I love Fall!

One of the things I missed when I lived in Texas was the changing of the seasons.  The season I missed the most was FALL.  I love the fall colors when the trees start changing and the crisp, cool air.  We have had our A/C off for about a week now with the windows open and it is great!  It is driving Bogart crazy but that's ok - he's kinda crazy anyway!!  When we were on our trip last week, I think we were just a tad early to see much fall foliage but we did see a bit.  My favorite was this tree that I snapped as we drove through the Pittsburgh country side.

Aren't the mix of colors gorgeous?

This picture below was taken from the front seat of the truck showing the trees lining the road- not too bad.

We took a tour of Heinz Field - where the Steelers and the Pitt Panthers play football.  This picture shows some beautiful trees in the players parking lot.

The foliage is just starting at the top of these trees.  This is a view from the stadium of one of the many bridges across one of the rivers (Monongahela, Ohio or Allegheny???)  It was a drizzly, foggy morning.

Tomorrow is Stamp Club and we will be doing several cards and projects.  Keeping on the same topic as fall, here is one of the cards we will be making:

I used Cajun Craze and Very Vanilla card stock and the News Print DSP.  I stamped on the DSP using Gorgeous Grunge and the acorns from For All Things with Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze and Soft Suede inks.  The leaves were made with a retired die from Stampin' Up.  After die cutting them in Cherry Cobbler, Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry and Tangelo Tango, I spritzed them with water, wadded them up and then smoothed them out and dried them with the Heat Gun.  I used one of the Autumn Wooden Elements (Holiday Catalog) that I sponged with Soft Suede.  The sentiment is from For All Things and the ribbon is Tangelo Tango.

Packed and Ready to Go!

I have been busy packing my supplies for Quarterly.  Marianne is coming over when she gets off work and we will be heading to Newton for the NC Demos Quarterly.  We always have so much fun!!  We will be super busy tonight doing our Shoebox Cards.  We have about 30 to do!  Wonder how long we will be working on those!  Since Newton is close, we will come back to my house tonight and travel back to Newton in the morning (bright and early).

Sammie thinks if she gets in my bag, she can go too (and get some peace and quiet away from Bogart!)

Instead of doing a card for my Shoebox, I decided to do one of the Tag A Bags.  I was going to buy a notepad to go in each one but with doing 30, even if they were $1 each, that would be $30 so they can furnish their own notepad!!

I used the Bigzz Flower Die, the clothespins on page 208, doilies, ribbon and two stamp sets - For All Things and Four Feathers.

Tomorrow we will be doing several projects, swaps and have a few card contests.  Here is my swap card:

I used the For All Things stamp again and stamped the leaves in Coastal Cabana, Pistachio and Cantalope.  I used the Wooden Leaves that are in the Holiday Catalog.

For All Things

Sorry for the lack of posts.  Ashley arrived on Friday a.m. and it has been non-stop since!!  When we picked her up at the airport, we headed over to The Original Pancake House in Charlotte for breakfast and then a quick stop at the Peach Stand in Denver on the way home for a box of peaches - yum!!  After dropping her stuff - and her cat, Bogart - at home, she and I drove into town to Kohl's for her to get a Ninja Blender and to Target.  When we got back home, we packed up and went out on the boat until dark.  Saturday morning she and I left the house at 8:30 a.m. to go to a Stamping Extravaganza at Allison's house.  It was great and we left with 20 cards and 4 projects.  When we finished our stamping, we stopped off at Stein Mart to check out the Labor Day specials before meeting Sonny at the Galway Hooker for dinner.  Sunday morning, again we set out early to attend church in Charlotte at Myers Park Methodist Church.  That is where Sonny and I were married 41 years ago and I haven't been in that church since.  I thought Ashley would like seeing that beautiful church.  When we left there, we headed over to Old Meck Brewery for lunch a few brews.  It is a neat place off South Boulevard in Charlotte and has a biergarten outside.  It was too hot to sit out there but I bet Sonny and I will return in the fall.  We took a tour of the brewery that was fun too.  After a couple of hours there, we drove over to the NoDa Brewery.  It was really crowded and did not have near the atmosphere of Old Meck.  We also went to another brewery right next door but basically walked in and walked out it was so crowded!  Then back to Old Meck hoping to meet up with Margaret and Graham who are in town visiting their daughter and the new baby.  Unfortunately, they were running late and we could not wait for them.  We had to meet my family at 6 in Concord for dinner.  We had a nice visit with my brother and his family and Mom and my sister before heading for home - exhausted!!!  This morning, it was nice to not have anything scheduled.  Ashley and I stamped a few cards and now we are getting ready to go out on the boat to RELAX!!  I need it!  Tomorrow we have lunch plans with my mom and we are getting messages in the afternoon.  We are hoping to also get together with Margaret and Graham before leaving on Wednesday a.m. for D.C.

I don't think I have shared this card.  I got this single stamp as a Convention give-away.  The "dots" are a technique I learned at convention.  Scribble a Blendability pen onto the (non-stick) Silicon Mat and drop Crystal Effects on top of it.  Let it dry and you have colored dots.

I will be in Washington D.C. until next Monday so I am not so sure about posting to my blog.

For All Things with a Technique

Well, I guess you know what I was doing today (besides cleaning bathrooms - ugh!)  I decided I needed a new blog header and since it is approaching fall, decided on a fall theme.  Although the weather is not quite fall-like yet!  Just heard the weather forecast and it is to be in the 90s for the next few days with a few afternoon thundershowers thrown in.  That will make Ashley happy.  Last week when we were having wonderful lower temps, she was hoping by the time she arrived, we would be hot again.  Well, it will be so she will be happy.  Although you would think someone coming here from Texas where it's over 100 every day, would be hoping for the cooler weather.  Not my girl - she thrives on the heat!

I did have time today to work on my final shoebox card for this weekend.  I can't share it with you until next week but I do have a fall card to share.  I bought the For All Things stamp set at convention.  I love the watercolor look to the stamps.  I think fall is my favorite time of the year - maybe because my birthday is in the fall (although I don't think I am going to have any more birthdays unless I can count backwards!)

I used a technique that we learned at convention on this card.  I tapped my Soft Suede ink pad all over the raised portion of the Honeycomb Embossing Folder.  Next I put my Very Vanilla card stock inside the folder and closed it.  Then just using my hand, I rubbed over the folder, transferring the ink to my card. Make sure to use caution closing and opening the folder so you do not smear the ink.  It makes a faint pattern - some areas darker than others.

I stamped everything directly on the card using Soft Suede, Tangelo Twist, Hello Honey and Soft Suede.  I scattered a few sequins on (using glue dots) and tied a Mellow Moss ribbon.

To see other cards using thiis technique, check out the Stampin' Up Blog HERE.