Bountiful Blessings

 I love the season of fall - as we slide away from summer, with cooler nights and crisp days when hopefully, here in New England, the trees turn to glorious reds, oranges and yellows before they fall to the ground with the coming of winter!

So here is a card celebrating the beautiful leaves of fall!

I recently purchased this double stencil set from PTI called Fallen Leaves and I love the look of the leaves that the stenciling creates!

On the leaf stencil I sponged on Fossilized Amber first, then a bit of Candied Apple and then a bit of Forest Moss. Then I laid the stem stencil over the leaves and sponged with Forest Moss.

I splattered the white background with both a black and orange POSCA pen to tone down the stark white!

I die cut the little acorn with a Side Kick Set called Autumn which I've had for years and never used. I love when I get things out and finally use them!

The Mini Strips Harvest sentiment and mini strips die are from Taylored Expressions.

I'm linking my card to:

Double D Challenges

Things that fall

Just Us Girls

Stamps: Mini Strips: Harvest - Taylored Expressions

Paper: White - PTI, Watercolor paper - Canson Cold Press

Ink: Ranger Distress Fossilized Amber, Candied Apple and Forest Moss, Dark Chocolate - Altenew

Accessories: Fallen Leaves Stencil Collecction - Papertrey Ink, orange and black POSCA pens, foam dots, Mini Strips die - Taylored Expressions, Side Kick Side Order Autumn dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, blender brushes.

A Little Critter - Corgi

 I made this card in honor of HM Queen Elizabeth's passing.  I live in the US but I am of British heritage and always feel a connection to the going's on in Great Britain.

I had purchased the Lil Critters Corgi die from Simon Says Stamp, last year to make a birthday card for my grandniece because Corgi's were the favorite thing of the day for her!

I sprayed Distress Stains over the stencil (Spatter Heart from A Colorful Life), using Fired Brick, Carved Pumpkin and Fossilized Amber.

I ran my Versamark ink along the edge of the panel and gold embossed it. The Corgi is up on foam dots. I just happened to have a crown in my box of charms so I put that on the Corgi's head!

I stamped the sentiment from Rainbow Bridge from Honey Bee Stamps and added a gem heart.  This card is 5" square.

My deepest condolences to Great Britain in the loss of their beloved Queen.

I'm linking my card to:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Little Critters

And

 

Word Art Wednesday: Anything Goes.

 

Stamps: Rainbow Bridge - Honey Bee Stamps

Paper: watercolor - Canson Cold Press, White - PTI, white and brown textured card - Parklane/JoAnn

Ink: Archival Jet Black, Ranger Distress Tea Dye, Versamark

Accessories: Ranger Distress Spray Stains in Fired Brick, Carved Pumpkin, and Fossilized Amber, Spatter Heart stencil - A Colorful Life, Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, black Copic, Lil Critters: Corgi Die - Simon Says Stamp, heart gem - Honey Bee Stamps, Crown charm from stash.

Reminder: CAS Christmas Card Challenge

 I'm here today with my reminder card for the September CAS Christmas Card Challenge.  

To use Sparkle and or Shine!

I die cut my Spellbinder ornaments out of Disco Glitter paper so they really do Sparkle and Shine!  The bows are a die from It's a Wrap: Mini Posy Pocket and the frame is a Nordic Frame die - both from The Greetery.  I layered the white frame over a panel of red glitter paper (which I cut the bows from as well.)  The ornaments are up on foam dots.  I added 3 clear gems to the white panel.

So let's get those Christmas cards made!  It's SEPTEMBER already!  You have until 9/24 to post your CAS Sparkle and/or Shine cards here.

 

Stamps: Simple Strips: Christmas -Taylored Expressions
Paper: White - PTI, Red Glitter Paper, Disco Glitter Paper - Michaels/Recollections.
Ink: Obsidian - Altenew
Accessories: 2010, 2011 and 2012 Heirloom Ornament dies - Spellbinders, bow die from It's A Wrap: Mini Posy Pocket and Nordic Frames - The Greetery, Simple Strips Die - Taylored Expressions, clear gems - Buttons Galore and More, foam dots.

A Basket of Posies

 Today I'm sharing a birthday card with a pretty basket of posies on it!  I just love how this one piece basket folds up to look so dimensional and allows the flower stems to be placed inside.  I purchased the die quite some time ago and I finally got it out to use! 

The basket is Country Hand Basket from Papertrey Ink.   The flowers are cut using Botanicals: Forget Me Nots from The Greetery.  

 I die cut the basket out of white card and then rubbed over it with a grey colored pencil to highlight the weave of the basket.

I smooshed green and orange Distress inks on my craft mat, spritzed with water and smooshed white card panels into each of the colors - then I die cut the stems from the green panel and the Forget Me Nots from the orange panel.    The smooshing gives depth of color rather than using a colored piece of cardstock

I added white Nuvo drops to the centers and points of the flowers.

I embossed the back panel with the Tufted Embossing folder from SU.

Linking my card to:

Just Us Girls

 

 

Stamps:  Birthday Basics - PTI

Ink:  Green and orange Distress Inks, Obsidian - Altenew

Paper:  White - PTI

Accessories:  Country Hand Basket Die - PTI, Botanicals: Forget Me Nots die - The Greetery,  Tufted Embossing Folder - Stampin Up, White Nuvo Drops, craft mat, water mister, grey colored pencil.

September CAS Christmas Card Challenge

 Today, the September CAS Christmas Card Challenge has been posted.  Hideko is our talented hostess this month and she would like us to use Sparkle and/or Shine on our CAS creations this month!

 Here's the card I created - a sparkly Christmas tree with 3 shiny gems!

I made the tree using Layered Pine Bigz die from Tim Holtz/Sizzix, cutting one piece of green glitter paper and the other layer from blue glitter paper.  I used Pierced Fancy Flakes Cover Plate from Honey Bee Stamps for the background, giving interest but keeping it CAS.  The sentiment is from Simple Strips: Christmas cut with Simple Strips from Taylored Expressions.  I splattered the tree with a white POSCA pen.  I added 3 clear gems and popped the tree up on foam dots.

So please join us this month and link up your CAS Christmas card full of Sparkle and/or Shine!  You'll find the challenge here, along with lots of inspiration from the design team and our lovely September guest designer, JoAnn!

Stamps: Simple Strips: Christmas - Taylored Expressions
Paper: White - PTI, blue and green glitter paper - Michaels (Recollections)
Ink: Obsidian - Altenew
Accessories: Simple Strips die - Taylored Expressions, Layered Pine Bigz die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Pierced Fancy Flakes Cover Plate - Honey Bee Stamps, foam dots, white POSCA Pen, clear gems - Buttons Galore and More.

August Card Chain Challenge Reveal

 Today is the reveal of the cards sent and received around the world for the August Card Chain Challenge!  This month I sent my card to Dawn in New Zealand and received a card from Joy in Colorado!

Each month there are suggestions for card design: a sketch, colors, theme options and Product/Technique options - you only need to use one.  I used just the sketch this month.

Here's the card I sent to Dawn.

I inked the inside top piece of the 3D Textured Impressions embossing folder Fallen Leaves with Fresh Leaf ink and embossed a panel of water color paper.  

I die cut the leaves out of metallic papers using 3D Embosslits Leaf, spritzing the back of the metallic paper before embossing/cutting it.  

I took a strip of water color paper and embossed the top and bottom edges with Stitching Lines dies from Ellen Hutson.  

I cut the embossed background slightly smaller than my  A2 card base and the sentiment strip extends over to the edges of the card base.  

The leaves are up on foam dots.  

The sentiment is from Good Vibes clear stamp set from Sizzix.

Do you want to join in and send a card to someone somewhere in the world?  Check out how you can sign up each month at The Card Chain Challenge!

Stamps: Good Vibes - Sizzix
Paper: Water color paper - Canson Cold Press, white card base - PTI, Kraft Stock Metallic Confections - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.
Ink: Fresh Leaf - Altenew
Accessories: Fallen Leaves 3D Textured Pmpressions Embossing Folder - Sizzix, 3D Impresslits Leaf - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Stitching Lines Dies - Essentials by Ellen/Ellen Hutson, foam dots.