For Your Enjoyment

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are enjoying one of our gorgeous Autumns, one of the warmest, driest, most colorful ones I can remember.  So I have been out with my camera, snapping away. (An injury to my thumb joint is keeping me from much crafting - UGH!)  I drove around the county but sometimes it is difficult to pull over to take a good photo.  It ended up that some of my favorite photos were taken in my own backyard.  Once again I am in awe of the creativity and artistry of God.  So here are a few photos.  I hope you enjoy.

My Backyard

Looking North - Canadian Mountains

Looking East - Mt Baker

A few Miles East

"For You, O Lord have made me glad by what You have done.  I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.  How great are Your works, O Lord!"   Psalm 92:4-5a

Only Two Colors

Can you make a beautiful card with only two colors?  That is a challenge at Stamploration so I gave it a try.  And the answer is 'Yes' .

I know that 6 of the last 8 cards I have posted have been done with either Distress Oxide Inks or with a stencil or both but I am having so much fun with them. Soon Autumn will be over and I will have to put them away (until I buy new stencils and new colors).
This card was made with a Stamploration stencil and Wild Honey and Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide inks.  I have never splattered with inks before but I love the card by Becca Cruger  so much, I had to try it.
After rubbing the two distress inks on another piece of white cardstock, I cut out "thanks" with a Memory Box die.

Challenges:
Simon Wednesday - photo inspiration
Scrapyland - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Dies R Us - leaves
Words 2 Craft By - autumn
7 Kids - anything
Joy Clair - anything
Stamploration - theme
Stamploration - anything goes, never ending challenge

Simon Monday - monochrome

Basket of Blessings

It's the most wonderful time of the year.  We hear that about Christmas time.  But for me, I love October and November more than December.  The colors of Autumn, days of rain and wind which result in curling up with a book and fire, and Thanksgiving Day.  All of Autumn is time of reflection of blessings.  Many of my Autumn stamps are associated with Thanksgiving Day or blessings or prayers and verses of thanks.
This card is made with Stamploration products: Stencil, stamps, and die cut.

The leaves were done with Tim Holz Distress Oxide inks, the basket of fruit with Copics and Prisma pencils.

Challenges:

Simon Wednesday - photo inspiration
Dies R Us - leaves
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Crop Stop - anything
7 Kids College Fund - anything
Joy Clair - anything
Stamploration Cutploration

Stamploration theme and/or sketch

Stamploration Never ending challenge

Just Horsin' Around

One of my granddaughters is so horse crazy ! so I make her horse themed cards.  Hopefully she will like this one too. (I think that as long as it has a horse on it, I can't lose!)

I started with a piece of 8 1/2 x 11 printer paper (designer printer paper?) that was sky and beach. I cut it 4 x 5 1/4 using the sky part as my backdrop for the scene.  With the MFT sketch as my guide, I created the scene with grass (MFT Ice Cycles), fence (MFT), clouds (Memory Box). I stamped and colored the horse (Inkadinkado) then free hand cut it out.  I made a spring wobble to put behind it so it has some action.
Here is the sketch I used:

Challenges:
Word Art Wednesday - anything
MFT - sketch challenge
Crop Stop - anything
Joy Clair - anything
7 Kids - anything
Scrapy Land - anything

Retro Digital Stamp

My sister and I have an unspoken rule for birthday cards to each other - they must NOT be serious.
I never go crude or suggestive because that isn't funny to me.  Just a little fun and humor. This is the one for this year.

Using Tim Holz Distress Oxide inks (yes, again!), I framed the digital image (Retro Tlc Creations).  I hand lettered "really" and cut it out with the Silhouette.  The bottom sentiment I did with my publisher program and cut it out with a Spellbinder Tag.
For the inside I stamped a sentiment by Whimsy Stamps that reads, " Age is just a number and yours is really high!"  In this set there are two straight line stamps so I used those under the digital image on the front.  I wasn't liking that blank space. I should have cut it off but these lines did the trick. 

 Challenges:
MFT Color Challenge

Simon Wednesday - photo inspiration
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Crop Stop - anything
Joy Clair - anything
7 Kids - anything

Loving the Autumn Leaves

Here is the tag I made for a granddaughter's birthday present.

Once again I used the Autumn leaves stencil by Stamploration, sponging with Tim Holz Distress Oxide inks.  I used the same inks (Honey, Citron, Raspberry) to rub onto a scrap piece of paper then cut out the leaves from that piece.  The large leaf is Spellbinders.  The three smaller maple leaves are Impression Obsession.  Letters for the name are stickers. I wanted to use gold letters but all the "A's" were gone.  Oh, well, at least this way her name stands out!

Challenges:
Dies R Us - leaves
Simon Wednesday - Photo inspiration
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Words 2 Craft By - Autumn
Joy Clair - anything
Crop Stop - anything
7 Kids - anything
Stamploration - Tags

Stamploration Never ending - anything goes

Scrapyland - anything

Using A Stencil For Backgrounds

Oh my goodness!  I just used a stencil for the first time and how much fun is that?!
This stencil is by Stamplorations and even though I have had it a year, I have never used it, never thought I could pull off a great look.  But by using some Oxide distress inks, it was a snap and do I ever love the results.

Such an easy way to make a lovely CAS card.  Sorry if I seem to be bragging.  I'm not - just blown away at how fun and easy this was to create something beautiful.

The sentiment is also Stamploration.  I added a copper colored leaf brad just for the fun of it and I thought it needed a piece of interest.
The Oxide Distress inks I used are Twisted Citron, Wild Honey, and Picked Raspberry.  When that bright pink is combined with the yellow Wild Honey, it makes the prettiest orange.

Thanks for looking.

Challenges:
Joy Clair WCMD - building backgrounds
Joy Clair - anything goes
7 Kids - anything from the store (Tim Holtz Distress Oxides)
Deep Oceans - Autumn colors
Simon Wednesday - thinking of you
Stamploration - never ending challenge

More Of The Same

More 4 x 4's and more oxides.  Once I get going on a style, technique, or product, I tend to play with that for a few days in a row.  So with the Distress Oxides still out and a taste of making a 4 x 4 card instead of an A2, I made a few more.  Here is one of those. 

The image is by Power Poppy - Prairie Bouquet Digital Stamp, sentiment - Rose and Chamomile
The Distress Oxides used: Wild Honey, Twisted Citron, Picked Raspberry

Challenges:
Power Poppy - think small
Deep Oceans - Autumn colors
Joy Clair - anything
Words 2 Craft By - Autumn
Stamploration CAS - Orange optional

Simon Says Wednesday - thinking of you
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Joy Clair CAS

Another 4 x 4

Making the one 4 x 4 the other day wet my appetite for making more.  Here is one I made with a Power Poppy Digital stamp Rose and Chamomile.  The sentiment is from the Prairie Bouquet set.
I love how this turned out.

After coloring the image with Copics and Prisma pencils, I cut it out with a Spellbinders Label Three die.  The little leaves in the corner are made with an Elizabeth Crafts die from the Rose 3 set.  The pink "pearl" is a melted Pearler Bead.  I'm getting low on those.  It is time to "borrow" and melt a few beads from the grandchildren's stash to build up my supply.

Challenges:
Time Out - friendship and pink
Power Poppy - think small
Joy Clair WCMD - card for a friend
Joy Clair - anything
Scrapyland - anything 
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Simon Wednesday - thinking of you 

Love Rainbows

Don't you love to see rainbows?  I have taken of them but seeing the real thing is always better.

One of the challenges at Joy Clair is RAINBOW. 

I took that literal and colored up this cut digital stamp by PaperMakers. 

Almost all the cards I make are A2 but for the fun of it I made this one 4 x 4.  For the base I used Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide ink and then sponged on SU Not Quite Navy on the edges.  Of course I spritz it, hoping to give the effect of rain splatters.
The rainbow is colored with Copics.  Image and the orange background piece are cut out with Die-namic Circle Stax dies.

Challenges:
Joy Clair WCMD challenge - rainbow
Stamploration CAS

Joy Clair - anything
7 Kids - anything
CardzTV - anything

Can't Pass Up A Sketch

Here is a last minute card for the sketch challenge at MFT using a stamp set by Gina K Designs.  I love this drawing but always need a sketch to get me to use it.  This sketch seemed a perfect one.

Sketch:

The image is colored with Copics and Prisma Pencils.
When I add a sentiment, I like to cut it out with a die but many times I don't have the shape or size I want.  SO here is a trick I do occasionally.   I use one of the rectangles in the Die-namic Stitched Rectangle Stax set, cut out the sentiment then realign the same die, making the cut narrower.  The stitch lines seem to line up and even if the die cuts extra stitch lines (as in this case), it isn't too noticeable. The circles are Die-namic Circle Stax
Background paper is from my stash.  The card base is textured.

Challenges:
Joy Clair WCMD - CAS with Martha
Crop Stop - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Deep Oceans - Autumn colors
Joy Clair - anything
My Favorite Things - sketch challenge
Stamploration CAS

Trees and Falling Leaves

When my children were young, we had a huge maple tree on our property.  They had a tire swing in that tree and they loved swinging out over the giant pile of leaves that they had raked up and then jumping off into that pile.  Over the 13 years we lived there, we had only one mishap - our youngest son (5 at the time).  He fell instead of jumped and ended up with two broken arms.  That ended his fun for awhile.
It seems I am really into Dearie Doll images right now so here is another one.  Notice he is standing instead of sitting.  Boys!

"Autumn" is an old SU stamp.  It is cut with a Spellbinder tag.  The leaves are cut with an Impression Obsession die.   Dearie Doll digital image is colored with Copics.

Challenges:
Joy Clair WCMD challenge - 3 color focus (red, orange, brown)
All Sorts - trees and leaves
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Joy Clair - anything
7 Kids - anything

WCMD #1 Card

Yes, I did get some time to make a few cards yesterday on world cardmaking day.  The first one I made was prompted by a CASE challenge on the Joy Clair blog.
This is my card:

CASing Eva Dobilas' gorgeous card:

The stamped images (Joy Clair Banana Bits) are heat embossed.  I have only four Distress Oxide ink pads but I used three of them and then spritzed with water.  Diamond cut pearl on both images.

Challenges:
Joy Clair - Case a card
Simon Monday - dark colors
CardzTV - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Deep Ocean - Autumn colors
Stamploration - CAS

Joy Clair - anything goes

World Cardmaking Day

Each year I think, "I am going to stamp and color all day for WCMD" but then reality hits me across the head.  Once again I will be busy with other things and other places for much of the day.  But I will take every available chance to "play" and create. 
Here is my desk just waiting for me.  It is even clean!  Well, as clean as it ever gets - LOL.

Joy Clair wants pics of our crafting space.  I sure hope I can mess it up today!

Hope to see you again later with a card or two.

More Than One Plan

One of the characteristics that I have developed over the years, thanks to my husband, is to be flexible.  Quite often we say to one another, "on to plan B" or "C" or "D" !
Here is another great sentiment by Ginger's House, reminding us that life gets in the way of our plans but it can be okay.

Background is patterned paper from my stash.  The line at the bottom of the card is a strip I cut from a sheet of designer paper.
I used a sketch found at Sketch Saturday (#356) flipping it.

All the rectangles are cut with dies from Die-namics Stitched Rectangles.  The letter A is cut with a Cuttlebug die.

Challenges:
Words 2 Craft By - A to B
Crop Stop - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Joy Clair - anything
Sketch Saturday - any sketch
Cut It Up - change is good/ altered or recycled

Autumn and Gratefulness

Doesn't it seem that Autumn and gratefulness just go together?  Maybe it is because of harvests and Thanksgiving Day, a time to focus on our blessings.  Maybe it is just being thankful that you made it through the summer and all the added work and activities!  Whatever the reason, I do group the season and the attitude together.  Actually, we should live with an attitude of gratitude all the time. Here is a card with a great reminder:

I love the digital sentiment by Ginger's House.  The basket is a stamp and die by Stamploration.  I took the pic in light that would show that the basket is popped up on dimensional tape.  The die cut leaves were made with Impression Obsession dies.
Now that I am posting this, I see that I forgot to color the stems of the apples and pumpkin!  Well, everything else was colored with Copics and Prismas pencils.  LOL
Since Autumn is my favorite time of year, and the earth colors are my favorite colors, I am hoping to make many more Autumn card (and so happy for all the challenges about Autumn and Fall colors!) So here are the challenges I am entering this time:

Words 2 Craft By - life lessons
Crop Stop - anything
Joy Clair - anything
7 Kids - anything
Simon Monday - dark colors
Simon Wednesday - anything
CardzTV - anything
Scrapyland - anything
Cuttlebug Mania - pumpkins
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Deep Oceans - Autumn Colors

Stamplorations Cutplorations - photo inspiration

 
Stamplorations Never ending challenge