Leaves...

Another post today?  I finished two cards this morning and find I can enter both into a contest.

Crazy 4 Challenges C4C156

Leaves, right?  Right!  Just make sure your entry has leaves.  Read the introduction and you'll find out why it's leaves!  

I have a dear friend whose mother is in ICU at a local hospital and not doing well.  I thought I'd do a little preparation, just in case.  Her mother always reminds me of flowers and gardens.  

Where is Autumn?

I don't know where Autumn is, but it's taking a vacation in California.  It's supposed to get to 100 degrees Fahrenheit here tomorrow.  I'm thinking Fall, but that's all that seems to be happening here.  Sharing with you a card that I used earlier this month and just loved the way this winter stamp looks in an Autumn scene. Yes, just change the colors.  Some Distress Inks, Scattered Straw and Wild Honey will do the trick with this Hero Arts Wood block stamp, Winter Scene, K5524.  I can't wait to try it as a winter scene!  

I'm entering this card in the challenge on "Love to Create Challenge Blog" in their Challenge # 34, Anything Goes.  There are almost 300 submissions now!  Just making the deadline.  I hope you visit this wonderful blog.  

September CCC

I'm not sure if this stamp is a new winter stamp by Hero Arts (may be from last year), but I've seen how beautifully the scene is when others in the Hero Arts Flickr group have used it. I had to use Winter Scene (K5524), but as an Autumn stamp, not winter.  The only reason I tried it is because of the September Hero Arts challenges for this month.

After clear embossing,, I used some Distress Inks and I love the orange glow on the scene.  You can't beat Distress Inks for color.  Spiced Marmalade is on top, Wild Honey and Scattered Straw sponged on.  I like the way the Hero Arts Cling Dots (CG139) adds depth to the kraft panel (which is part of a battered used file folder).  I really hate to part with it.  

Time for Tags

I have a new favorite stamping and die-cut set.... YES I DO!

I couldn't believe I actually got my hands on this wonderful set.at Archivers.  I hadn't even seen it in a catalog anywhere.  Last one on the wall and it was MINE!  Especially true when it's with a 40% discount coupon.  Can we say MIGHTY LUCKY?   Called Joy Snowman (657781), I love just about every single piece in this set and there are so many wonderful pieces.  Since I used left over pieces of Glitter paper, I thought it would be fun to just cut the paper any way and it would look good for trees.  I rather like the whimsical trees on my tags.  The upper cut shows the stamp that goes with this die-cut.  I just love the glitter and the happy feeling I get when I look at these.  I added some Gold Stickles to the red tree.  Lots of trying anything and everything I want here. Hope you like these glittery tags.  They're going on my gifts to my fellow workers for the holidays!

When Less is More

This week's challenge at "Less is More" # 85 is OVAL and Clean and Simple.  Here we go with my entry.

I love DaNami's Mimi in the Rain stamp and she fits wonderfully on an oval, so I've made her into a fall girl, ready for the wind and rain of California.  I think she looks ever so cute in the Copic markers I've chosen.  Since I was thinking Autumn, these colors just flew to my fingers.  I hope you like her as much as I do.

List of Products:

Hero Arts Everyday Sayings CL342
DeNami Mimi in the Rain
Copic markers Y19 (Napoli Yellow), YG61 (Pale Moss), E29 (Burnt Umber) and E57 (Light Walnut)
Cuttlebug
Spellbinders Ovals
Clear Gems colored with Copic marker Y19
Glossy Accents on coat and boots

Repetition, who'd a thought?

This was my second card for the Hero Arts 90 minute scramble today and it went fairly quickly because I had a scrap piece of paper and some repeated images I'd printed out of the Hero Arts Digital Design Kit, The Art of Style, just sitting on my desk, just sitting, minding their own business.  I was looking for something that was reminiscent of Autumn.  I love seeing (not wearing) Fall hats and when I saw these lovely women all in a row, I had to find a panel to put them on.  I colored the hats with the new Distress Markers by Tim Holtz, Wild Honey, Worn Lipstick, Crushed Olive and Vintage Photo, then embossed the sentiment and draped a line of clear gems under it.  Love these classy ladies.  And now they're joining Moxie World's Repetition Challenge.

Visit "The Daily Marker"

There's a chance for you to win stamps and a spellbinder die at Kathy's The Daily Marker.  Be sure to visit and check Kathy's blog, now!  

Kathy Racoosin teaches Copic Coloring Techniques for STAMPtember™ at Simon Says Stamp's.  I found a COOL WAY to use mini misters.  I want to stamp right now, but can't - be sure to find another way to use your Copic markers.

Get Well, Leona

My second post today:

To the mother of one of my very best (BEST) friends.  Her mother just had a quadruple bypass last weekend and I wanted to make a feminine, soft card for her and one of the challenges gave me an idea, so I'm also entering this in a challenge too.  Leona seems to be doing well - so glad she finally went to the doctor for chest pains.

I would love to receive this, but you can't keep everything.  I hope Leona will like this - I think she will.  I'll be able to drop it by tomorrow.

The music sheet is a piece of paper from the packaging from a Tim Holtz embossing folder (set of two folders in one package).  I rubbed the surface with Vintage Photo Distress Ink, attached it to the card, found this wonderful bow in a drawer, a tag and looked for one of my favorite digital Hero Arts ladies and made this quick card.  If it's not casual enough, I'll understand.  For the clean and simple things in life, take a chance and enter the current challenge and emboss your heart away.

CAS-ual Fridays, the CleanAnd Simple Challenge

A Bit of Paris ATC

It looks like I'm going Autumn in a big way!  I love these colors together.  Some Wild Honey, Mustard Seed and a spike of Spiced Marmalade make for some yummy colors and are quite striking with a couple olive green focal points on this Artist Trading Card, ATC.

This Hampton Arts stamp (Paris Diva) is stamped in black and heat embossed paper twice, so I could cut out and paper piece the lovely diva and wonderful car.  The Eiffel Tower is a die-cut and I placed it directly over the stamped image of the Eiffel Tower.  Gold Stickles lines the outside of the ATC.   I made this for Montly Themed ATC Swap on Flickr and I really hate to part with it.

I'm entering this ATC in:

 "A Blog Named Hero" for their challenge 

Challenge #11: Who's The Boss?

AND

"Totally Stampalicious!"

ANYTHING BUT A CARD!

This is my first entry into Totally Stampalicious!, but it does look fun.  

OOZAK SPARKLE

OOZAK SPARKLE - THAT'S FOR ME!

Enter a project with Sparkle at Oozak this month and let it sparkle!  I've embossed this gal over the Distress markers I used, color, emboss, color, emboss.  She's all shiny and sparkly.  I wondered how I would like the new Distress markers and I do.  The ink stays wet  a fairly long time and the colors are nice.  I used Worn Lipstick, tumbled Glass and Vintage Photo with some Stickles thrown in for extra sparkle.  This DaNami stamp just made me buy her; I couldn't help it.  The gift and Sentiment are from a Hero Arts Holdiay Sayings set, which has such great sentiments!  Have a great day!

Lawnscaping Time

I think this may be my first time entering the Lawnscaping challenget.  LOVE, LOVE the sketch.   I had to do two cards with my new Hero Arts Winter Trees stamp (in the circle) because I loved the look of the sketch.  I was at my LSS (The Stamp Art Shoppe) so I could grab this one.  I saw so much potential for some wonderful winter scenes, but look what I did with it.  The new September Hero Arts challenge (3 different challenge options) for me is using a seasonal/holiday stamp in a way other than its intended use.   I think this one fit the bill nicely.  I love the autumnal colors and design.  Colored those glass gems with Copic marker, Apricot.