It's that time of year again!

Yep, time to rake the leaves!  While we only have 3 trees in the yard (pin oak, tulip tree, and shagbark hickory) they certainly produce more than their fair share of leaves.  I end up making numerous trips to the brush drop-off facility outside of town.  So when I saw this Impression Obsession die (rake with leaves) I just had to get it because it coordinated with an old Ann-ticipation stamp in my collection.

I had previously purchased the IO squirrel dies (but hadn't used it yet) so now I can recreate the scene out my front window any time I want.  I think these dies will be seeing a lot of use this fall!  Maybe the next scene will have a bare tree in the background.  Hmmmm....

Together...forever

NOT your traditional anniversary card!  Every once in a while I get a wild hair and make something totally unexpected for my sister's anniversary.  She and her husband know to never guess what type of card I might send.  Good thing, huh?

Mini Halloween 2; Provocraft Heartblocks embossing folder; archival inks (Red Geranium, Jet Black, Watering Can); Love thinlits and Shape Strip thinlits; Bazzill cardstock; core'dinations cardstock; heart stamp (Good Stamps Stamp Goods); MultiMedium

Thank you!

Recently a State of Illinois employee helped us with a small problem we had.  Even though she was just doing her job we wanted to let her know how much we appreciated all her efforts.

Sizzix Layered Leaf die and texture fade; Celebrate thinlits; kraft cardstock; green cardstock; watercolor paper; distress inks (Fossilized Amber, Ground Espresso, Dried Marigold); black pen; Scattered Straw Distress Stickles

October...bats crazy

Halloween is just around the corner and Tim chose to feature one of his new Halloween 3D mask dies on his tag for October.  I don't have the mask so searched my stash for something I could turn into a 3D object.  Aha!  How about the cage from the Caged Bird Bigz die and the bats from the Bewitching Hour Bigz die?  It was fun getting the bats to dangle upside down from the top of the cage!

Items used:  Seasonal Paper Stash, long fasteners, silk ribbon; #8 tag; Batground stencil; dies (above) and Shape Strips; manilla cardstock; black cardstock; spider punch; distress inks (Ground Espresso, Hickory Smoke, Black Soot, Rusty Hinge, Spiced Marmalade, Fossilized Amber); 'invisible' thread

Fell in love with the 2 backgrounds I created...really hated to cut them up!

Hope you have fun creating a 3D tag!

Another sympathy card

Sadly I had the need to create another sympathy card.  The woman worked for a florist at one time so I thought watercoloring some of Tim's stamps from 'Flower Garden' CS215 would be perfect.

Jet Black Archival Ink was used to stamp the coneflower image on to watercolor paper.  I created a mask onto a scrap piece of paper so I could add additional flowers.  Distress markers (Hickory Smoke, Aged Mahogany, Victorian Veltet, Spun Sugar, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss, Frayed Burlap, Vintage Photo, Ground Espresso) were used to color the flowers...LOVE this look!  I always use at least 3 shades of the color for plenty of dimension.

The floral layer is on a layer of green Bazzill cardstock which is on top of another green Bazzill cardstock base card.  I found an old Sizzix die to create my tag out of watercolor paper.  A bit of pink silk ribbon finishes the tag.  With a flick of the wrist and Hickory Smoke Distress Ink and water I created spatters for a softer look.  A bit of shading (more Hickory Smoke d. i. and water) finishes the card.

I'm sorry

Sympathy cards can be quite difficult.  Do you create a card that speaks of the individual?  Religious?  Masculine or feminine?  Generic?  I try to incorporate something about the deceased if I can.  If not, then at least something that speaks to me so that making the card is not a dreadful chore.

It's a gray, dreary fall day here in east central Illinois.  The leaves have started turning yellow so not much in the way of color just yet.  I had a lovely background (distress inks in yellows, oranges, bit of brown and Perfect Pearls Mist in Heirloom Gold) created on watercolor paper that I've been anxious to use.  When I received Tim's Fall Foliage thinlits dies they seem to reach out for this background. 

The base card is kraft and stenciled using Tim's Doily Stencil and Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.  I added a torn layer of corrugated cardboard as a band.  I cut two sets of leaves and branches, embossed and folded them and used Glossy Accents to adhere them on top of a dyed silk ribbon (from my stash that coordinated perfectly).  

A small tag with "I'm Sorry" in Jet Black Archival Ink was tucked into the arrangement.  I used another piece of the silk ribbon to create a bow for the center.  While not a typical sympathy card that would be found in a retail store, this speaks more to the heart as far as I am concerned.