Seasons Changing

Can't you just feel Fall around the corner (if you live in my part of the world, that is!)?  We still have warm sunny days, but the breeze & evenings are cooler & damper.  Almost time to store the boat for the winter, which is always sad, but then again, I love Fall.  Today is the last day to enter Flourishes 5th Birthday challenges & here's my 4th card--yah, made it!  My other 3 cards all have "sprinkles", but here's the one for this challenge.  With Fall on the brain, I decided to use one of my favorite sets, Wreaths of all Seasons.  I had never inked the sunflower stamp & knew I wanted to use some of my tiny beads (have had many packages of them for years, hardly used!)--these flower centers would be perfect, I thought.  Usually I emboss an image when I'm going to color it, but I wanted a softer look, so just stamped the wreath & the sentiment from Life Lines using VersaFine Vintage Sepia on cream cardstock.  I colored with Distress Marker wild honey, Memento markers Bamboo Leaves & New Sprout.  Then Memento Toffee Crunch was sponged in the flower centers.  I used the Flourishes Tailor-Made Die Keyhole Label & sponged the edges with Distress Ink antique linen.  I saved this little piece of twine from a tag on clothing (can you imagine how many people just threw it out?!) & it was just the right size.  The button was threaded with yellow floss & tied on.  Glossy Accents works great for attaching the tiny beads & I just love the look!  Maybe I'll use them more, now.  Spellbinder's Labels 14 was embossed with a Sizzix folder & used for the card base.  I mounted the wreath die with foam tape.  Amazing how much better pictures come out in day light.  Hope you've had a good week & get to do something fun this weekend.  Love having you stop by & leave a comment.

Banner for a Birthday

Flourishes celebration of their 5th birthday is still going on & here's my card for the Banner Day Challenge.  I was thinking of how we used to hang banners at parties as part of the decorations.  I used the dotted circle & enjoy! from Flourishes Medallion Motif & the single lace image from Lace Edges.  I colored the stamps with markers (Distress dried marigold, Memento Bahama Blue & New Sprout.  Each is punched out & the edge of the circle is inked with the same marker.  I didn't plan it, but turned out my printed paper has 3 similar colors to the challenge picture.  The dies are Spellbinder's Lacey Circles & Labels 10.  The images are attached to the scalloped ribbon with narrow silk ribbon & hang free.  Clear gems finish off my card.  I think this will work for a bright & cheery birthday card, which I can always use.  Thanks for stopping by today.

Celebrating 33 years

Can't believe I just deleted my post--ugh!  See if I can do it over even though it's late & my eyes want to close.  Next week is our anniversary & I've been trying to decide what to do for Steve's card--really wanted something different this year.  I love the Hero Arts sketches for this month's challenge so decided to start with one of them.  I had yet to ink my Diamond Zig Zag Background & knew Steve would like that image.  I stamped with VersaMark & embossed with Stampendous! aged taupe embossing enamel--really neat effect.  I also heavily inked & embossed the edges going for an artistic & masculine look.  You can get an idea of the look from the close-up picture.  The sentiment from Valentine Flourishes is stamped in Encore! Ultimate Metallic Champagne & die cut with Spellbinder's Reverse Wonky Rectangles.  The edges are inked & embossed.  I cut mats from purple textured cardstock.  The heart from Speckled Ornaments is stamped with Encore! Ultimate Metallic Purple (hubby likes purple!), edged with the Champagne ink,  clear embossed, cut out & attached to the die cut. Before I mounted the pieces with foam tape, I used my old Kewl tool to swipe the Champagne ink on the card.  I really like how the card turned out & I think hubby will, too--after all, that's what matters.  Thanks for stopping by my little part of Blogland.  Hope your week is going well.

Be Merry

My plan this year is to have most of my Christmas cards done in time to write in them over Thanksgiving weekend.  Of course, I've had that plan before--LOL!  This year it's looking like I might finally do it!  I've had the Mega Merry clear set by Stampendous! for some time & had in mind stamping "Merry" on printed paper.  So glad I finally got around to doing it--love the look!  I used papers from the K&Co wintertide pad I got in a clearance sale.  "Be" & the little ornament are done with Distress Ink pine needles which is also sponged on the letters & the mat that is cut with Spellbinders Curved Rectangles.  The little snowflake image is stamped in Distress Ink wild honey on the mat & card front & it's sponged on the card edges.  All the sparkle is from a Sakura Clear Star pen--wouldn't be without it!  The letters are popped up & the ornament is attached to the "y" with yellow floss & then popped up higher.  Love making shaped cards since I learned to score the top of the back diecut & just add glue.  I didn't like the way I first learned where you loose part of the shape where they are attached.  I'm entering the Stampendous! Focus on the Sentiment challenge & The Moxie Fab World Focal Point Challenge.  Love hearing what you think, so thanks for leaving a comment.

Life

Hope you're having a lovely weekend.  We're celebrating because hubby's 7 yr check-up showed no cancer!  He had to have an extra test this year, so it was nerve-wracking waiting for the results.  Our plan yesterday was to spend the day at the lake, but 1/2 way there we discovered lots of smoke in the air from a wild fire.  So instead, we played tourist in our own state (like Robin has been doing).  We just kept driving & made a loop to home by way of the Lava Beds over McKenzie Pass.  Thought you might enjoy seeing some pics, even though the mountains usually seen clearly are somewhat obscured by the smoke.

On to my card for this week's ODBD Shining The Light Challenge.  I didn't keep the proportions, but I think there's some leeway with sketch challenges--hopefully!  My card uses the butterfly from Don't Worry, the sentiment from Quote Collection 1 & Vintage Border Background.  I actually started with the negative die cut laying on my table--knowing I wanted to use it to frame the quote.  First I stamped the background in white & embossed it with a Satin embossing powder.  Then I sponged with Distress Inks pumice stone & frayed burlap.  The double-sided printed paper is K&Co Watercolor Bouquet that I bought in a clearance sale.  The quote is stamped with Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate.  The butterfly is colored with markers & covered with Stickles.  I attached the butterfly with glue dots only near the body to allow the wings to be lifted for dimension.  The frame is popped up on the sentiment & the whole piece is popped up on the card front.  So glad you came by--your comments are always appreciated.

Papertrey August Blog Hop Challenge

Autumn Textiles is the theme of this month's PTI Blog Hop Challenge.  Our weather is certainly changing with days a little cooler & nights a LOT cooler, even though we still have sunny days.  I chose to use Herringbone on my card & tried something new to get it.  I inked up my Cuttlebug embossing folder with Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate.  Then I cut a piece of left over tan cotton blend fabric & ran it through my die cut machine--instant faux texture!  Then to get a feeling of yarn, I hand stitched the edges with dark yellow floss.  The PTI stamp set is Trendy Tree Tops.  I die cut the trunk on kraft paper & then ran it through the crimper & inked it with the same brown.  The top was stamped in Brilliance Pearlescent Ivy & cut out with a Spellbinder's circle.  The leaves & butterfly were colored with markers & a bit of Stickles was added.  Finished off with the sentiment piece popped up.  Alway lots to see in a Blog Hop, so thank you for taking time to check out my card! 

New Technique

Well, actually I'm sure it isn't new, but I just discovered it--you can emboss a watercolor image!  I inked the Flourishes wreath from Wreaths of all Seasons with Memento Peanut Brittle & Rhubarb Stalk, then spritzed with Ink Potion # 9 & stamped on watercolor paper.  Immediately I added clear ep & used my heat gun.  I really like how it turned out.  The sentiment from the same set was first inked with VersaMark & then Rhubarb Stalk so it could also be clear embossed.  The dies are Spellbinders Labels 22 & Squares.  I admire Elizabeth Allan's use of color & how she often uses multiple colors when she sponges an edge, where as I used to just use one color.  For the wreath die cut I used the same colors I stamped with plus Memento Toffee Crunch.  I embossed the front of the card with a Sizzix embossing folder & the little flower is another from a sprig I bought for 75% off.  The ribbon & gems are from Michael's.  I'm entering this card (just in the nick of time--LOL!) into Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge to use kraft paper on your card.  I usually reach for my other kraft cardstock, but Krafty by Core'dinations goes great with Memento Peanut Brittle & this shade of gold ribbon.  Thanks for taking a look at my card & I'd love to hear what you think.