'Tis the Season....Already! PP319

The weather turns on a dime up here.  A few days ago we were playing in the leaves up at the lake. But this week.....well take a look.......

Someone forgot to tell Mother Nature we aren't quite done with those leaves yet.....

LeAnne has a fun Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge for us this week at the Paper Players.  I went across the bottom row using images from Christmas PInes, Totally Trees and Thoughtful Branches.

                                     

Grateful for PPA........PPA324

                   

It is a bittersweet post today as it is the final challenge at Pals Paper Arts. PPA was launched July 30, 2009 by Mary Fish and a small group of her downline.  I was a new demo then trying to learn my way around blogland. I began with a Splitcoast gallery and uploaded THIS card for PPA's very first challenge.  By the time PPA2 came around my brand new blog was up and running......thanks to long distance coaching from Mary!  I learned so much from the PPA team that first year about design, photography and blogging!  In 2010 I was delighted - and honored -  to be asked to join the Design Team! It has been a great run for the past six years!  

Such a fun sketch from Ginger this week at Pals Paper Arts!  Hope you join us!

Foiled Again.....FMS260

Miss Emma has been eyeing up my glitter paper and foil sheets so I promised her we would make some Christmas cards from them.  The sparkle of the silver glitter paper looks wonderful against the bright red foil......but unfortunately my camera just doesn't quite see it that way!  Who knew foil paper was so hard to capture on camera?!?!  I know that now!  I tried the photo from another angle but that was even worse....

But we are going to soldier on and make a few more of these because they really are bright and beautiful for the holidays!  In the meantime Emma has already started working on a different kind of holiday treat!

Kim Singdahlsen Has a great sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  I used Lil' Inkers Jingle Bells Dies and SU's Silver Glimmer Paper and Red Foil for my card.

                                                         

Trick or Treat......PP318

Our pumpkins are out on the porch railings ready for Halloween next week. It always amazes me that all the leaves are on the ground by Halloween night and you can hear the trick-or-treaters swishing through them as they walk along the sidewalks.  These photos were taken two days ago at our camp on the lake.  It was a gorgeous 75 degree fall day.  Emma had a great time playing in the leaves and running around with Corduroy. 

    

And as I type this two days later the temperature is in the thirties with a cold wind and rain falling......and expectations of wet snow overnight.  Yep the rest of that beautiful color will be on the ground by morning! Guess that's the trick that follows the treat.......

Jaydee has a great sketch for us this week at the Paper Players!  I'm still having fun with that Halloween Mini Bluprint Set by Tim Holtz.  I paired it with Ghoulish Grunge for a Halloween card

The Card Concept has a beautiful fall inspiration photo this week!

Fusion

Even though I see my mother pretty much every day I still send her cards. She loves to get mail so this card will be headed her way.  And she still loves to have lunch at her favorite restaurant......with her partner in crime of course.....

                   Use the photo....use the sketch....or use them both like I did!  Fun to play at Fusion! 


                                   

Stamp Sets: SU Number of Years, Lawn Fawn Scripty Sayings

Krazy Kats.......FMS259

Somewhere Tim Holtz could be looking at this card and thinking ........

Seriously? I design these fabulous images and make wonderful distress inks to grunge them all up and this girl just leaves it black and white??

Yep thats's me........but I vow to take one of those chemistry classes of his one of these days and learn how to sling that ink!  But I am kind of liking that black and white kitty.....

And I adore this crazy kitty who belongs to a friend of mine.......Hello Clarice!

I am delighted to host the challenge at Freshly Made Sketches this week! I hope you play along - I am always excited to see how many ways one simple sketch can be interpreted!  

                                                     

Stamp Sets: Tim Holtz Happy Halloween Mini Blueprints, SU Ghoulish Grunge
Paper: SU Halloween Night DSP

Stamp Review Crew: Acorny Thank You

The Stamp Review Crew is featuring Acorny Thank You today but I just had to put an oak leaf from Vintage Leaves behind the acorns. And I am a total fan of Dapper Denim - here it adds an unexpected pop of color.  Kind of like those purple leggings peeking out from under the soccer shorts......

Saturday morning four year old soccer games are the perfect way to start a weekend - guaranteed to make you laugh over amazing performances that have nothing to do with soccer!  And there is always ice cream when it is over.....even though it is 10 am and 45 degrees!

If you are on track you just saw Shana's wonderful work so head onward to see what that oh so talented Bruno has created!

Awesome Fall Leaves! PP317

My favorite leaf stamp is a retired one called Magnificent Maple. I love to use it every fall and Nance's CAS leaf challenge let me do just that!  I stamped a sentiment from Watercolor Wishes and I was good to go!  

Hope you join us this week at the Paper Players!


                                       

Time to Chill.....PPA322

We aren't ready to break out the winter wardrobe yet but our family definitely knows how to chill......especially on football Sundays!  This week it was steaks on the barbecue up at the lake followed by a lot of trash talk over whose Fantasy Football team was in first place........oh that would be my team!

Susan Itell has a great sketch for us this week at Pals Paper Arts! I used Candy Cane Lane DSP and Washi Tape to make my stripes and images from Snow Place.

A Little Foxy.....FMS258

I must be the only person on the planet who hasn't inked up a fox yet this season! I finally opened my Foxy Friends set and made a sweet gray fox who looks rather friendly.  Not sure about this guy though who crossed our road at camp the other day..........but he sure is beautiful!

I love Rita's sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Hope you

play along!  I used A Little Foxy DSP, Foxy Friends and Hand Lettered Hello by Wplus9 on my card.

Thank You for Everything.......PP316

Nothing prettier than October up north!  The leaves are glorious these days and inspired my card. I stamped images from Vintage Leaves to make my panel then added a sentiment from One Big Meaning.

Sandy has a wonderful fall color combination for us this week at the Paper Players!

I used the great sketch from Cas(e) this Sketch this week.

Flashy Colors.....Fusion

It was definitely the wonderful colors of those chairs that drew me in this week at Fusion! I did follow the sketch but tried to incorporate as many of those amazing shades as I could.  And speaking of amazing......look who came strolling down our street yesterday morning in the early morning fog! I always did love that show Northern Exposure!

I used the sets Pun Intended and Kinda Eclectic, Playful Palette DSP and shades of Marina Mist, Peekaboo Peach, Sweet Sugarplum, Mint Macaron and Daffodil Delight.  Hope you play along!

Warm Thoughts.....FMS257

This will be the perfect card to send to any one of my friends here about mid-January when the temperatures are below freezing!  Warm thoughts are nice but in reality a cozy quilt and a fire in the fireplace help me through those winter days.  But then again a nice warm breakfast in bed's not bad either!

Oh that amazing Jen Mitchell designed a great sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches! I watercolored a background before stamping images fromTotally Trees and a sentiment from Sentiment Sampler by Paper Smooches.

Stamp Review Crew: Jar of Haunts

Jar of Haunts is such a fun set for Halloween!  Backed by Halloween Night DSP and a lid that coordinates from Jar of Love it makes a delightfully creepy scene!  These spiders seem to have a taste for Candy Corn!

And one of these critters has a taste for vanilla cupcakes.  Yep it's the guilty looking pup on the left!

My son and his girlfriend got engaged on their recent trip out west so Erin and I put together a small congratulations surprise since they were stopping to pick up the dogs on their way home.....close to midnight!  I frosted cupcakes, left them on the kitchen table and headed to the couch for a "power nap" about 4:30.  The Big Guy came in around five and said "What is Corduroy batting around under the coffee table?"  Oh it was a cupcake!  I ran into the kitchen and five were missing from the tray......not a crumb in sight!  He ate every bit of them......including the paper.....and then decided to bring one in to show me....such a good boy!

I am sure you saw something fabulous at Valerie's blog.  Now head on over to Wendy's to see something wickedly wonderful!

                                                              

                                                              

I based my design on this great sketch from Fab Friday!

Halloween Smiles.....PP315

October has arrived along with pumpkins, mums and thoughts of Halloween!  Someone I know is excited already!

I kept my card light and fun for Claire's Halloween challenge this week at the Paper Players!  Hope you join us!

I loved the simple sketch this week at Cas(e) this Sketch!

Stamp Sets:  Gorgeous Grunge, Spooky Fun, Holiday Home, Hardwood

Die Cuts:  Halloween Scenes, Wonky Stitches, Pretty Pines