyone blamed every draught, flickering light, and creaky floorboard on the neighbours from “the other side.” Back in the day, before pumpkins invaded from across the Atlantic, we had turnips... the original horror story. Carving one was a national endurance test. You’d start the evening full of hope and finish it with one working hand, a blunt butter knife, and a lantern that looked like it had been in a bar fight. And the smell? Nothing quite says festive cheer like the aroma of smouldering root vegetable and fear.

Thankfully, times have changed; no turnips were harmed in the making of my latest Halloween creation! 

I used the The Witch’s Hat die set from Hero Arts (Hocus Pocus Collection), cut from Tonic Studios cardstock, dressed up with Nuvo Stone Drops, a splatter of black Distress Ink, and a few mischievous gems for extra sparkle ... all raised on foam pads for that perfect touch of supernatural lift.

A few challenges:

• Everybody-Art-Challenge #576 - Orange/black and/or Halloween 
• Creative Knockouts #557 Halloween or Fall
• Try It On Tuesday - Halloween
• Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers #267 - S is for Spooky

And before I disappear into the fog ... here’s one to make you howl:

Why did the skeleton stay home from the party?
He had no body to go with! 

💀Oíche Shamhna Shona Daoibh!🎃

Sláinte,

 Wendy R. 👻

Oh Sheet - it's Halloween

Dia daoibh!

I’ve somehow managed to sneak my way into the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers as their Guest DT this month. The challenge theme for challenge #267 is S for Spooky, which is perfect, because honestly my craft room at the moment is scarier than any haunted house.

For my card, I went with a ghost (who clearly raided the florist) paired with the cheeky sentiment “Oh Sheet.”. I used die cuts from Lori Whitlock’s Halloween Envelope Box Card, courtesy of the ever-faithful Silhouette Cameo, and gave them all the lift of a dodgy Botox job with foam pads. A few Nuvo Drops, a sprinkle of glitter, and hey presto—spooky with a side of sparkle.

Head on over to the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers to check out the rest of the DT’s terrifyingly talented creations—they’re far too good to be kept in the crypt.

And remember… glitter may wash off your hands, but it’ll haunt your carpet forever and ever and ever and ever.

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 👻