The 12 Kits of Occasions--October 2013

Autumn Blessings card

Hello!  It's time another edition of The 12 Kits of Occasions.  You can read all about the 12 Kits on the group blog if you haven't already.

Our hostess this month is Kara, and she sent us a fantastic kit full of Autumn and Thanksgiving themed supplies.  Here's a peek at the goodies:

As always, you can check out the full supply list at The 12 Kits of Occasions blog.

It's been a rough month at my house, but I managed to sneak in some time to make two cards and a set of 4 place cards.  There are plenty of supplies to play with later, and I will look forward to CASEing the rest of the girls with what's left.

Blessed card

Autumn leaf place cards

Sorry to post and run, friends, but I still need to prep for my class tomorrow and get through a pile of grading!

I hope you're having a great week.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge--Gorgeous Gourds

Hello there, friends!  Are you ready for another Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge?  We have another wonderful sponsor and a lovely photo to inspire you.  First the photo:

Now the sponsor:  Paper Sweeties makes some of the most darling stamps as well as a beautiful selection of hand-dyed seam binding.  Paper Sweeties owner/designer, Debbie Marcinkiewicz, was kind enough to provide the Curtain Call Crew with digital images or a discount at the Paper Sweeties store, and she is generously offering a $20 gift certificate to the LEAD in this week's challenge.  Thank you, Debbie!

For my card, I chose to work with digital images from Sweeties Wagon.  (Note:  Paper Sweeties does not offer digital images in the store, only high quality clear stamps).

I was really drawn to those beautiful blue pumpkins, but I also pulled the yellow and chocolate brown colors from the striped pillow in the background.  I repeatedly "stamped" the digital image of the two pumpkins across the card front and colored them with Copics (you could easily use masking with the clear stamps to create the same effect).

I used a strip of woodgrain paper I've been hoarding forever from my friend Suzanne, then added some solid cream twine and a button.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream)

Patterned paper:  A Muse Studio (woodgrain)

Stamps:  Paper Sweeties (Sweeties Wagon)

Ink:  Copic markers

Tool:  corner rounder

Other:  The Twinery (Natural Solid twine), button

How will those gorgeous gourds inspire you this week?  I can't wait to see!  Stop by to check out the rest of the Crew's creations and link up your entry for a chance to win some Paper Sweeties stamps of your own.

Thanks for visiting!

Cloud9 October Blog Hop

Happy Tuesday, friends!  It's time for the Cloud9 Blog Hop!

Here is the inspiration photo for this month's hop.  You can link up your creation at the Cloud9 Blog anytime before 10 AM EST on October 12 for a chance to win a gift certificate to WPlus9 Design Studio or a spot as a Guest Designer for next month's hop!

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I actually dusted off my Silhouette Cameo to cut a door for my card, inking the edges a bit and adding a bronze brad for a doorknob.

I used four different WPlus9 stamp sets:  the pumpkins and leaf from Season of Thanks, the bird from Woodgrain Silhouettes Additions, the "Halloween" from A Pocketful: Halloween, and the "happy" from A Pocketful.

I wanted to decorate my pumpkins like the ones in the inspiration photo, so I "kissed" the inked stamps with polka dots and chevrons to add a pattern to each.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Kraft), WPlus9 Design Studio (White)

Stamps:  WPlus9 Design Studio (Season of Thanks, Woodgrain Silhouettes Additions, A Pocketful:  Halloween, A Pocketful), Lawn Fawn (Chevron Backdrops), Papertrey Ink (Background Basics:  Polka Dots)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Tangerine Tango, Peach Parfait), Memento (Tuxedo Black), Papertrey Ink (Chamomile Tea Dye)

Tools:  Silhouette Online Store (Card Christmas Door cut file)

Other:  ribbon, brad

I hope you'll join us this month and link up your creation for a chance to win!  Stop by the Cloud9 Blog for more inspiration from the rest of the team and to view the gallery.

CAS-ual Fridays #71--Fall Fun

Hi there, friends!  It's still a little quiet here on the blog, but did you notice my new look?  Many thanks to my sweet and talented friend, Karen Baker, for giving my blog a facelift.  She's an incredibly sweet and talented crafter and designer, in case you didn't already know.  *wink*

Soooo, time for a new CAS-ual Fridays challenge!  I didn't think I'd be able to get a card done for this week since my craft room is still being painted and my supplies are all over the house.  Luckily I had a card that I made a while back that I hadn't posted yet, and it fits perfectly with this week's theme, Fall Fun.

We're sponsored this week by Great Impressions Stamps, and they are offering up a gift certificate to our winner.  Thank you, Great Impressions!

I used the scarecrow and pumpkin from Paper Smooches' Autumn Groves, adding color with my Prisma pencils and stitched hills for a clean and simple landscape.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Rustic Cream), Stampin' Up! (Early Espresso)

Stamps:  Paper Smooches (Autumn Groves, Metropolis)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Early Espresso)

Tools:  We R Memory Keepers (Corner Chomper)

Accessories:  Queen & Co. (rhinestones), thread

Coloring medium:  Prismacolor Premier pencils

We're pumpkin picking this weekend to welcome the cooler weather and official start of Autumn.  What do you have planned?

Stop by the CAS-ual Fridays blog for more Fall inspiration and to link up your clean and simple creation!

Thanks for stopping by!

Something special to share--and a giveaway!

To see my CAS-ual Fridays post, please scroll down or click HERE!

Hello friends!  I have some exciting news and two fun cards to share today.  Paper Smooches just released their newest set called "Autumn Groves" on August 15th, and I am here today to help promote this sweet set!  This is the tenth stamp set from their "Kismet collection".  You can find the new stamp set HERE.

I have one "Autumn Groves" stamp set to give away to one lucky person!  You have until midnight EST on August 19th to leave a comment on this post.  I will announce the winner here on Monday, August 20th.

For more chances to win, please visit:

Paper Smooches Blog

JJ Bolton 

I was smitten with this set from the moment I saw it!  I love the Fall, and the Autumn Groves set has captured everything I love about this season in Paper Smooches style!  

I knew that I wanted to work with the birch trees in this set first, so I created a sunset scene to highlight them.  I lined up strips of red, orange, and yellow cardstock and added texture with an impression plate, then popped up the birch trees and bird with foam dots.

I die cut a window in a panel of dark brown cardstock, heat embossed the sentiment in white, and rounded the corners before adhering it to the card base.

These trees were super easy to cut out.  They'd look great in so many scenes with other Paper Smooches characters, don't you think?

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Early Espresso, Riding Hood Red, Peach Parfait, So Saffron), WPlus9 Design Studio (White)

Stamps:  Paper Smooches (Autumn Groves)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Early Espresso), Tsukineko (Versamark)

Tools:  Spellbinders (square die), Papertrey Ink (circle impression plate), corner rounder

Accessories:  Filigree (embossing powder)

I have one more card to share today, but there will be more in the near future!  I couldn't stop playing with this set.  :)

This simple card features the pumpkin from Autumn Groves, which I masked and stamped three times to make a little tower.  I added the falling leaf, then colored the images with my Prisma pencils.  I gave the strip some texture with an impression plate before adhering it to a red card base with foam dots.

I used the "Welcome Autumn" sentiment again on this card, because it is just so perfect.

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Cherry Cobbler), Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream)

Stamps:  Paper Smooches (Autumn Groves)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Early Espresso)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Linen & Canvas impression plate)

Coloring medium:  Prismacolor Premier pencils

Many thanks to Kim for inviting me to showcase this fantastic set today!  You will be seeing a lot more of it in the coming weeks.

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win the Autumn Groves set!  I appreciate your visit today and hope you'll come back soon.  :)

Happy Friday!

ColourQ #111

Hello!  It's time for a new ColourQ challenge, and this week's palette was just what I needed to get another card whipped up for Thanksgiving.  Check it out:

I wound up adding just a touch of dark brown for the frame and sentiment, too.

I first tried stamping PTI's Houndstooth pattern directly onto the white card base, but it was looking a little too busy for what I had in mind, so I stamped the pattern in Versamark onto Pear Pizzazz and Rich Razzleberry cardstock strips and adhered them to the card.

I had a scrap piece of kraft cardstock that was embossed with woodgrain, so I used it to die cut a frame with PTI's Mat Stack 4 and Fillable Frames #10.  I cut a piece of white cardstock with the same Mat Stack and stamped the frame and a sentiment from 2009 Autumn Tags.

To embellish the frame, I simply inked up the two pumpkins from WPlus9's Season of Thanks using Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink and a Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write marker, then cut them out by hand.

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Rich Razzleberry, Pear Pizzazz), Papertrey Ink (Kraft, white)

Stamps:  Papertrey Ink (Fillable Frames #10, 2009 Autumn Tags, Background Basics:  Houndstooth), WPlus9 (Season of Thanks)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Chocolate Chip), Ranger (Spiced Marmalade), Versamark

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Mat Stack 4, Fillable Frames #10 dies, Woodgrain impression plate)

I need to finish up my Thanksgiving cards to get them in the mail by the end of the week, so I'll definitely be looking to your creations using this week's challenge colors for inspiration!

I'm planning a special week-long event to celebrate Thanksgiving here on my blog starting this Thursday, so I hope you'll stop by.

Have a great day, friends!

Make it Monday #40

Hey, friends!  Just a quick post to share a card for this week's Make it Monday with Papertrey Ink.  The challenge is to use reverse applique, and I couldn't resist giving it a try.

This card started with a Dark Chocolate card base, in which I die cut a window with Mat Stack 5.  Behind that is a piece of Rustic Cream cardstock debossed with woodgrain and die cut with a maple leaf to create another "window".  I added a piece of Terracotta Tile felt as the bottom layer to give the leaf a soft texture.

For the reverse applique, I stitched around the leaf with brown thread and around the Mat Stack with cream thread.

To finish the design, I stamped a sentiment from WPlus9's Season of Thanks onto a double ended banner and added some Terracotta button accents.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink:  Dark Chocolate, Rustic Cream

Stamps:  WPlus9 Design Studio (Season of Thanks)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Chocolate Chip)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Mat Stack 5, Double Ended Banner die, Leaf die, Woodgrain impression plate)

Accessories:  Papertrey Ink (felt, buttons), DMC floss, thread

Thanks for stopping by tonight!  Have a great one!

ColourQ #110 & Card Patterns #140

Hello, strangers!  It's so good to be back with a card to share, even if I did struggle to get back in the swing of things.  Since our power outage last week, I hadn't even walked into my craft space until last night.  Thank goodness the ColourQ has some wonderful fall colors to work with this week!  I love the look of traditional fall colors with a bit of cool blue thrown in, so this palette is just perfect.  I hope you'll play along this week!

To jump-start my mojo, I turned to the current sketch at Card Patterns.  It's been far too long since I played along with one of their challenges.

This was the first chance I've had to ink up a new-to-me set from WPlus9, Season of Thanks.  I used Spellbinders' Labels 8 with PTI's Terracotta Tile cardstock, then stamped and heat embossed one of the large images from Season of Thanks.  I added the Peach Parfait circle behind it and a double-ended banner tucked in next to the sentiment.  The little stamped leaves are included in the Season of Thanks set, and the line borders are from PTI's Faux Ribbon.

The Pool Party panel is debossed with PTI's Woodgrain impression plate and stitched to the Soft Suede borders.  Some Cappuccino twine from The Twinery "ties" it all together.  Hee.

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Pool Party, Peach Parfait, Soft Suede), Papertrey Ink (Terracotta Tile, white)

Stamps:  WPlus9 Design Studio (Season of Thanks), Papertrey Ink (Faux Ribbon)

Ink:  Versamark, Clearsnap (Terracotta)

Tools:  Spellbinders (circle die, Labels 8 die), Papertrey Ink (Woodgrain impression plate, double ended banner die), Fiskars (border punch)

Accessories:  The Twinery (Cappuccino twine), Filigree embossing powder, thread

I'm hoping to get back on track this week with stamping, as I have plans to send out a pile of Thanksgiving cards this year.  I told my hubby that I think Thanksgiving is like the middle child of holidays.  First comes Halloween, the fun and slightly rebellious one, and last is Christmas, which is secretly (or maybe not so secretly) everyone's favorite.  Poor Thanksgiving, living in the shadow of all those holiday store displays.  I can say all of this because I'm a middle child myself, of course.  *wink*  Anyway, you'll probably be seeing several more cards expressing thanks and gratitude over the next couple of weeks.

Thank you all for your patience during my absence from blog-land!  I hope you'll take some time to play along with the ColourQ palette this week, friends.  Have a great day!

Papertrey Ink October Blog Hop

Hey folks!  I'm a little late to the party, but I made it!  Today is the monthly Papertrey Ink Blog Hop, and this time Nichole supplied us with another fun inspiration photo.  

Aren't those fabric pumpkins beautiful?  I had a few false starts with this card, but I finally settled on replicating the striped pattern on the front panel of the largest pumpkin, the colors, and the leaves.

On a Rustic White cardstock panel, I adhered strips of Fine Linen and Orange Zest.  Then I stamped some faux zig-zag stitching between the stripes.  The whole panel is debossed with the Linen & Canvas IP.

The tag and sentiment are from 2009 Autumn Tags and the leaves were die cut and stamped using the Delightful Dahlia set.  It's hard to see it, but the Ripe Avocado card base is debossed with the Polka Dot IP, as well.

All supplies from Papertrey Ink unless noted

Cardstock:  Ripe Avocado, Orange Zest, Fine Linen, Dark Chocolate, Rustic White

Stamps:  2009 Autumn Tags, Delightful Dahlia, Patterned Borders (TPC Studio)

Ink:  Ripe Avocado, Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up! ), Spiced Marmalade (Ranger)

Tools:  Dahlia leaf dies, Limitless Layers, Linen & Canvas IP, Polka Dot Basics IP, hole punch (Fiskars)

Accessories:  buttons, twine (Pebbles, Inc.)

Sorry to post and run, but I have a heap of grading to do!  I'll be back to see the rest of the entries soon. Have a great night, friends!