Spellbinders Halloween and a Santa card too

Spellbinders makes great detailed dies.  This first card used a die set named Eek-a-Boo. It also included the ghost that I haven't used yet. My grandkids aren't going out as a devil and skeleton, but I had them in mind when I made their hair a reddish hue and blue eyes.  The jack o'lantern treat buckets and bats were included in the die set. The fence is a die from My Favorite Things. 

This card uses two die sets from Spellbinders. The car is cut from Sunday Drive, the license plate, trunk trim, skeleton and witch are all from Sunday Drive Halloween. The spiderweb was cut from a Stamps of Life die. The backgrounds on both this card and the next were done with Distress Oxides, sprinkled with water for some of the dots and also a mist of shimmer spray from Avery Elle. I didn't like that the spider web looked like it should be attached to something on the right so I drew a tree in. In four subsequent cards, I cut the spiderweb and used parts of it on each card. 

This card uses the same Sunday Drive for the car, the Santa, deer, license plate and trunk garland are all from the Sunday Drive with Santa set. I've made 17 of these cards, personalizing them for neighbors.

Last of summer, first of fall

I hang onto summer as long as hard as I can, even though the first part of fall is typically beautiful in Michigan. Today is one of those days.

Life has simplified a bit since my last post now that ties to the cottage have been cut. Wonderful memories will last a lifetime but the worries of maintenance are gone. In a difficult year nationwide, many things have eased for me personally. Being home more has reminded me that I am happiest doing quiet things which include making cards and scrapbooking, knitting, reading, and I have learned to binge watch TV. That was a surprise to me, I never thought I'd enjoy it but here I am, an old dog with a new trick. 

I worry about the divide in this country and while the election can't come soon enough (get it over with!), the hurt between citizens won't heal anytime soon. I know there aren't people that I won't look at the same way again, not because their opinions differ from mine, but the way they have behaved. This is true on both sides of the proverbial fence. There are many whose basic beliefs I agree with but not the delivery. I am disappointed when either side, whether in a political, religious, or something as benign as Coke versus Pepsi adds unwarranted comments to their argument or claims that ALL of  "them" are wrong and NONE of "us" have ever made a mistake. I wish everyone in high school was required to take a debating class. They would learn to research BOTH sides of an issue and how to argue for each side. We routinely were told to flip and suddenly present the opposing view as if we hadn't just been arguing for instead of against.