Fall Burlap Wreath

Here is a wreath I put together using the burlap remnants I had left over from this summer wreath project.  Since I only had enough burlap to cover about one-third of the front, I simply went into my stash and added fall foliage to creep up the sides and cover the exposed straw wreath!  I used another pre-fab chevron burlap bow (which also does double-duty for Christmas) from Michael's and wa-la!  A quick and easy fall wreath AND my scraps are used up!  Thanks for stopping by!

Fall Leaves Woodgrain Cards

Wanted to share with you a few fall cards I made using my new woodgrain embossing folder.  I just LOVE how they turned out!  I am a big fan of birch trees for their white bark and gorgeous fall leaves, and when I saw this card on Pinterest, I knew I just had to get busy with my white cardstock and woodgrain embossing folder (SU) and crank out a few like it of my own!

Basically, I ran the white cardstock through my Cuttlebug and then swiped the raised pattern with Bamboo ink (CTMH) directly from the inkpad.   I love how this technique really made the grain POP!  Then I stamped and fussy cut several fall leaves using the Autumn Splendor stamp set (CTMH, retired) using the "rock and roll" method with the following inks: barn red, creme brulee, goldrush, vineyard berry, and olive (CTMH). The acorn was stamped with chocolate ink and cut out, as well.

The sentiment is one of my FAVORITES for this time of year--a season that just oozes with GRATITUDE!  It is from CTMH's Always Grateful stamp set and states: "Gratitude turns what we have into ENOUGH"--SO TRUE!  I selectively inked the top of the sentiment with cocoa ink and the last line was inked with vineyard berry ink (both CTMH).  Then I backed it on Cocoa cardstock, cut it into a tag shape, punched it with a small hole punch and tied some brown baker's twine through, popping it up with some foam tape.

So I hope I've inspired YOU to play around with some fall crafting supplies today!  What a perfect way to tell someone how GRATEFUL you are to have them in your life this season!

Happy Thanksgiving Card

Hope you have a terrific Thanksgiving!  The Lord has blessed us so richly and to Him goes all the glory this harvest season.  Hope you and yours enjoy a very blessed time together this Thanksgiving (and lots of turkey and yummy sides dishes and desserts, too!)  Card supplies: Huntington paper pack (CTMH), Harvest Home stamp set (CTMH, retired) in cocoa ink colored with watercolor pencils, durables round studs.  As always, thanks for stopping by!

Isaac's Paper Pumpkin

My 5 year-old son brought home this adorable little paper pumpkin from preschool the other day.  He made it by gluing 5 paper circles together back-to-back and then sliding a brown pipe cleaner through the middle to form a stem.  How cute and easy!  I saw something similar on this post here from Brenda Rose.  Love this simple papercrafting decorating idea and thought you might, too :)
Thanks for stopping by, my friend!

Giving Thanks Box

 Just wanted to share with you today an adorable little box that helps my family and me express gratitude this time of year.  This was a club project designed by Lisa Stenz a few years ago--check out this post to see her version of it.  For my version, I used the cornucopia image from the Harvet Home stamp set (CTMH, retired) stamped in black Stazon ink and colored it in with watercolor pencils and a blending pen. 

Let me explain how this box works.  We keep this beautiful box displayed in our kitchen and pass it around the dinner table in the evening during our meal together.  Inside it contains corn kernels and each of us takes out however many kernels we'd like.  We count them up and then share THAT number of things we are especially thankful for that day.  It is fun to do, especially for the kids!  The instructions are beautifully displayed inside the box lid, and the corn kernels tuck inside the orange tissue paper.

Supplies used: chocolate striped grosgrain ribbon, Dreamin' paper pack (CTMH, retired),  my creations card box (CTMH), foundry pewter mini medley accents (CTMH), preprinted Giving Thanks title and instructions (Lisa Stenz)

Hope you and your family can incorporate a creative way to express thanks and gratitude this harvest season!  Thanks for stopping by!

Fall Gratitude Journals

Back again with some more fun fall artwork!  I stamped these canvas journals from CTMH--they were a steal at $2.25 on their clearance website!!  I snatched up half a dozen or so of these and made these 3 gratitude journals for a Fall-i-day party I was recently invited to.  The party was so fun!  Basically, everyone was asked to bring 3 fall items that represented what they love about fall (for $5 or less).  Then, we each gave a short presentation of why we brought what we brought, and then drew 3 names out of a pail and those ladies received the gifts.  So...you brought 3 fall items and left with 3 different fall items!  Fun!  I was super excited to receive a Starbuck's gift card as one of my gifts...Pumpkin Spice Latte here I come!!  But I digress... :)  I, of course, had to bring something crafty and I personally journal a ton, so these was a perfect gift from me, and with the clearance price tag (even with shipping) they fit the bill!

I stamped these with a retired CTMH stamp called Autumn Splendor using the "rock and roll" stamping technique with Barn Red, goldrush, olive, and chocolate inks (CTMH).  Then I cut CTMH's burlap ribbon lengthwise and wrapped it around the front cover, tying it in a knot.  For the tag, I stamped the sentiment from the Always Grateful stamp set from CTMH (love this set!) on colonial white cardstock and then backed it on a olive cardstock tag shape.  I adhered the tag to the cover with glue dots and then added a round durable stud for the tag's "hole". 
Inside I stamped another sentiment from the Always Grateful stamp set...

Here it is upclose...

You can tell I love these colors--look at the journal on my bedspread!  I live in these colors all year round :)

So, I paired these journals with the subway art fall cards from this post--and made 3 of my friends very happy and grateful to receive these fun fall gratitude journals!  Have a grateful day and thanks for stopping by, my friend!

Subway Art Fall Cards

 Howdy Y'all--Happy Fall!!  These cards combine some of my FAVORITE things right now...fall (and all of fall's yummy colors), burlap, and Subway Art!  What's NOT to love?  I had a blast stamping with CTMH's September Stamp of the Month (SOTM) Poster Tidings.  It has both a fall stamp and a winter stamp--you will see that image more next month.  Check it out--both are so cute!

For the fall stamp, I stamped the image in several different colors, and then paper-pieced them together to create a colorful work of subway art.

Inks used: Vineyard Berry, Olive, Goldrush (all CTMH)
Supplies used: burlap ribbon and hemp (CTMH), durables round studs (CTMH), assorted patterned paper (CTMH: goldrush floral and houndstooth), and cocoa cardstock.

 I truly love all the different versions of these cards--the colors are so fun to mix and match to highlight different words.

A few more shots...

Hope you have a wonderful and blessed day in your neck of the woods! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Bountiful Season Cards

Back again with some beautiful fall cards made from CTMH's Huntington paper pack.  If you haven't picked up on it from my last blog posts, I loooove fall.  I love decorating for fall, I love anything and everything related to pumpkin in the food and beverage department, and I looove crafting for fall.  These cards are several in a series meant to just thank the special people in my life who have blessed me and encouraged me (if you missed it, check this post out for more inspiration). 

For the stamping, I used CTMH's Bountiful Season stamp using the "rock and roll" method with barn red and goldrush inks from CTMH--looove how this technique gives such an interesting multi-colored image. Then, I lightly brushed over the leaf with a few dabs of glitz glitter gel for some sparkle. This stamp is my favorite seasonal fall stamp that CTMH makes and it is a bargain price at $6.95--one stamp has the image and the sentiment (which reads: May the bounty of the season fill your heart and your home)!  Perfect!

 Additional embellishments (all CTMH)  used include hemp, durables adhesive round studs, goldrush cardstock, and burlap ribbon.  Hope you have a creative day to celebrate fall in your neck of the woods!

Fall Wreath Cards

I have loved using this little wreath stamp from CTMH's Remarkable Wreath stamp set (check out this post to see it stamped for Christmas and Valentines cards...soooo versatile!). I paired this stamp set with the Huntington Paper packet (CTMH) for these gorgeous fall cards.  For the fall leaves, I used the rock and roll technique to get a nice multi-colored image. Inks used (CTMH): cocoa, goldrush, barn red.  Other embellishments (CTMH): hemp, durables round studs, and a bit of glitz glitter gel for a few spots on the fall wreath (hard to see in the photos but nice in person!). 

Sentiments: "My life is blessed" sentiment is from the Because of You stamp set (CTMH, retired); "Life is good" sentiment is from the Remarkable Wreath stamp set.  These cards were super fun and easy to make...and then send to encourage some friends and family with a bit of "happy mail!"  Hope you have a creative day, my friend, and thanks for stopping by!

Blessed Life Cards

I could not be more blessed in my life...seriously.  God is so good to me and my family and has been sooo faithful in soooo many ways over all these years.  I have such amazing, godly, supportive family members, a wonderful husband, three beautiful children...the list could go on, and on, and on.  This time of year makes me just so GRATEFUL for all the blessings in my life.  Therefore, I wanted to take the time to handcraft a few cards for some of the special people who bless my life...and take the time to pen them special notes inside telling them how much I love them!  

These cards feature the Huntington paper pack (with some goldrush cardstock) and coordinating canvas complements from CTMH. Other embellishments used were hemp, burlap ribbon, Huntington assortment wooden spool disk, and durables adhesive round studs.  Ink (CTMH): Cocoa (sentiment), goldrush, barn red, olive (leaves)  Stamps: leaves: Autumn Splendor (CTMH, retired), sentiment: Because of You (CTMH, retired).  Love how these cards can go fall...or masculine...or both.  Card reads "My Life is so blessed..." and inside sentiments reads:"because you are in it!"  Below are a few upclose shots...feel free to click on them to see them larger and in more detail...

 

 

I hope these cards brighten the day of those closest to me this week!  Hope you have a creative day and take the opportunity to thank someone special in your life!

Happy Fall Y'all

Here in Florida, we have to pretend it is fall--it is still 90+ degrees outside, there are NO signs of fall foliage (in fact, most of our trees are pines or palms and don't even have leaves)...so that is where crafting comes into play!  I have to make my own fall leaves in stamping form to get my "fix" :)

This card was made using my favorite stamping technique--the "rock and roll" method.  Basically you stamp your image in one color ink, then move to another (darker) ink and just roll the edges of the stamp on the pad, then make your impression on your paper.  The result is a beautifully shaded multi-color design!  Just love this effect using fall leaf stamps--soooo pretty and realistic!  Using the fall leaves, I random stamped to basically make my own patterned paper. The sentiments are from the zipstrip from CTMH's Huntington paper pack (just popped those on foam tape strips for some added dimension).  I plan to feature this paper pack over the next two weeks--it is great for fall and for masculine cards!  Stamp set: Autumn Splendor (CTMH, retired)  Ink (all CTMH): goldrush, olive, barn red, chocolate

I am off to enjoy my favorite fall delights--a pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin muffins--yum!  DD also has amazing pumpkin donuts this time of year...really anything pumpkin flavored is yummy to me :)

Fall Leaf Cards

Happy Fall Y'all!!

 

I am so excited that fall has finally arrived.  Of course, here in Florida, the ONLY way you'd know it was fall is that Starbucks now serves Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Dunkin' Donuts has Pumpkin Donuts--yum!  Anyway, I have to have my fall leaves this year only in craft form...hence these fall cards I made last week!  I used CTMH's new quick card Bountiful Season stamp set. This is a nice one because it features a beautiful leaf/swirl pattern AND sentiment all in one stamp!  As you can see below, I made various versions of the same card using different ink colors and patterned paper.  I started with CTMH Kraft card bases which are 6x6 in size and have a cute little scallop flap.  I wrapped this flap with jute button twine (PTI) and tied it in a knot.  For the patterned paper, I used Olivia paper pack (CTMH, retired) and the Flirty paper pack (CTMH, mustard patterned paper only).  I stamped with either Barn Red or Goldrush ink (CTMH).  Then, whatever color I stamped with for the main image/sentiment, I then stamped another image in the opposite color and cut out just the leaf.  Then, I paper pieced the leaf on top of the image, popping it up on foam dots for a bit of dimension (you can see the shadow in the first card that demonstrates this dimension).  Then, I outlined the leaf stem and the swirls with glitz glitter gel (stardust)--I love how it makes the image pop and glisten!

 

Here are a few samples of the versions I created...

 

 

 

(Olivia papers, mocha opaque pearls)

Up close of the stamped image:

 

 

(Olivia papers, featuring pear green, canvas badge button with acorn stamp from fall Petite Perks stamp set, retired)

 

 



(Flirty paper pack, mustard paper, Olivia paper for maroon banner, wooden badge button with acorn stamp from fall Petite Perks stamp set, retired)

 

 

I can't wait to pop these into the mail to thank some friends and family members for their love and let them know how BLESSED I am to have them in my life!!