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:

Aud Sentiments Challenge - Autumn

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 . . .