Touches of Texture for Fall

We are getting some much needed rain here today.  I love to hear the rain coming down on the roof at night.  I'm headed to a luncheon and tour of Daveste Winery so I do hope the rain lets up by lunch time!  Plus, Sonny plans on playing golf today with a friend.  He tells me thought that it never rains on the golf course!  He may be right.  He had a tee time yesterday with another friend and his friend canceled.  Sonny went by himself and played - with no rain to stop him.  His buddy just missed out.

The limited time stamp, Thoughtful Branches Bundle, is still available while supplies last.  If you are interested in this bundle, check it out HERE.  Once the inventory is depleted, it will no longer be available.

Another attempt at a fall card was to use Touches of Texture.  This is a great stamp set for backgrounds, two step stamping, and flowers.  I stamped the flower in Early Espresso and then filled them in with Delightful Dijon, Pumpkin Pie, and Cajun Craze.  I stamped the "filler" part of the flower twice turning it just a bit each time.  It's hard to tell but I put Wink of Stella on the dragonfly and the center of the flowers.  Again another hidden element on this card is that I used the background stamp, Watercolor Wash in Crumb Cake on the background along with the splatter stamp from Touches of Texture (stamped in Cajun Craze.)  The Watercolor Wash is pretty subtle but just adds a little background color to the Vanilla card.

Fall Leaves

This post was written for the NC Blog Hop for this month.  But the gal in charge did not get my link to join so I won't be participating in the hop.  But I've already made the projects so I will be sharing them with you.

I am ready for fall!  Leaves are starting to fall off our trees but it is still in the 80s here so not sweater weather yet!   I even made a new blog header for fall - how do you like it??

This card was an experiment.  I'm not so sure about it and would like to hear your responses.  I used the Pretty Petals embossing folder and inked it up (the side that has Sizzix on it and the background is raised).  Next I put a piece of card stock inside and ran it through the Big Shot.  (I should have run the Embossing Buddy over the card first.)  Next I sprinkled Copper Embossing Powder over the whole piece. Some of it stuck to the petals where I didn't want it so I used a dry paint brush to clean them off (this is where the emb. buddy may have helped.)  After using the Heat Gun on the piece, I used my daubers and rubbed Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie over the petals.  I cut out some leaves with the Leaflets Framelits - one in Razzleberry and 2 in white that I sponged with ink.  The next step was to run the leaves through the crimper and attach them to the card.  I die cut "hope" from Sunshine Sayings and adhered it to the large leaf.

 I forgot to share that I reached my Weight Watcher goal the week after I returned from Hawaii!  So happy.  But I am having a hard time maintaining!!  Especially since it is football season and we go to a local bar to watch the game and I usually have a couple of beers.  It is hard to find any healthy food on the bar menu - everything seems to be fried!! 

Stamp Club for September

No rest for the weary!  After Quarterly (and football Sunday), I had to get myself in gear to prep for my Stamp Club this week.  I had several new ladies join us and I hope they decide to join our group in the future.  Here are the cards we made this month:

Using Botanical Blooms and Sunshine Wishes thinlits.

•  Use Botanical Blooms leaf thinlit to cut out leaf on Sahara Sand CS.
• Stamp leaf on scrap of white (or you can line it up and stamp directly on the Mint Macaron card) with Wild Wasabi.  Stamp veins of leaf w/Always Artichoke.
• Stamp fern all over Mint Macaron card using Mint Mac. Ink 
•  Line up leaf behind the cut out and adhere to card.
• Adhere piece of Washi Tape to bottom of Sahara Sand.
•  Cut “hope” out using Sunshine Wishes Thinlits.  Adhere to middle of Sahara Sand piece.
•  Stamp “sending / & hugs” to Sahara Sand piece
• Adhere Sahara Sand cs to card with dimensionals.
• Tie ribbon or Bakers Twine into bow & adhere with Glue Dots.

• Rub Embossing Buddy all over Very Vanilla card stock.
• Stamp Floral with Versamark; pour embossing powder (copper or gold) on it & heat w/Heat Gun.
• Use Blender Pens to color flowers & leaves. (I used Flirty Flamingo on one and Sweet Sugarplum on the other)
• Stamp sentiment (leave room for ribbon)
• Adhere ribbon around Very Vanilla piece.
• Put layers together.
• Tie copper or gold bow beneath the flower stem.

This one was super easy!  Use the Aqua Brush and paint stripes onto watercolor paper.  I used Sweet Sugarplum, Daffodil Delight, Emerald Envy, Dapper Denim and Watermelon.  When the color dries, stamp the sentiment using black ink.  Adhere to your choice of colored card stock.

• Die cut large circle from Framelits
• Lightly stamp Texture Stamp onto white circle &
• Stamp floral stamp onto white circle – leaving top flower cut off.
• Stamp & cut out the top flower & adhere to card making it go off the edge.
• Use Blender Pens and color flowers & leaves with ink that is in the top of the stamp pad lid. 
•  Adhere Circle to card with dimensionals.
• Stamp sentiment onto scrap and “flag” the end.
• Adhere Washi Tape onto scrap of white cardstock & adhere with dimensionals below the flower.
• Tie bow & adhere with Glue Dots.

Note Card Swap at Quarterly

Another Quarterly meeting for the NC SU Demos is in the books and I think it was a success!  Marianne, Debbie and I met at the Wingate Hotel about noon on Friday and after making numerous trips back and forth from our car to the meeting room, we got everything set up and arranged the way we wanted it.  We were surprised that we were done by 2:00!!  The room was just perfect for our needs.  We ended up with 33 people so we weren't too crowded and were able to leave a large table in the center of the room where we based our demonstrations from.  There was a large closet in the room so we could store our excess in it and pull them out as needed.  After setting up, we headed over to Joe Fish to relax for a bit and have lunch before the crowd started coming.  And then the fun began!  We got everyone signed in and gave out goodie bags and started working on our shoebox cards.  We headed to bed a little after midnight, leaving a few still working on their projects.  Saturday was filled with more fun projects.  I started out the morning with a box card which everyone seemed to enjoy.  Here are a few samples that I had made to show everyone.  The ones that everyone made were kept simple.  The idea was to get the basic idea of how to make the box card and then your imagination can take over when you get home.

If you would like to make a Box Card, let me know and I will email the instructions to you.

One of the swaps that we did on Saturday was a Note Card Swap.  We only had 14 participants but I think it was a great swap!  Now I have several Christmas presents ready to go!!  Here is one of mine:

When it opens, there are two clear pockets on either side to slide the note cards in.  I used the clear envelopes and cut one side open to slide the cards and envelopes in.
 

Clearance!

 

I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that the Stampin' UP! Clearance Rack and Special Offers have been updated.  You are sure to find something you need on sale.  Check it out HERE.  And please make sure you are shopping with me and that you add in the Hostess Code AGVSDKCG.


I got some great news yesterday!  When I was in Hawaii, I went to a Weight Watchers meeting every week.  I wanted to make sure I was accountable while I was on vacation.  It was ok if I didn't lose weight (which I didn't figure I would!) but I didn't want to gain too much either.  As it turned out, I gained a little the first week; lost a little the second and third week and ended up coming home the same weight as I left which was great.  Last night was my first Weight Watchers meeting since I got home and I had lost a couple of pounds, getting me to my GOAL weight!!  I am so happy.  Now I just have to maintain.  I think I have learned a new way of eating in these past few months.  The only problem is going to be on Football Sundays when we go to a bar and have fried stuff and beer.  

These are Banyan Trees

The path to the beach

This is the Kailua Bird Man.  The birds just flocked to him as he walked down the beach.  He has names for all the birds and just walks out into the ocean with about a dozen birds on his shoulders, arms, head, etc.  It was fascinating!   You can read more about him HERE.

Waikiki Beach