Hello Autumn, Thank You Very Much.

There is just something about fall that inspires me to get crafty, and not just in a scrapbooking-kind-of-way. Fall makes me wish I was a much better seamstress and I could whip out quilts in a blink of an eye, but regardless, I do enjoy all kinds of fun endeavors this time of year. Autumn is also a big card making time of year, and not just because World Card Making Day is on October 6th. I have already started my Christmas cards, and my nine-year old little girl and I made Halloween cards last weekend, and had an absolute blast doing it!

Today, I am going to share a card not inspired by a pumpkin or a ghoul, but rather, based on using the color combinations of orange, dark blue, and dark green. This color combination made me think of Autumn in North Carolina and the sun...and this is what I came up with....something fun, and sunny, and happy, because that is how I feel right now, and that is how my hometown seems to me.

And here is my card:

This was  a fairly straightforward card and a lot of fun to make. I used orange cardstock as the base card and cut a small white square that was slightly smaller than my card to put on top. The card is a standard A2 card (or 5 1/2 inches by 4 1/4 inches) and the white square was cut  5 1/4 inches by 4 inches. I then used a section of blue patterned paper for the top and green patterned paper for the bottom. The top was adhered first, followed by the bottom green paper second (after I cut the top of it in a haphazard fashion in an effort to make it look more like grass.) I then added a punched circle in orange and bands of orange and yellow rays, using yellow and orange patterned paper. Next, I added some enamel dots to the end of the sun's rays for some more added whimsy. The sun is a veneer circle that I affixed on top of the cut out circle using Diamond Glaze. I also filed in the circle with a layer of Diamond Glaze on top to make it look kind of shiny and like epoxy, but it is just glue I swear. The last things I did were to add a wood veneer bird to the bottom of my card and the white paper sentiment that I had already stamped and cut out. I adhered "Thank you Very Much" using pop dots to give the card some added dimension.

Products Used

• Orange and white cardstock by Bazzill
• Blue, Green, Orange, and Yellow patterned paper are from Bella Blvd's Fall 2012 Thankful collection.
• Wood veneer tweet and circle by Studio Calico
• Thank you Very Much stamp by Studio Calico 
• My Minds Eye enamel dots in an exclusive color, sold by Studio Calico

Are any of you making anything lately that is Autumn inspired? Or perhaps weather inspired? Anyone else already working on their Christmas cards or Halloween cards (I might be the only one that makes cards for that holiday, LOL.) What about quilting, any quilt makers out there? Oh how I wish I could sew that well. I would love to hear from you.

Happy Monday!

Toni

Wordless(ish) Wednesday

Park near our home...great for daily walks, LOVE the oak trees!

*43 for Jonathan challenge for October-currently at 4.5 miles

http://www.dailymile.com/challenges/6111-43-miles-for-jonathan

October, currently.

Packing a bag to take to Archiver's to scrapbook today while the kids are in school.
Pleading with my daughter into letting me french braid her hair today.
Folding laundry that is piled up on the couch.
Organizing my desk.
Contemplating how sweet Elliot is when he says goodbye to me at least five times every morning.
Making way too many lists.
Thankfully, marking some items off my lists.
Drinking coffee= Heavenly.
Planning to make pumpkin pancakes for dinner tonight.
Feeling so blessed and happy
Sorting paper into recycling.
Picking up items in the family room
Loving my washi tape.
Using lots of Studio Calico masks on projects lately.
Being. Just being. Present.
Witnessing my dogs interacting with one another, always a comedy show around here.
Reading a book about design principles I picked up.
Enjoying spending fall evenings on the couch with my husband.
Missing my parents and best friend back in Washington State.
Waiting to hear back from someone.
Looking at a Halloween drawing made by my daughter.
Thinking I need to go for a long walk once I take Isabelle to the bus.

Wordless(ish) Wednesday

Glasses, Jenga, and a dog, life does not get much better.

October Goals

This past week was super busy, LIFE, and all of that. Not as much creative time as I had hoped for, but I did some work in Project Life and I worked quite a bit on my Summer 2012 mini album, but I will not share until I am a little further along.

I am just loving Elisa Blaha Cripe's blog...such as source of inspiration and entrepreneurship...just love her...I am now going to be doing a monthly goal list at the beginning of the month inspired by her goal list. http://eliseblaha.typepad.com/golden/2012/10/october-goals.html.

For the month of October 2012 I choose to:

1. Get caught up with Project Life-for the first time ever I am not caught up, what can I say, LIFE got in the way. I have to finish the complete month of September, but I WILL get caught up this month, some weeks the layouts might be super simple:  That is what I love about this project, it can be simple or complex, whatever you want/ need it to be.
2. I will walk/ run/ bike ride/ skip 43 miles. Why that exact number? I was super motivated by Becky Higgins challenge in honor of her recently deceased brother Jonathan who would have turned 43 this month. You can read all about that at the link below and please join me, but basically you just log any activity, with the goal of reaching 43 miles the month of October. I will share my progress throughout the month.  http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2012/09/a-challenge-to-move-in-october/.
3. I will finally go through the last six boxes of random things in the Master Bedroom...we moved over 15 months ago, and there are still some things that I have not decided what to do with, I can probably part with approximately 1/ 2 of it.
4. Post and sell to Craigslist, my increasing pile of finds that we no longer need...then I can actually use the back door (the large pile is currently stacked in front of it.) Does anyone else get super excited every time they get rid of something? I swear it is just as exciting as getting new craft items, well maybe not quite that exciting. ;-)
5. To go camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina
6. Get better about taking daily photographs.
7. To sew Isabelle's new Brownie uniform.
8. Document Fall-North Carolina has the most gorgeous Autumn season, I am hoping my I-Phone 4s will do it justice.

What goals do you have? Any monthly goals you are working on? Anyone willing to join me for the October fitness challenge? What about getting rid of not needed items-do you sell? Donate? Combination of both? Anyone else love getting rid of stuff and squeal in delight (and sometimes out loud) when they drop-off items at the Goodwill? I want to hear, let's commiserate together.

Wordless(ish) Wednesday

Hard to say who has more personality right now...the almost nine year old or the dog...LOL

Happy Wednesday!

Toni

Layout Share: "This Way to Grade Seven"

Elliot is already in 7th grade, how does that happen? How can he almost (gasp) be a teenager. Starting his second year of Middle School, so much more confidant than last year. So much more sure of himself. So much taller. Such a great student and friend. I could not be any prouder of my first born, who still kisses and hugs me in front of people. I just love this kid.

Here is my layout:

Products Used: 

• Studio Calico September Main Kit (Central High)
• Studio Calico Monroe Mistable Thickers
• Studio Calico printable files for Central High (September kit)
• Mister Huey in Bookworm and Honor Society
• October Afternoon Cakewalk Washi Tape
• Trendy Tape Filmstrip Washi
• Ink-Hero Arts Shadow Ink in Red Royal, Orange Soda, and Butter Bar. Hero Hues Dye Ink in Ocean, and Memento Dye Ink in Pear Tart.
• Fiskars paper punch
• Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher

What have you guys been up to this past week? Any fun creative projects you would like to share? Do you use kits to scrapbook and if so what are your favorites? What do you like to add to kits, or do you just stick to the kit? I would love to hear any and all news.

Happy Monday!

Toni