pumpkins and paper

wow, what a gorgeous day outside today! i went out to take these photos and can not believe how perfect it is out, it's 77 and sunny. yesterday i noticed my window boxes were looking pretty shabby. so i decided to pull the pumpkins and fall flowers out of the attic. all spring and summer i have real flowers in my window boxes. but come fall, real pumpkins are just too heavy and i kind of get tired of bucking up for flowers for the window boxes. so i go with artificial....and it allows me to use them over each year and save money that way. i'm back to a wreath on the front door. i tucked this skeleton head in for now and after halloween i'll just take him out and continue to have the wreath through the fall. unless i come up with another idea. is it really a gift to be creative?? sometimes i just wish i could turn my creative brain off.....
i was up until 2am last night trying to organize my messy studio. i've got two shows coming up, one in October and the big Gift Gallery in November. one would think that i'd have most of my trays done by now. oh no, not me. i'm what they call a procrastinator. i always wait until the last minute, i always have. why would i change now? my mom is the same way, i must have gotten it from her. so last night i organized a bunch of trays and pulled some papers. today i'm starting with trays for this batch of paper. some halloween and fall papers...i love all of them and can't wait to see them in the finished stage. i'll work on a christmas batch next.

so as much as i would love to take this afternoon and lounge one last time by the pool (and look at the pile of magazines i have stacking up) i'm heading out to the garage to paint trays. my goal is to get a dozen painted today so tomorrow i can get the paper in them, and then start the sealing process. i'm shooting for 100 trays again this year for the Gift Gallery (more about that later!) so i guess i better get to it.

matthew mead book now on news stands

oh my! if halloween is one of your favorite holidays, you will absolutely love this new book. the matthew mead halloween book is loaded with so many great ideas. he also has fantastic templates to download.

i purchased my copy at my local grocery store. check your local news stands for this great book and get ready for halloween! you can also check out his website at http://www.matthewmeadstyle.com/index.php?option=com_flippingbook&Itemid=142

hurry....before they are gone!

no tricks, just treats

we've been having some cool fall weather here lately. the mums are out, the halloween decorations are out and even the halloween candy is out! today i needed to take a break from designing trays and wanted to do a little creative project. so i came up with this cute idea. i love halloween and i love giving the trick-or treaters a little something special. last year i did a black and white theme and loved it, so decided to continue on this year with the same color scheme. last year i made halloween crackers and all the kids loved them. i think they will equally like this years treats.

i purchased glassine envelopes from my local Paper Source. with my computer i created the october 31 sign using a business card template. fill the envelopes with candy and simply staple, with the sign, to seal the envelope. so easy and so cute.

these will become part of my halloween decor, when i get around to getting it put out in the next couple of weeks. another benefit to packaging up treats for the ghosts and goblins is so that i don't have a bowl of candy sitting there.....i would eat it all!

front door decor

oh how i'm a freak for change. i was growing tired of the wreath on the front door, it's the same wreath that's been on the front door for 3 summers. so i tapped into my studio full of stuff and created something new. i don't often see picture frames hanging on front doors, so this unique idea suits me just fine. i might even just swap out the bird for a witch or bat at halloween.
i just love how it turned out. i added painted polka dots to a photo frame, stamped the photo mat, a page from a dictionary (free from a garage sale this summer...score!) and a black bird that i cut from cardstock. some black ribbon and a handy dandy staple gun to attach it as a hanger and ta-da! this really only took me 10 minutes + time for the polka dots to dry.
i'd love to hear from you....leave me a comment on this post and tell me what hangs on your front door.