Friday, September 13, 2013

Sure feels like FALL . . .

HAPPY FRIDAY my FRIENDS!

WOW!  What a change our weather has made ... it was in the 90s early in the week and today it's 60s ... and we wonder why everyone is sick!  YIKES!!  Well, I guess it is that time of the year here in Ohio when our temperatures are going to start dropping and so are the leaves off our trees!

Speaking of FALL ... that's the direction Joan at Joan's Gardens took this week for her challenge ... here's what she's requiring this time around:

  • Include Leaves on your card
  • Fall colors
  • Tree and/or bird
  • You must use a product sold at Joan's Gardens. Also, mention that you are doing the card/project for Joan's Gardens Challenge. It would be nice if you would add this link to your post: www.atjoansgardens.com

With these things in mind, and in need of a birthday card for a very close friend, my first thought was to use the Cheery Lynn Designs Step Card Die I purchased from Joan on my last visit to Indiana. 



I LOVE how this card came together and I think my friend will love it too!  The sentiment is from www.stampingsensations.com and I inked the entire stamp with SU 'More Mustard' ink first, then inked one corner using TH 'Red Barn' ink and the other corner using Memento 'Bamboo Leaves' ink so it would tie in with the Fall theme.  

For the inside of my card, I stamped an older SU set called 'Lovely As A Tree' in Memento 'Bamboo Leaves' green ink onto ivory cardstock and cut around the trees with my Fiskars swivel craft knife.  This 'Special Card for a Special Person' sentiment by Inkadinkado pretty well summed up my feeling for this lovely lady (we've been friends since high school and that has been a L-O-N-G time!)


For my leaves I wanted to get that 'speckled' look you see on so many fall leaves ... you know what I'm talking about ... the ones that have a little bit of all the Fall colors.  So to do that I decided to grab a scrap piece of yellow-gold cardstock from the bin and start spritzing with various ink sprays and etc. that I had close at hand.   I used Dylusions 'postbox red', 'pure sunshine', Perfect Pearls 'heirloom gold' and a few dabs of Tim Holtz 'peeled paint' distress stain.  Gave it a minute to dry then used my OLD Spellbinder Fall Leaves dies for the Oak and Maple leaves I wanted to adhere to the front.  They came out exactly as I had envisioned! 

Here are a few other challenges I'd like to enter into:
CCEE Stampers - Fun Folds
Happy Campers - Use a Stamp
 MilkCoffee Challenge - Fabulous Fall Colors
Sarah Hurley - Autumn Glow
Pollycraft Challenge - Harvest Colors
Scrapper's Delight - Birthday Inspiration
LEJ Designs - Autumnal Colors
Loves Rubberstamps - Have a Sentiment on the Front

A Creative Romance - Dies or Punches
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Anything Goes
Creative Corner Challenge - Autumn Leaves are Falling
Jo's Scrap Shack - Autumn
Quick Quotes - Anything Goes
Sister Act Challenge - Anything Goes
Stempelson - Orange, Green & Brown

The Artistic Stamper September Challenge - Autumn
Card A Day September Challenge - Autumn
Stampendous Impressions "Fall Fun"

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope I've inspired you in some small way today!  
If nothing else, here's a reminder to tell those you love how important they are to you ... even if it's a friend whom you haven't seen in a long time.   Pick up that phone, pop a card in the snail mail ... or even a quick email or text!  You'll be amazed what a difference it will make in their day! 

Your comments always MAKE MY DAY!
As always . . .

28 comments:

  1. Stunning Dar!!! A beautiful step card...love how you did your awesome leaves, too. You have inspired me once again to get off my "duff" and use my new step card die from Joan!!

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  2. Beautiful card for your friend Darlene. Great job on your leaves and the step card die is fantastic. Love it
    Thanks so much for joining us at Joan's Gardens for our weekly Challenge. This week some lucky winner will receive a $25.00 gift of product, so good luck!!!
    Joan
    www.atjoansgardens.com

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  3. Darlene, I learn so much from looking at your creations. Your treatment of the leaves is genius, and I am going to try it. Thanks for all your lovely artwork!

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  4. Such a beautiful card.
    Here it is also fall. Last week it was hot and summer. And now it's cold an raining:(
    Hugs Miranda

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  5. So So True... That is such a gorgeous creation. The ink spray and card cut are great. Thank You for joining us here at Loves Rubber Stamps this week! Good Luck and Tons of Hugs, Dangina

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  6. Darlene...love your card...I have that card die but have yet to use it...You have inspired me!

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  7. Great sentiment and your Falling into Autumn leaves are very beautiful. Creative Bliss...

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  8. What a beautiful card! I love the way you stamped the sentiment on the front. Thanks for joining in the Happy Campers challenge. Kim xxx

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  9. Gorgeous card. I've never seen that sentiment before. Like how you stamped it!

    kathy b
    Aud Sentiments DT

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  10. Wow, these colors are so beautiful, love the sentiment with the different colors and the leaves are fabulous. She is going to LOVE this. Thanks for playing with us over at Loves Rubberstamps!!!

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  11. Ein tolles Werk hast Du da gezaubert.
    Hab herzlichen Dank für Deine Teilnahme bei der Stempelsonne
    GLG Tamesis

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  12. This is a beautiful center step card!!! I love these colors and yes, it looks a lot like autumn!! Thanks for joining us at Jo's FFC;-)

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  13. I'm trying to catch up on my blog reading and it's always inspiration overload to stop at your blog Dar. I am so wowed by the technique used on your leaves for this beautiful step card! I can't wait to get back from vacation to try this myself. It really adds so much to the die cut leaves!!
    We are at the beach in Delaware right now and it was in the high 90's at the beginning of the week and now 60 right now!
    xoxo
    Joyce

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  14. Great card, Darlene. Love the way yo made your leaves. The rich fall colors draw me in! Thanks for linking your card up with us at the Sister Act Challenge Blog this week.
    Cathy

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  15. Beautiful card! love the colors! I am so ready for fall to be here.
    Thanks for joining us in our Sentiment challenge this week at Loves Rubberstamps! Hope to see you again soon!

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  16. Love the leaves and how you made them. Beautiful card and love the stunning fall colors that you had choosen.

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  17. Stunning card, perfect Autumn colours. Thanks for joining us over at Sarah Hurley this month.
    C xx

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  18. I love the beautiful fall colors and leaves on this card! It is gorgeous! Thank you for playing along with us this month at Quick Quotes!

    barb :)

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  19. The way you did the sentiment is so cool, I'm new to stamping so to see things like this just amaze me. Thanks for joining us at Card A Day Blog.

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  20. Thank you so much for entering our Dies or Punches challenge at A Creative Romance. What a fantastic response to this challenge. Your card is just fabulous. Love how you incorporated your leaf die cuts into your design. Just lovely! xxx Ann Marie

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  21. cute fall card, thanks for joining us over at Quick Quotes!

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  22. Fantastic sentiment and leaves. Thanks for sharing at Aud Sentiments.
    Hugs Ali x

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  23. I had to take a closer look at those leaves, so realistic. Gorgeous card!

    Thanks so much for joining us at Aud Sentiments this time.

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  24. Great card Darlene, love the gorgeous design. Thanks for joining us at Pollycraft.

    Donna x

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  25. Lovely card, and thank you for joining in The Artistic Stamper Challenge this month :)

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  26. a great take on the challenge ! thanks for joining us at Sarah Hurley Challenges xx

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  27. Beautiful card, love the leaves. Thanks for joining us at Card A Day Blog.
    Cindy F

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  28. Darlene, you've got a gift for scoping out the challenges! Wouldn't have guessed there were that many out there! Love your leaves, great job! Thanks for entering the Stampendous Fall Fun challenge! Good luck!

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