What a year brings......

Happy Labor Day folks! The summer is over and now we fall into autumn. Labor day marks a year since I woke up at 4:30 in the morning and headed out to work at the hospital. What started out as a temporary break from work ended up as retirement!! A year full of creative doings. Over the past year, I received my Zentangle certification, I've been experimenting with watercolors and taking numerous classes on abstract art to use with my Zentangle. Not to mention the 2-3 books a week I am reading.  The best year ever! 

You have one more week to play along with our "Fall" theme at Inky Paws. 

 Something about fall just call for kraft paper. My card today features some oldies and some new stuff from Newton's Nook. I used the "Jack-O-Lantern" stencil and "Autumn Mice".  You might notice a strip of fall leave paper. This is from the new "Autumn" paper pack. I just swiped some brown ink over it to change the color. This is a good tip to make your pattern papers work for your design.

Today's musical inspiration is from the great Dolly Parton. It's in honor of everyone that is still putting in their 8, 10, or 12 hour days!! 

You have one more week to get out your sweaters, leggings and fall stamps for the "Fall" challenge at Inky Paws.  Let's see you use some Newton's Nook stencils in unusual ways! We will chose a RANDOM entry to win a $20.00 Newton's Nook store gift certificate. Our favorite entries from each challenge will be highlighted the following Monday, so all entries have a chance to be featured on the blog.

The deadline to enter today's challenge is  Friday September 9, 2022 at MN CST. The winners will be announced on the following Monday at  Inky Paws.

 

 

Harvest haul

The summer is winding down and despite the continued heat and lack of rain, fall is peeping out. Schools are starting and the stores are displaying Halloween stuff. What a great summer I had. The first entire summer off in 42 years!! 

With all this in mind, Inky Paws is having a "Fall" theme challenge. We are gently leading you into the big holiday season- Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.

Today's card features a few new products from Newton's Nook -  "Harvest Haul" and the "Autumn" paper pack. I used a base of kraft paper because it just feel so fall like.

 

 Today's musical inspiration is about  what else- trucks!! Gotta love Brad!

You have two weeks to get out your sweaters, leggings and fall stamps for the new "Fall" challenge at Inky Paws.  Let's see you use some Newton's Nook stencils in unusual ways! We will chose a RANDOM entry to win a $20.00 Newton's Nook store gift certificate. Our favorite entries from each challenge will be highlighted the following Monday, so all entries have a chance to be featured on the blog.

The deadline to enter today's challenge is  Friday September 9, 2022 at MN CST. The winners will be announced on the following Monday at  Inky Paws.

 

I love fall

There is a funny thing about having seasons change, spring and summer you can't wait wait to put away your long pants and sweaters and get into shorts and t-shirts. I am in the long pants and sweaters stage. I am ready for the cooler weather. 

The leaves are beginning  to change here in Pa. and the hotter days are fewer  and fewer. My creativity is leaning to Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas cards. The next few months are my favorite time to craft.

In honor of the start of fall, I am using my gift set from Simon Says Stamp called "Fall Frenchies".

I am joining the fun at a few challenges.

The Male Room

Inspired By... 

I am also going to submit a second card to AAA Cards.

So put on your long pants and sweaters and joining in these "cool" fall challenges!

Where's Pinkie?

Well fall arrived on Saturday at 9:54 and the weather turned chilly. I am sitting here typing this with a warm leggings, a long sleeve tunic, and a sweater, drinking a cup of very hot tea. It seems like yesterday I was sweating in shorts and a tank. How is that possible?

Do you remeber as a kid one of the best things about fall was jumping in piles of leaves? Tell me, you all did that didn't you? Well Miss Pinkie my old girl, isn't too old to play in the leaves. She might not be jumping around, but she will bat a few around. Can you see her? She's hiding behind that pile of leaves.

You still have time to join in the fun over at Inky Paws, for the "Fabulous Fall" challenge.

For my card I used the "Autumn Newton"  set. The background is the "Serene Stripes" stencil and turned it around create a"plaid " background. My base card used my go-to die set "Frameworks".

 

Head onto over to Inky Paws and join in this fun sketch challenge. We will chose a RANDOM entry to win a $20.00 Newton's Nook store gift certificate. Our favorite entries from each challenge will be highlighted the following Monday, so all entries have a chance to be featured on the blog.

The deadline to enter today's challenge is Friday September 28, 2018, at MN CST. the winners will be announced on the following Monday at Inky Paws.

Falling for autumn

We are halfway through September and I am ready for for some crisp cool weather. I am done with the hot, humid and rainy summer we have had in Pennsylvania. It's time to feel the fall breeze and see the autumn leaves covering the ground.

Inky Paws challenge this week is a theme. Fabulous fall.That sure conjures up lots of images huh?

My card today is CAS but with lots of textures. It kinda reminds me of that baby book- "Pat the Bunny". I used just the dies from Newton's Nook's "shades of autumn" and I die cut them from various types of papers and materials. 

I layered them onto an embossed panel cut from the "frameworks" die set. The sentiment is from "autumn Newton". 

Head onto over to Inky Paws and join in this fun sketch challenge. We will chose a RANDOM entry to win a $20.00 Newton's Nook store gift certificate. Our favorite entries from each challenge will be highlighted the following Monday, so all entries have a chance to be featured on the blog.

The deadline to enter today's challenge is Friday September 28, 2018, at MN CST. the winners will be announced on the following Monday at Inky Paws.

Autumn Splendor

September's challenge at House of Cards is a color challenge. What beautiful colors huh? I made one card, but I just wasn't feeling it, so I nixed it for this colorful fall card. This card makes me happy, happy for fall and everything fall means.  

The leaves are Paper Smooches, Leafy Greens. I used a variety of inks, distress, Hero arts and momentos. Whatever worked. It was the old ink and spritz technique. The saying is from My Favorite Things, Vertical Greetings. Please check out all the CAS inspiration this week at House of Cards

Curtain Call is hosting a "lovely leaves" challenge and I thought my card fits right in with their challenge. So I am throwing my hat in the ring with them too.

I can't wait to see what you create from our inspiration colors this month at the House of Cards.

Simple simplicity

Cheryl is hosting the challenge at Just Us Girls this week. It is my favorite challenge- a word challenge. And the word is leaves. How appropriate since it is fall and the leaves are beginning to turn. For some reason I had trouble with this one. I think I was going to big and to complicated. I was working on this card on my crafting vacation. My friends were laughing at me because I just couldn't get it. Finally in frustration I said how about if I just stick a leaf in the corner with a saying!!! 

Wait- isn't this what they call an "aha moment"?!!? I did stick a leaf in the corner and added a saying, but it seemed just a bit to simple. Bevy B. suggested I use one of her background stamps. I t added just the right touch. the saying from one of her Papertrey Ink sets was perfect. I think you can figure out why!

I like it so well, I tried it with kraft paper and it gave this somewhat feminine card a masculine feel.

If you have ever been to the blog Simplicity? Susan is the queen of CAS. This card is so her- well only if you removed the background.

Don't let the idea of leaves overwhelm you like it did me, just have fun and join us at Just Us Girls this week!

Mum's the word.

I am beginning to sense a theme with our photo challenges at House of Cards. Each photo is a table setting. Have you noticed that? See the last photo challenge. This photo features a fall table setting. I have been hot on the autumn cards. Loving the warm oranges, yellows and reds with hints of brown.

But as you know, photo challenges really stress me out. Can you tell by the state of my desk!

I decided to focus on one aspect of the photo and that was the quilted tablecloth. I created that look using a striped embossing folder and then using the grid technique I created the quilting. lastly I colored the stripes with a copic marker. The vase of mum's is from Papertrey Ink's Autumn Abundance stamp set, which I colored with copic markers too.

I made this card with a darker yellow background and a lighter yellow background. I couldn't decide which I wanted to feature for the challenge, so I had my biggest critic pick which one he liked best. George, my DH chose the brighter one. Which one do you like?

I can't wait to see how all of you interpret the photo challenge. Please join the fun at House of Cards.

More fall cards

The sketch at Try Stampin' on Tuesday also includes a fall theme. This is a very popular theme right now at many challenges. Fortunately I have quite few autumn type stamps. This tree stamp and die from Memory Box is one of my favorites. Depending on how you color it, it can be for any season. Last August I used this stamp for a card for a friend. Gives you an idea how you can change up the stamp.

Please join us Try Stampin' on Tuesday and share your creation!

Happy Dancing!!

I am so doing the HAPPY DANCE!!!! I just finished my final take home essay test for school!!! And while I still have my 4 core classes to go to finish my BSN, I have 4 weeks off till Spanish starts and boy am I gonna stamp!!

I am so gonna "live in the moment"!!

 I was surfing through the challenges and came across this technique challenge at "Just Us Girls". I involved a grid technique. I checked out this video and gave it a whirl.

Since the weather has been so fall like, and I had this new set from Paper Smooches "Leafy Greens" and I had to use it and create a CAS autumn card. 

Just Us Girls is also having a design team call, so with this card I am throwing my hat in the ring. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

The ladies over at 613 Avenue Create have a fall challenge going, so I am entering this card there too.

My Time to Craft is featuring autumn colors, so I think I will submit this there also.

Try the grid technique, its cool!