Sassy Cheryl Challenge #83 --- Autumn Colors

Sassy Cheryl's challenge this week is Autumn Colors.   I think just about everyone loves this time of year when the trees magically change colors and the air has a cool crispness that helps us to forget the heat of summer. 

 This "Country Gal" is saying farewell to one of her favorite summer critters, the ladybug.  I used a bunch of odds and ends for this card.  I figure if I use them up I won't feel so guilty when I indulge in something new!  The covered brads are by Michael's Recollections. The green vine is a Martha Stewart border punch that I used on both edges of the strip of paper. I used a deckle rectangle Nestie to cut the image so continued the distressing on all the edges. I don't know why the photo is so dull, but the background paper is really a lovely yellow gold color. 

The image is colored with Copics.  Again, the photo is a bit dull but the colors are nice and autumnish. (spell checker didn't like that word!)  I love this image; her floppy hat and her long skinny legs, which I NEVER had!  She is a cutie!

I hope you all have had a great weekend and we able to get in some crafting.  There's still time to get something done for Sassy Cheryl's challenge and, for sure, you'll want to see the fantastic projects by the design team. Thanks for stopping by today!

Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge --- Pick A Season

Clever challenge, Dawn!  Dawn is the Digital Pencil challenge hostess for October and she has given us free rein to choose a season for this week's card or paper project. 

We just finished up the Halloween season and are heading toward Thanksgiving.  The leaves are turning color and falling into crunchy piles along the roadway.  The chill in the air carries the aroma of fireplaces and the daylight hours are waning much earlier.  With winter snows and freezing temperatures not far off, you might think that I'd be dreaming about warm days at the beach.  Well, not so fast --- I do enjoy autumn, especially since I missed this season for the 30 years I lived in Phoenix.  So, my card for the DP Challenge is definitely an autumn theme.  I'll save dreaming of the beach for January!

This image is "Sadie with Apples".  Apples are, of course, one of the many delicious fruits of fall and Sadie has a basketful of my favorites, Braeburns.  Well, that's what I imagine to be in the basket.  Yum!

I colored Sadie with Copics and die cut the image with the deckle Nesties.  The DP and flowers are from my scrap pile (gotta use them sometime!) and the leaves are created with Martha Stewart punches.  A few rhinestones for sparkle and a sentiment suggesting the inside of the card will reveal one of the many things I am thankful for. 

Today I am thankful for the ability to create cards using amazing images like Sadie, for the materials that keep me ever challenged, for my blogging friends who encourage me and share their talents and ideas, and for another day that I feel God's blessings in my life.

Here's a special "thank you" to Peggy for treating me to a luxurious day of cardmaking and learning new techniques.  Especially for the great conversation and laughs.  Mwaahh!  Love ya, Peggy!

Fresh Brewed Designs New Releases

It's early October and that means new releases from Fresh Brewed Designs!  This pumpkin is one of my favorites!  To see more be sure to visit FBD Challenge blog and go shopping at FBD Store.

For my card I used the image "The Great Pumpkin", colored with Copics.  This simple card is embellished with a beautiful pumpkin ribbon, some maple leaf brads, and a sticker sentiment.  I love this image and can think of many more projects to use it for. 

How lovely autumn is, and how quickly leaves change colors turn then fall.  But the fun doesn't stop there: walking down the road with the crunch of fallen leaves beneath your feet; gathering around bonfires of dried leaves; the smell of fireplaces on chilly nights; then waiting for that first flurry of snow.  This is the time of year that I missed during the 30 years in Arizona, so I get really jazzed with it all!

Thank you for stopping by today.  Now hurry on over to FBD Challenge for more inspiration.

     

Digital Pencil Challenge and Copic Certified!!

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend with some fun end-of-summer activities!  Now, bring on the cool days and fall colors!

First, I am so excited to say that I am finally Copic Certified!! Woo! Hoo!  After missing two other classes in Kansas City and Des Moines, I was thrilled when I saw the Branson class scheduled.  It was a small class of 17 fun and talented ladies.  Lori Craig was our facilitator and showed us some terrific techniques.  She did a great job and I have never had a 9:00-4:00 class go by so fast!

Now, on to my card for this week's Digital Pencil Challenge, which is shades of brown and aged/antiqued.  I chose the adorable Punkin and put him in 3D with 4 layers.  Of course, he is colored with Copics.  I pulled out my box of Autumn papers and embellies, which I'm sure I'll be using quite a bit during the next few weeks.  The leaves are from silk stems I recently purchased at Michaels. 

Here's a close-up of Punkin............. 

This close-up side view shows the layers........

I did color all the layers for depth from all angles.  It takes some time but I love the effect.

Thank you for stopping by today!  Be sure to hop over to Digital Pencil Challenge for inspiration from the uber-talented design team.

Another Fall Card

We've had such a beautiful autumn here and the colors have inspired so many pretty cards. I just had to do another one. Maybe the last for this year --- maybe not!

The image is, once again, Whiff of Joy Charlotte walking through the leaves. This is very appropriate right now since so many leaves have fallen on our country road it is hard to see the edge of the pavement! And I love to hear the crispy crunch and see them swirling into the air behind the car.

Charlotte and the leaves are colored with Copics, all the richest oranges, greens, and yellows I have. I cut the image with the Nestibilities die on my Cuttlebug. The card blank is golden yellow Bazzill card stock. On the front is a piece of scrapbook paper of gorgeous leaves. I like to use wide ribbon, especially when I don't want to detract from the paper. The ribbon on this card is sheer copper-colored with gold along the edges. I found I have several rolls of wide ribbon, then my mom cleaned out her craft room and gave me a bag full of holiday ribbons --- all wide!! She used to make bows for floral arrangements, and these ribbons are beautiful!

I finished the card with a few little Prima flowers and a K & Company sticker.


Whiff of Joy will soon be sending out the Winter 2009 Stamp Kit that I pre-ordered and I can't wait to get it!! I know I won't be disappointed! With that I will be in full Christmas and Holiday mode for sure!

I'm so glad you stopped by and I hope you are having a terrific week!

Barb

In God We Trust

Harvest Time Colored With Copics and Prismacolors

The trees here in southwest Missouri are taking on some pretty colors, showing the promise of a beautiful autumn. With the nights getting quite chilly I am beginning to smell the warm aromas from fireplaces. What a great time of year!

The Fall 2009 stamps from Whiff of Joy provide the perfect images to celebrate this colorful turning point of the year. For this card I chose Willow with a Basket of Corn and masked the image against the fence, one of their new accessory stamps. With red gingham paper from the Recollections collection of fall prints I cut the background with the Nestibilities large label, and cut the image a size smaller. The card base is Kraft card stock and the corner leaves are from scraps cut with Cuttlebug leaf dies. The gingham ribbon is some I have used before and was a perfect match for the paper. I love this ribbon and hope to find more before I run out it.

Copics used for Willow: Skin E00; Hair E49, E41; Dress R39; Blouse C01, C03.
For the fence I used so many Copics trying to get the effect I wanted that I lost track. I also added PrismaColors to sharpen the grain in the wood. The blades of tall grass are also sharpened with PrismaColors. I like the effect I am getting with the combination of the two mediums. It is subtle yet the PrismaColors add just the right finishing touch.


I hope you all are having a good week and that fall colors are decorating your lives, wherever you are. Lots of holidays coming up! Busy times, good times!

Thanks for stopping by!

Barb

In God We Trust

Autumn Cards Using SC195 and SC197

It's been so much fun making cards for autumn. The colors and designer papers are so beautiful! It's also given me a chance to try out some of the SCS sketches. I'm a few weeks behind, but no matter. The following three cards were done using the SC195 sketch. It is actually quick and simple, especially when I use the Xyron to add the adhesive. Just peel and place!

SC195 - A

SC195 - B
SC195 - C

I had colored a few of these cute autumn angels from Lockhart stamps. Their size works great on the SC197 sketch.

SC197 - A

Here's a close up of the stamp. I colored it with SU markers.
SC197 - B

I still have paper and sketches that I want to use, so I'll be moving on to Thanksgiving cards, but not for long. Christmas is fast approaching and those are my favorite cards to make. Oooo, I just get giddy looking at my new stamps and papers and sketches. There are already so many beautiful cards made by talented papercrafters out there.

Thank you for stopping by and looking at my cards. I welcome comments any time!

Happy Autumn Cards

Here are a couple more autumn cards. The scrolls are Cuttlebug dies and cut from gold metallic cardstock. They add quite a touch of shimmer to the cards. These cards, like the ones in the last post, have no sentiments inside, but a blank card for writing a personal note.

I did a little bit of shopping at my favorite stamp store in Branson, Unique Impressions. Mostly Christmas items and I can't wait to use them. And a photo shoot trip to Silver Dollar City today yeilded about 300 photos of the Fall Festival now going on. My macro lens got quite a workout, too, on the beautiful bundles of fall flowers. Many of the photos will find their way to the fronts of notecards and autumn greetings. They do such an amazing job of decorating for the seasons and Christmas at the park will be aglow with 4 million lights, 450,000 just on the 5-story musical tree! Ooo, I can't wait! But I digress......

Thank you for stopping by! Enjoy your weekend!

Celebrate Fall Colors

For the first time in 30 years I have just experienced a full four-season cycle. The winter wasn't very white, but that's ok! Fall is coming again and I must admit it is my favorite time of year. The air is cooling down from the summer humidity, the colors of the leaves are magically transforming, and the holidays are coming!

As much as I enjoyed making the Halloween cards, I'm moving on to Autumn Greetings, Thanksgiving, and Christmas cards. Mirroring the colors nature will be treating us to, here is a set of cards of the same layout, but with a shift in the color schemes. (Actually, I just don't like to waste materials so from a 12" x 12" sheet I try to use all the paper.) All cards are the larger size 5" x 7". The leaves in the center circles are Hero Arts and colored with pastels. These are the leaves that I posted close-ups of last month. The papers are a variety of card stocks and fall designer papers. Best of all, I have discovered Nestabilities and am in LOVE!

Thank you for visiting my blog and I hope you come back often. I welcome comments and do my best to respond and pay a visit in return.