Collage of Autumn

Happy Tuesday!  I hope your week is off to a good start.  Me? it's doing ok. (smile)

I want to share a card with you today.  The lovely ladies over @ Nacho Average Challenge have the cutest sketch.  And the weather here is turning cold.  It was 48 degrees yesterday when I left the house to drive to work.  YUK!

here is the sketch:

and here is what I created:

A bit different.  A collection of various elements.  But, I kinda like it!  I wanted to use colors that are easily found this time of year: green, cajun craze, daffodil delight, slate, kraft, and soft suede.

I used crumb cake cardstock for the card base.  Always good to have a common color used, to help ground the card.

I stamped the flourish in smoky slate.  I love how soft this color is.  I added a green stripe pattern paper from the Etc. dsp collection.  I machine stitched the pattern paper on.  

I stamped the leaves in cajun craze and soft suede, using the gently falling stamp set.  I fussy cut around the leaves and sponged the edges.  I cut a simple tag shape from very vanilla card stock, and layered the leaves behind the tag.  

I cut a scallop circle from the perfect pennants die, using daffodil delight cardstock.  I sponged the edges also.  For the center, I stamped the aspen background in crumb cake classic ink.  I didn't want anything to compete with the print.  I then stamped the acorn in soft suede classic ink, right over the aspen image.  I used my 1 3/4" circle punch to create the center.  I sponged the edges.

For the banner piece, I stamped the banner stamp in old olive classic ink, fussy cut it with my scissors and used foam tape to elevate the banner off the card front.

I hand dyed the vanilla seam binding with my basic black re inker.  I made sure I used just a few drops, so it wouldn't come out too dark for me.  Dried the hand dyed seam binding with my heat tool, and strung it at the top of my tag.

For the sentiment tag, I stamped the aspen background in crumb cake classic ink, and then the sentiment over it, in soft suede classic ink.  I used the decorative label punch to create the fancy piece.

I hope that we have inspired you, and you get a chance to play along with us over @ NAC.  

Hope you have a wonderful start to your week!

Pumpkin Latte #56

I am a huge fan of starbucks.  So much so, that I am a re-occuring Gold card member.  Each 'year' I purchase more than enough coffees to keep my card.  And this time of year, their famous Pumpkin Spice drinks are available.  These drinks were what was on my mind, when I saw this weeks color challenge over @ Nacho Average Challenge.  I don't do very well with color challenges.  I find the whole process a bit frustrating.  And I'll add, this was not my first attempt with these colors (smile).

here is what I created:

For those who are familiar with my work, this card is pretty clean and simple for me.  In that, there aren't layers, machine stitching, buttons, and various different little trinkets (smile). 

The card base is early espresso cardstock.  For the matt, I layered a piece of cajun craze card stock, and a scrap piece of pool party dsp.   I wrapped some early espresso bakers twine around this matt and tied it in a simple bow.

I stamped a text leaf in cajun craze classic ink, onto very vanilla cardstock.  I don't own the dies to cut out the leaves, so I used my scissors and fussy cut the leaf by hand.  I stamped the coffee cup in early espresso onto very vanilla cardstock, and fussy cut that out too.  I stamped the cup onto pool party dsp and cut out the cuff.  I stamped a button in cajun craze onto very vanilla and used my 1" circle punch to get the shape.  I layered the button onto the coffee cuff, and layered the coffee cup onto the leaf.  

I stamped my sentiment in early espresso classic ink, onto pool party cardstock.  I matted the sentiment banner onto a scrap piece of cajun craze cardstock.  I stapled the sentiment banner to the lower corner of the card.

I hope we have inspired you, and given you alot of creative ideas to help get you started in participating in our color challenge this week @ NAC.