Last Looks

I've heard this term "Last Looks" and thought, that we have only today for "last looks" at the month of November.  Our Die Cut Divas' sponsor has been the fantastic Crafty Sentiments Designs.

I've posted with this little boy before, but, yes, here he is again.  Why?  Because I love the image.  He's just so cute - an unmounted rubber stamp from Crafty Sentiments Designs. Here he is sleeping away again.  He never seems to be awake, does he?  I think he's been way too busy!

He's in the Christmas collection right here!  But really, he'd be cute at any time of the year.

A close-up.  Image colored with Copic markers on cold press water color paper.

Apple Hill

Doesn't the name, Apple Hill sound like a perfect spot to go on an autumn day?  It WAS!   This post has lots of pictures - Photo warning!

I love to run up to Apple Hill and pick up my apple pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Frozen and the MOST delicious pies!

Take a journey up to the foothills of the Sierra Mountains where you can visit 55 ranches with their own wonderful fruits, vegetables, vendors, Christmas trees and wineries.

This time I went to Hill Top Ranch so I could take some cool pictures of what they have at their ranch.  This view is one where you come down from the Pie House and look across the fish pond and yes, there are fish in there.

Fish pond on the right of the trees

Apple Barn to left of picnic tables and road

Pie House at the top of the hill serves meals and great apple pies with a live fire inside 

I took a picture of someone taking the chill off by the stove

Cider making barn up the road from the Pie House - free cider in that yellow barrel - yummmmmm!

Through the glass as workers move about

Worker getting ready to press apples 

Vendors outdoors with their crafts

 Someone's private residence as you come up the road

I saw this antique tractor and loved it, plus this bright tent made a fun photo

It was a bright crisp day last Saturday and it was fun to enjoy the morning.  Hope you like the photos.

Have a Crafty Day

Have a Crafty Day with Crafty Sentiments Designs.  Remember to enter the Die Cut Divas' challenge here

See what Hannah has to say at Die Cut Divas.

This is a sweet girl and I really liked using Copic Markers to color her in.  A little bit of Stickles in her hair - a barrette that sparkles and some trim on her dress.

I thought the sentiment from the Hero Arts February CL049 clear set worked perfectly with this image (I don't think Hero Arts stocks this set anymore.    My shading on the dress is off, but sometimes you have to just STOP and let it go.  

She's sweet and sassy.  The stamp comes as an unmounted rubber stamp.  I like her.  This little doll, Annabel - Happy Days, can be found here.

We don't have snow here, but...

Check out the challenge for the November/December challenges - November's sponsor is Crafty Sentiments Designs.

And here is a wonderful snowman I'd like to share with you.  Isn't he adorable?  I believe he's male because he is wearing brown buttons.and is ever so cute.  I couldn't make just one.  The blue stripped panel is from a tissue box I pre-cut and just thought it worked here.

I love the colors on this snowman.  They just work for me.  I'm into blues and purples this year.  I took Distress Paints, Picket Fence, Broken China, Salty Ocean, and Mowed Lawn and swished them across the kraft note card after stamping the sentiment.  Some Stickles found its way onto the strips of color too - creates such a cheery card.  I'm still loving the snowman.

The cute snowman can be found here.  I didn't know I would love this guy so much.  He's super easy to color and he's FUN too.

Chalkboard - tons of chalkboard

I took a class this month on chalkboard cards.  What surprised me most was that we used Distress Paint dauber, color, Picket Fence.  We used nice black cardstock, but now I have Hero Arts cardstock and I'd like to try their Unicorn Pigment ink.

Here we go with an array of Chalkboard cards. This first card is fairly simple and is just lovely .  I may add some color, but it is really just lovely without color.  The shape of the card gives it an elegant feel.

I thought the two tones of pink ribbon really brightened this card up.  

This is all about die-cuts, really.  The flower under the ribbon is cut by hand.

Close-up of the card.  This is much prettier than the photo depicts.

The black and white of the chalkboard technique is broken up by the patterned paper.

I had fun and hope you have fun too!

Novmeber can be Purple too!

Crafty Sentiments Designs has some cute unmounted rubber stamps and I love the image you see on my card.  So cute and adorable, you can use this image for birthdays, remembrances, and just fun!

I guess I'm just a non-traditional gal.  Another non-traditional color choice for the holidays.  I really like this cute little boy I purchased from Crafty Sentiments.  Such a cute rubber stamp.  I fell in love with the little guy.  Another Tim Holtz Distress marker presentation.  I do love the look of water color.  I stamped him on cold press water color paper.  I thought this card was great either way, without a banner and with one.  My car got a bit tilted on the second card.  It's not anymore.  Which card do you like best?

Without the banner

With the banner

I think the little toys are perfect.  Well, the Memento die-cuts are perfect.  Hope you liked the card.

HELLO!

Sometimes you just want to say HELLO and I thought a closeup of this sweet girl on a swing would be perfect, PLUS, I didn't stamp the rest of the flowers below her waist very well at all.  So we have a closeup.

Crafty Sentiments Designs is the Die Cut Divas' sponsor this month, so don't forget to visit them.  Crafty Sentiments Designs has a 50% sale going on NOW!  Visit NOW so you don't miss it.

I love the girl here, so cute and perky.  You can find her here.

I colored her with Distress markers and water color brush.  The Hero Arts Envelope Pattern background (S5507)was inked with Memento Danube Blue, perfect color to go with the scrap of blue paper I found on my desk.  She's ready to say hello to someone.

Some Oldies, but Don't You Love Them...

I've gone back to my digi files from the Hero Arts Digital Design Kit, The Art of Style.  I love that woman and can't help but cut her image out just about every time I color.  I think we all need a collage every once in awhile.

Map and woman directly from Hero Arts Digital Design Kit, The Art of Style DVD
Lots of die cuts

I hope you like it, I've grown fond of this.

Birthdays come once a year

My granddaughter is turning 14 and I sent her a card with a $20 bill.  I have just been out of ideas on papers, designs, etc.  I found a Paper Crafts Magazine in Hobby Lobby and used my 40% off coupon.   Card Sketchers for Paper Crafters has over 500 projects with over 145 sketches.  I grabbed that handy dandy book and made sure I had lots of paper strips on hand to mark my pages.  I wanted sketches that were simple and easy.  That's how I found the sketch to make my granddaughter's card.

As you can see, it was a rather simple design.  One piece of stiff card stock with a pocket in the front.  I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder (frame style) on a scrap of a yellow folder and a Paper Studio embossing folder on a scrap of brown card stock.  After adhering the brown panel (half cut scallop on panel) to the yellow, I sponged the base with Vintage Photo.  Really brought out the sewing lines.

I thought a ticket would be cute along with the image from Saturated Canary.  
That gal is the cutest!  Close-up of the tag and ticket outside the pocket.
The $20 bill is taped to the back of the ticket.  
Next time, I'll make the ticket a money holder and have a pocket in a pocket.

Sketch book - helped me break my slump.

Recipe:

Cuttlebug embossing folder - Frame style - not sure of the name
The Paper Studio embossing folder - a pretty lattice type folder
Hero Arts Big Ticket CL544
Saturated Canary image

An overstuffed chair & a Sleepy Boy

 Crafty Sentiments Designs is the sponsor of Die Cut Divas' blog this month of November - Holidays and Celebrations.  I have this wonderful unmounted stamp from Crafty Sentiments Designs and I thought he was really the most darling little boy I've seen.  I think he was trying to stay awake for Santa and just couldn't hold his eyes open any longer.

Some water coloring using Tim Holtz Distress Markers and a water pen on water color paper made this a sweet card for any mother to remember those special times at Christmas.

Recipe:
Crafty Sentiments Designs Taking a Nap
Hero Arts Banners and Messages CL721
Rangers Distress Markers
Water pen
Cuttlebug
Nestabilities Lacy Squares
Twine - black and white
Memory Box Auto Parts - truck looped onto the twine

A Dreamweaver Christmas

I learned a new technique at my LSS with Dreamweaver Stencils.  The panel with the almost glowing background is black canvas.  I was able to play with Pan Pastels and created this patch of windy sky or whatever you want to call it by using Platinum first and then applying the other colors over it.  They stand out better.  I was looking for easy and love the way the gold paste stands out against my background.

Dreamweaver has a special going on now too - see the specials here!

I have got to buy some black canvas.  Thanks for looking.

Charming November is Charming Me

The unmounted stamp below is from Crafty Sentiments Designs.  She is adorable.

Do you like using Tim Holtz Distress Markers on watercolor paper?  I DO!  Love how vivid the colors are

This little girl is a special gal and I loved coloring her.  The poinsettia was die-cut and colored with Copic markers R24 and R29.  The leaves are cut out of a gauzy sheer ribbon.

I think the poinsettia goes well with the colors on the image. A red heart gem is perfect here.  Be sure to join the Die Cut Divas challenge at Die Cut Divas.

Not sure if I like it

Some Crafty Sentiments Designs.

I used Distress markers on Watercolor paper and I think I'll try Copic markers in the future.  I just couldn't get the colors I wanted and wished I could start all over again.  Well, I figure she may be a celebration for a little one.  She's cut out and may sit for awhile.  I do like her hair, but I think I'll change the background.  Sigh!

The image is the Crafty Sentiments Designs unmounted rubber stamp image.  I guess I've been too long without little ones.  

November Swings...

November swings with Crafty Sentiments Designs.  

How does November swing for me?  I have a little gal on a swing, that's how!  She's awfully sweet and even in December, she can swing here in California.

I thought she looked so sweet sitting on the swing and had to make a window for you to view her swinging to her heart's content. (Spellbinders Nestabilities Arched Windows One)  I colored her with Distress Markers on cold press water color paper.  She really is adorable.  I took white gel pen and made some white dots on her dress fringe and smudged some on the flowers.  She'll be going out to wish someone a sweet and happy Christmas.

Rain, Rabbits and Rivers - November

A Crafty Sentiments Designs Day to you!

I know some of you have snow coming up, some of you have sunny beaches to run to.  We have rain in November.  I work near the river and we see coyotes running along in our parking lot during the day.  I'm sure they chase the rabbits that dart along the river levees and the turkeys that cross the streets in the morning.  Sounds like I'm in the country, doesn't it?  NO... but it is by an untamed stretch of the river.  So November is rain, rabbits and rivers for me.

I thought it was just perfect to show you a rainy day character on my card that reminds me of rain, rabbits, and rivers.  Meet Flopsy in the Rain  .

I hope you like this little cutie, a digital stamp from Crafty Sentiments Designs.  Be sure to visit the Die Cut Divas' blog for the current challenge - holidays and celebrations.

I hope you enjoyed this card.  Just a little coloring, some Spellbinders Nestabilities, Cuttlebug embossing folder, die-cuts, Hero Arts sentiment and die-cut, and lovely fuzzy ribbon.

Enjoy the Crafty Season!

A Crafty Sentiments greeting to you all!

Crafty Sentiments is our Die Cut Divas' sponsor for November.  I have had a fun time coloring their images. The first card for November is this cute snowman.  He was so much fun to color.  I plan on coloring him again.  I know I've used some non-traditional colors on this card, but I couldn't help it and I'll stick to that story!

Without further ado!

Yes, that is a lime green note card for Christmas.  I think he's a rather cute snowman.  I see I didn't color the nose, but I don't think I'm going to.  It might take over the whole face... sometimes lumps of coal do that.   He was fun to color, hope you like him too.

Recipe:
Crafty Sentiments digital Snowman Broom 
Hero Arts September - sentiment (CL056) - I don't think you can get this at HA anymore.
Hero Arts Banners and Messages (CL731)
Cuttlebug
Embossing folder Cuttlebug Provo Craft "Snowflakes"
Cuttlebug
Spellbinders - rectangles
Copic Markers
Twine