Fall Banner & Candle by Christy Fulk

This Fall Banner & Candle by Christy Fulk would be wonderful Fall décor for your home. The banner is made with coaster board, and the matching candle is stamped, along with other embellishments.  Make one set to keep as your own, and make another set to give as a gift. This would also make a great Fall-themed class.  Head on over to Craft Project Central and subscribe to the month of October for full step-by-step instructions!

Take Flight Art Journal Page

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sometimes Beginning Is The Hardest Part
I walk by the craft room, peer inside, and keep walking.  I think of every excuse to not go in - I'm tired; I'm not motivated; I can't.  It's all the little gremlin voice trying to prevent me from taking the risk of creating.  And I succumb.  Often I just let the gremlin win.  Yesterday I decided to slay the gremlin and just picked up a piece of paper that had been sitting on the craft room table.  It had some ink stains and paint drips on it and I just began to add to it.  That's all it takes to slay the gremlin.  Just beginning.  Just picking up the pen, brush, stamp and putting it onto the paper.  A small move of your hand.  A small risk in the grand scheme of things.  Yes, the gremlin will be back.  But for now, I feel victorious!
Today I am sharing an art journal page I created for Paper Crafter's Library.  For a supply list and full step-by-step video instructions, head on over to Paper Crafter's Library by using the badge in the upper right-hand corner of my blog and look into becoming a member.  I create projects for Paper Crafter's Library every month and enjoy stretching my creative limits!  Come join us!

Perfect Blend Thank You Card by Doris Male

Today I am sharing the final card that Doris shared with me on our visit.  I love how she used the Alphabet rotary stamp to customize the greeting!  I hope you enjoy this inspiration as much as I did!

Fall Favors & Table Décor by Buffy Cooper

How cute is this Fall Favors & Table Décor project by Buffy Cooper?!?!  Fall is here (and so is my birthday today!!!!) with beautifully colored falling leaves, scarecrows, pumpkins and family gatherings.  Create simple and adorable favor boxes for your fall parties and dinners, a beautiful centerpiece, and a card to send to family and friends using fun fall colors and the Color Me Autumn suite.  Get the full step-by-step instructions by heading over to Craft Project Central and subscribing to the month of October!!!!

Traveler Card by Doris Male

Today I wanted to share a wonderful card created by Doris Male (thanks Doris!).  On my recent visit with her she shared cards that she had created or altered from designs she found online.  I love how Doris uses Designer Series Paper to come up with unique color combinations and this card is no exception.  Doris has also inspired me to pay more attention to the inside of my cards.  Her cards always have a special stamped surprise inside!

Twenty Days of Thanks by Heidi King

Now is the season of refection and thankfulness.  This Twenty Days of Thanks advent project by Heidi King is a perfect way to remind us of our blessings.  Add treats for little ones and each day add a slip of paper with what you are thankful for.  Thanksgiving Day is the perfect time to read them and reflect!  For full step-by-step instructions head on over to Craft Project Central and subscribe to the month of October!!!!!

Seasonally Scattered Cards

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  See Colors In A Whole New Light!
I love seeing what other people create with Stampin' Up! stamps!  Colors that I pass right over suddenly attract my full attention when I see the used in unique combinations.  Doris shared these two cards with me during our recent visit and the second card just popped!  I love that color combo and I'm sure it will be inspiring my own creation in the near future!  Both of these cards use the Seasonally Scattered stamp set from the Holiday Catalog.  Click HERE to shop now!

Baby Shower Ensemble by Monika Davis

What an adorable Baby Shower Ensemble designed by Monika Davis!  Make these sweet baby shower decoration pieces for a sweet friend who is expecting. This set contains a shaker card, a sweet baby carriage treat box, a book mark and a wand/straw decoration. You will be the talk of the party. These pieces can be mass produced easily and the greeting card can serve as the invitation and/or the baby announcement. Great for a stamp camp, or as a class project.  Subscribe to the month of October over at Craft Project Central for full step-by-step instructions for creating this great project!

Kinda Eclectic Card Assortment

Today I wanted to share three gorgeous cards that my wonderful friend Doris showed me during our recent visit.  Each card uses the Kinda Eclectic stamp set in a unique way!  These cards incorporate original designs as well as layouts that Doris found on-line.  How can you use the Kinda Eclectic stamp set in a new way?

Bright & Beautiful and Festival of Trees Cards

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  The Same Materials In The Hands Of Different Makers Can Create Wonderful Results!
I am always amazed by how one single stamp set can be used by many different crafters to create cards and paper crafting projects that are incredibly varied!  During my visit with Doris I was able to see a huge variety of cards she had created!  Some of them were her own original designs and some were adaptations of cards she had seen on-line.  Stamp sets that hadn't even caught my eye in the catalog were brought to life by her creations!  Of course, my wish list grew and grew! :)  For a few days I'm going to share some of the cards she shared with me.  I hope they inspire you to use your sets in new ways...or maybe they will inspire you to look at a set that you had passed by and see it in a new way.  Enjoy!  The top card uses the Bright & Beautiful stamp set and the bottom card uses Festival of Trees. I love how there is always a beautiful surprise inside each of Doris' cards!

Fold Out Mini Album & Card by Julie Beltramo

What a sweet Fold Out Mini Album & Card designed by Julie Beltramo!  Everyone loves to remember an event with photos! So why not make this quick and easy Fold Out Mini Album to capture those moments and share them with someone you love! The album has two fun fold out ‘pages’ that will give you a total of five spots for pictures, or just spaces for writing your thoughts! Whatever you choose to put inside, the recipient is sure to have a smile on their face when they see the surprise inside!! And the coordinating card completes the sentiment!  Head on over to Craft Project Central for full step-by-step instructions.  Just subscribe to the month of October!

Halloween Ensemble by Regina Andari

Bwaaaahaaahaaaa!  Check out this Halloween Ensemble by Regina Andari.  This ensemble includes a quick-to-make triangle treat holder, a fun, interactive Waterfall card, and a candy dispenser that everyone can enjoy.  Get the full step-by-step instructions by heading over to Craft Project Central and subscribing to the month of October!

A Special Visit!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Connections can come from the places you least expect them!
I had the wonderful pleasure of visiting Calgary for work earlier this week!  I also had the amazing pleasure of meeting up with my wonderful friend Doris!  Doris is a phenomenal human being and an outstanding Stampin' Up! demonstrator!  If I lived in Calgary, Doris would be my demo!!!! :)  Doris and I met in a place I would have least expected it...here on-line!!!!!  Our friendship is something I treasure!  Doris was sweet enough to present me with this great gift when we met up for dinner!  I love the ring with all of the card stock colors.  It's going to come in quite handy as I design cards and projects!  I love the gift wrapping as much as the gift!  One of my favorite parts is that Doris stamped the Eclectic starburst in the middle of the doily!  So pretty!!!!  I plan to share with you some of the amazing samples Doris shared with me during her visit!  I hope you find the pieces as inspiring as I do!

In Beauty May I Walk Art Journal Page

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Commit To Creating Every Day
This is not a demand I have of you.  It is one that I have for myself.  I find, especially when I travel for work, that I can let my creating fall by the wayside.  I allow (yes, I take full responsibility) for all of the excuses to take over...I'm too tired; I don't have my craft room; Someone will see what I'm doing (if I'm thinking about doing something creative on an airplane or on a park bench)...you know, the regular excuses.  So yesterday I decided I was done with the excuses!  I have chosen one thing that I want to work on - trying to draw...or maybe I should frame it as "putting pen to paper in a visual way" - somehow even the word "draw" brings sweat to my forehead!  It feels so intimidating!  My commitment is to put pen to paper in a visual way to create pictures (or representations) of people...starting with myself.  If I am brave, maybe I will share my first two pictures with you.  The first one I did without looking down at the paper (which is quite obvious :)  The second one I did without lifting my pen from the page and only looking down at the paper a couple of times.  Both of the pictures are quite abstract...to say the least :)  And, at least I am following through on my commitment!  The best part?  Each one has only taken about 5 minutes!  I can't find an excuse to stop me from keeping this commitment! :)
Today I am sharing an art journal page I created for Paper Crafter's Library.  For full step-by-step videos on how I created the page (yes, that is a dryer sheet that is giving texture to the background!), feel free to head on over to Paper Crafter's Library by clicking on the badge on the upper right-hand corner of my blog and become a member of PCL!  I create a set of videos for the site each month with the hope of keeping your and my creative juices flowing!

Freaky Friends Halloween Treat Box & Card by Laurie Zoellmer

Make this cute little Halloween treat box and matching card for your favorite little goblins, witches, and ghosts this year!  This Freaky Friends Halloween Treat Box & Card was designed by Laurie Zoellmer.  The template is easy to adapt to different occasions too, and doesn’t have to be used just as a Halloween gift!  Makes for a fun class project as well!  Head on over to Craft Project Central and subscribe to the month of October for full step-by-step instructions!

Mighty Ugly

I have been reading a book entitled Make It Mighty Ugly by Kim Piper Werker. This led me to try to take pictures of some ugly things on my most recent trip! I tried to find places on the airplane that were collecting dust, lint, and other yucky stuff! Here's what I came up with! The funny thing is… The more I look at the pictures the less ugly they become. I wonder if this might apply equally to the ugly things I have created in my craft room?

Halloween Puppet Theater

This Halloween Puppet Theater is my October project for Craft Project Central!  This Halloween Puppet Theater is a great way to celebrate the season of spooky creatures!!!!  This set features a foldable puppet theater, three spooky puppets, and an envelope and tag for gift giving.  Make your little goblins smile with this fun foldable theater!  Or keep it yourself and use it as adorable holiday décor for Halloween!  Get the full step-by-step instructions over at Craft Project Central!  Just subscribe to the month of June!

Merry Everything Halloween Tent Box: A Video!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Lasting changes and improvements are made through the cumulative effects of individual actions. - Shaun McNiff
Each moment is an opportunity.  A choice.  A decision point to do something that resonates with who you are or to deny who you are or go against your grain.  Oh how much power there is in each and every moment!  This is where the potential for lasting changes and improvements live.  In each moment.  Even this one - right now.  By writing this I am honoring my need to share my creativity and inspire others to connect with theirs.  In this small way I feel I am making a difference in the world.  By putting it out there.  Yet here at the computer I also make choices that do not align with who I want to be and how I want to spend these precious moments.  I need to see each of these individual actions - each of these moments - as the building blocks that come together in a cumulative way to create my reality.  Yes little moments - I am watching you - and watching to see what I will do next... 
Today I wanted to share a video for another cute Halloween treat box!  I've been going a little box crazy lately and was hoping to pass along the excitement :)  Enjoy!

Halloween Mini Scrapbook & Card by Yapha Mason

Just in time for the Halloween season...check out this Halloween Mini Scrapbook & Card by Yapha Mason.  This mini Halloween scrapbook and matching card are a wonderful way to preserve your memories of a special costume, or several years of celebrations. It also makes a fun gift for family and friends who are too far to share in the festivities.  Get the full step-by-step instructions for creating this adorable album by heading over to Craft Project Central and subscribing to the month of October!

Fall Fest Card Box Set by Christy Fulk

This Fall Fest Card Box Set by Christy Fulk is the September Bonus Project for Craft Project Central.  Summer is just about over, and it’s time to be thinking about Fall. This card set is centered on the Fall season, and the box is made with the Gift Box Punch Board. There are six cards in this set, along with matching envelopes made with the Envelope Punch Board. This box set would make a great gift, and would also make a great card class.  Bonus projects can be obtained by subscribing to two or more months in a row at Craft Project Central, putting the Craft Project Central badge on your blog, or by referring a friend and when they subscribe, letting Craft Project Central know.