Halloween Howl, Day 19

This card is definitely faBOOlous! The ghost on the right side is popped up on foam tape give it some dimension. The little finishing touches…the red & white paper scrap, the yellow banner, the tiny bow made with baker’s twine and the coloured pumpkins make it very special. I love it.

I got the idea for the ATC I made for today by going through cards that I received in the past and not copying one exactly but putting my own twist onto it. Cards that I’ve received in previous years have been a good source of inspiration for me. I like how this one turned out. The background is perfect for it.

Halloween Howl, Day 18

Whoo goes there? Owls, of course. And they are one of my favourite things. I am starting a gallery wall of owl pictures in my bedroom. It’s a gallery of one right now found at a thrift store. I continue looking for more. This ATC is fantastic! The patterned paper in the background with the diecut tree provides a great back drop for the two cute owls. Love it!

Somehow, I managed to mix up day 16 and 18 when I was putting them in the envelopes for Joy. So the one you saw two days ago was for today but this is the one she actually opened. A white picket fence, a large full moon, a raven and a bat are showcased on another of my gel plate backgrounds. I have so many backgrounds in my binder; I may not have to make more for a long time.

Halloween Howl, Day 17

The background on today’s card is very sparkly in the light. You might not be able to see it in the photo and I’m not sure how she got that effect. The words were a bit difficult to read until I got the card under a bright light. It says, ‘It’s Halloween. Visit the web.’ The words were stamped and embossed. The faux stitching around the outer edge finishes it off perfectly.

My card for Joy today was a bit of an experiment. I’d seen this string art before and wanted to give it a try so I could incorporate it in an ATC. I dug up a video from nine years ago that I’d saved for when I wanted to experiment with this technique. It kind of reminded me of a spider web so that is what it became. And scream I would if I saw a spider this big! Wouldn’t you?

Wait, it just occured to me that we both made cards with spiders for today! What a coincidence.

Halloween Howl, Day 16

What a cool witch on today’s card from Joy. Another die that I don’t have! The background is spectacular. The embossed words and little gems really finish the ATC off nicely. Love this one too. There is no way to pick a favourite from all the lovely cards I've received.

The ATC I created for today has a gel print background with the used dryer sheet added on top for texture. The raven is perched on top of the tombstone sitting on a bed of bunched up coffee dyed cheese cloth. I want to experiment next year with more fibres…cheese cloth, lace, and fabric. Stay tuned to see how that turns out.

Halloween Howl, Day 15

Today’s card from Joy is ‘so franken cute’! I’m sure that she has coloured this image, as well as others I have received so far. I have tried colouring stamped images, but I simply do not have the patience for it. I admire anybody that does.

The card that I created for today used more of that masterboard I made from various ripped papers and Tim Holtz collage tissue paper. I’d be running in the opposite direction is these guys were coming my way, for sure!

Good news today! The last four ATCs arrived to Joy today. They were caught up in the postal dispute in Canada. I’m very happy that they arrived in time.

Halloween Howl, Day 14

What a really wonderful background on today’s card from Joy. I will have to ask her how she created it. The combination of diecuts, stamping and embossing is fantastic! I love this ATC. It's one of my favourites.

The card I sent to her today starts off with a background I initially did not like but I added some stamping and decided to give it a chance. The Boo diecut is from black glitter paper and the ghosts are cut from white cardstock.

Halloween Howl, Day 13

What a lovely ATC I received today from Joy! The graduated purple distress ink background perfectly showcases the stamping and embossing on this card. Although the background looks grey in the pic, it IS actually purple. It is delightfully delicate and wonderful to behold.

The background on my card for today is definitely out of my usual norm. I created a masterboard with torn paper scraps with Tim Holtz collage paper on top. I added some tea dyed cheese cloth under the large diecut witch. Overall, I think it really works. I will have to use more of the backgrounds I have left for next year.

Halloween Howl, Day 12

Today is my birthday. Happy Birthday to me! A friend following along with my Halloween Howl journey on the blog commented on how lucky I was to have a little gift to open EVERY day of my birthday month. Yes, I am. *smile*

The little frog on today’s card is so cute. The background is amazing with stamping and distress inks. The stars really do make the frog look magical. He’s put a spell on me for sure.

Above is my ATC to Joy for October 12th. You will see a couple of ghosts and a pumpkin having some Halloween Fun. I rarely use brown craft paint for my backgrounds but I was experimenting a bit and I like how it turned out.

Halloween Howl, Day 11

This card is so cute! And yes, Our Friendship is Magic. Mr. Scarecrow looks quite dapper in his outfit and the wee kitty seems to approve. What you likely cannot see in the picture is that the stars, one leaf and little pumpkin are raised up giving the card some dimension. If you cut those teeny, tiny things out yourself, Joy, you have more patience than I do.

You can see the same witch on my card to her today that was on the #1 card she sent to me. My die is a bit smaller than hers though. I wanted to test the orange glitter paint on the background and I love how it turned out. It looks much better 'in person'.

Halloween Howl, Day 10

I love this poured paint background. The colours mix together so well; turquoise, black, purple and grey. The skeleton looks quite happy dancing around the tombstone. It would be quite a spine chilling sight to come across. The bats make it extra spooky.

Ghosts seem to be coming out of the woodwork on the card that I sent Joy for today. They seem determined to scare someone! The eerie sky in the background adds to the effect, doesn’t it?

Good news on the radio today. Canada Post employees will be back at work next week. There will still be rotating strikes but at least the mail will be moving again. Joy is still waiting for the last four cards from me to arrive.

Halloween Howl, Day 9

What a dark and gloomy card for today! Spiders are creepy and this one especially so. The white gel pen highlights make him stand out from the black web. The background paper is a little sparkly and she also added some silver gel pen stars. Nice touch!

The card that I made for Day 9 has a mischievous mummy threatening to stomp on the glitter pumpkin. Is he really going to do it? I hope not. Maybe the bat will scare him off. I love how some of my backgrounds came out, no two will ever be alike.

Halloween Howl, Day 8

What a cute little mummy! There are so many tiny bits to cut out and put together to create this little fellow. The small sequins give the card a bit of sparkle and dimension. The faux stitching around the border really finishes it off. I love it! It’s another winner from Joy.

Here is the card I sent to her for Day 8. The background was done with craft paint on a gel plate (like all my backgrounds) and I added some stenciling to give it visual dimension. This little witch is on the prowl on Halloween night. Be on the lookout for her!

Halloween Howl, Day 7

Oh my goodness, those ghosts are adorable! And where did you find those small doilies? Were they orange when you purchased them or dye them later? You will have to let me know. They make the perfect back drop for the ghosts. And BOO TO YOU too!

I like cats but the one on the ATC I sent to Joy for Day 7 is pretty scary looking. Even the little ghost on this card is afraid of him. It reminds me of a feral cat that used to live in our neighbourhood. The kids called him Kung Fu kitty because he was really nasty. They stayed far away from that cat!

Halloween Howl, Day 6

There is so much to love about the ATC from Joy today! The black cat border at the bottom, the teeny tiny pumpkin diecuts, the circular abstract diecut and the little poem combine for a fantastic card. Thank you so much for filling my days in October with happiness.

My ATC to her for today is another spooky, haunted house. Are the ghosts taking over this month? I think they may be. I can hardly wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Halloween Howl, Day 5

The background on today’s ATC is very cool! Stamped script and embossing powder was used and the tissue paper (?) gives the whole card a ghostly appearance. I can just hear the creepy music coming from the gramophone, can’t you?

I did ask Joy what kind of paper and paint she was using for her backgrounds. It is watercolour paper and distress inks, not paint at all. The watercolour paper I have is very textured but the one she is using is quite smooth with a silk-like feel. I will definitely have to experiment with what I have for next year’s ATCs.

For today’s card, I created one of my signature Halloween frogs. I’ve made variations of this card every year since I first purchased this die. I’ve even made this for Christmas cards cutting a red hat and adding a white pom pom on the top, sitting on a pile of holiday presents. It is a bit fiddly to put together but the result is always fabulous.

Halloween Howl, Day 4

Today’s ATC is quite wonderful! Joy used a gel plate and acrylic paints to create this lovely background. I’m going to have to ask her what kind of paper and paint she uses because the finish is as smooth as silk. My backgrounds never come out quite like that. The green leaf is slightly raised to give the card a bit of dimension. Love the autumn colours too!

Haunted houses are everywhere during spooky season, like the one on today’s card for Joy. I did some stamping on this background with a honeycomb stamp, just for some variety. The little ghosts look like they are having fun scaring everyone, don’t they?

Halloween Howl, Day 3

Yes, ghouls (and girls) just wanna have fun! I think Joy and I are having lots of fun and it is still early in the month. There is more fun to come. I actually opened this card in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep. My phone said it was October 3rd, so why not? I love the background on this one. Stencils were used (with alcohol ink, I think), and iridescent blue texture paste also. Very cool!

The last of my ghoul family showed up for her today. Daddy ghoul is a frightening sight, isn’t he? Now the whole family is out roaming the streets. I created the first three cards as a coordinating set. This is a new group of dies that I had never used before. I’m glad that I finally broke them in.

Halloween Howl, Day 2

I did not forget to open my second card this morning. As soon as I sat down with my tea I tore open the envelope. The pink iridescent texture paste in the background is really neat. It is the perfect back drop for the two creepy little goblins. The photo does not do it justice.

Here is the card that I sent to her. Those two little ghouls certainly look like they could be ‘double trouble’, wouldn't you agree? I hope I don’t see them wandering around my neighbourhood.

Halloween Howl, Day 1

Hurray!! October is here. I get to start opening my Halloween Howl artist trading cards from my friend, Joy. The anticipation is half the fun, of course, but the time has finally come. We will open one card per day for the whole month. Here is the Day 1 card.

What a beautiful background paper. The tiny gems in the centre of the little flowers are the perfect finishing touch. I have a witch die very similar or the same as that one only it is a bit smaller. This is a great start to the month!

Above is the card that I sent to Joy. The backgrounds for most of my cards are created with craft paint and a gel plate. Then I cover them with a piece of used dryer sheet to give them texture. I added a bit of gold leaf to this one. Boy is that stuff ever challenging to work with! The effect looks better in person though.

The Finished Journal

When I first started making this journal, I did not have a specific theme in mind, but when I found the fairy card in my stash that perfectly coordinated with the fabric on the cover, the decision was made. It became a fairy journal.

The journal has two signatures with 48 pages front and back in each for a total of 96 pages. There are tuck spots, pockets, flip outs, tags and journal cards throughout. And there is plenty of writing space for the lucky recipient of this journal to share their dreams, motivational quotes, random thoughts or memories.

I hope that you enjoy getting a peek at some of the pages.

Carrville Public School – Class of 1946-47

My aunt sent me this photo that she found on a Facebook page called Richmond Hill/GTA - Then and Now. It was labeled as ca. 1949 but when I enlarged the photo, I can see that the sign says clearly says 1946-47. The one room school was once located just west of Bathurst Street on the south side of Carrville Road (today's Rutherford Road), across from the church and cemetery. The school had a wood burning stove with a steel grate around it, and only the teacher was allowed to add wood, for there were far too many injuries otherwise. The school was torn down years ago, and a house replaced it.

Four members of my family are in this photo. In the back row second from the left is my father, David Barton. His younger brother, John Barton, is seated in the front row fifth from the left. Two of their first cousins are there too. Bob Middleton is in the front row fourth from the left and his sister, Marion Middleton, is in the middle row seventh from the left. They are all gone now but what an interesting glimpse of them in their younger years.

All Dressed Up

Here is a photo of my father, David Barton, with his brother John (on the left). They are all dressed up for some occasion but I have not quite figured out which one. My first thought was that it was the day of their sisters’ wedding. That would have made Uncle John almost 11 years old and my father almost 14 years in June 1949 when that wedding took place. Do they look that young in the photo below? I’m not sure they do. The other family occasion that comes to mind is my Aunt Marion and Uncle Jim's wedding in 1953 when they would have been 15 years old and 18 years old.

I’ve asked a couple of relatives if they have any photos of either day with them in it but nobody has seems to have any. For now, it will have to remain a mystery lost in time. Either way, they both looked quite dapper in their suits, didn't they?

Both weddings took place in Carrville Methodist Church (eventually Carrville United Church). Like a lot of small community churches, membership declined drastically over the years and it was no longer sustainable. The building itself was sold and is now a Jewish community centre. Three generations of our family are laid to rest in the cemetery to the east of the church.

Birthday Celebration

Here is a photo of a family celebration for my first birthday. I assume my mother took the picture since she is not in it and I’m sure she would have been there. *smile* The party would have been in October 1957. I love looking at these old photos.

From left to right…Ida Amelia (White) Ash (my maternal great grandmother), Myra (Middleton) Barton (my paternal grandmother), Marion (Middleton) Ash (my aunt), David Barton (my father) holding me, John Barton (my uncle, my fathers’ brother), Jim Ash (my uncle, my mothers’ brother) holding my cousin Donna, Jack Barton (my paternal grandfather) and in the forefront is Bob Ash (my cousin, son of Marion and Jim). At first, I was not sure where this photo was taken until a couple of relatives told me that it was my paternal grandparents' house. Of course it was, my parents and I lived there until we moved into our new house in Richmond Hill in 1958.

Old Family Photographs

I am currently going through some old family photographs and plan to document what I know or remember with each one. I hope I don’t bore you with my ramblings. Here is a photo of my paternal grandmother, Myra (Middleton) Barton with my father, David Barton, when he was very young.

My father must have been two or three years old at most, and he was born in 1935, which means the photo is from 1937-1938. I’m guessing here since there is no information on the back of the photo. See the cheeky expression on his face? And look at that head of curly hair! I always wondered where my eldest son got his curly locks as a young child. Now I know for sure.

That image of my grandmother is as I remember her. She was always wearing what she called a house dress. They typically were a shift style dress (like the pattern above) with buttons down the front. They were always floral designs. She did have a sewing machine, I wonder if she made them herself? I really don't know. It wasn’t until much later in her life that I ever saw her wearing slacks. I want to find a place that can clear up the graininess, bring it into sharper focus and enlarge both photos here.