Butterflies!--tgifc308

There is an inspiration challenge this week over at TGIF Challenges.   I pulled the watercolor background from the inspiration piece and used butterflies instead of flowers on my card:

The watercolor background is Pool Party on Shimmery White card stock, speckled with a bit of Smoky Slate ink.  The two large butterflies (from Butterfly Brilliance stamp set, #155092) were stamped in Smoky Slate on Purple Posy card stock, then die cut using the coordinating Brilliant Wings dies.  The vellum card stock butterfly layers and the three small Purple Posy butterflies were also die cut using these dies.  The small butterflies were topped with Basic Pearl Jewels (#144219).

The foliage was die cut out of Soft Sea Foam, Old Olive and Pool Party card stock using the Forever Flourishing dies (#152714) and the Dandy Wishes dies (#154315). 

The greeting is from the Very Versailles stamp set (#149275).  It was stamped in Smoky Slate onto Shimmery White card stock and die cut using a Stitched Nested Labels die (#149638).  A bow tied with Pool Party Sheer ribbon (#152466) and a Pool Party card base complete the card.

See some lovely projects using this inspiration over at the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Harvest Blessings--#tgifc289

This week's color challenge from TGIF Challenges is Garden Green, Merry Merlot, and Crushed Curry. Those colors remind me of Autumn and Christmas at the same time.  It was hard to decide which way to go.  Then I spent some time clomping through fallen leaves with Roxie.  Falling leaves it is!

My background was created on Fluid 100 watercolor paper (#149612).  I misted the entire piece with water, then dropped in Garden Green and Crushed Curry inks using a Water Painter (#151298).  Once this background was dry, I splattered Merry Merlot ink across the front.  After the splatters were dry, I stamped the large leaf from Gather Together stamp set (#150589) randomly on the background.  I stamped one leaf at a time in VersaMark (#102283), then coated it with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109129).  Once all the leaves were in place I heat embossed them using the Heat Tool (#129053).

The greeting is one of my Fall favorites from Country Home stamp set (#147678).  It was stamped on a 3/4" wide strip of Merry Merlot card stock and heat embossed in gold.  One end was punched with the Banners Pick a Punch (#153608).  A loose circle of gold trim from the Forever Greenery Trim Combo Pack (#152475) was placed under the greeting piece. A Merry Merlot card stock layer and card base complete the card.

For more inspiration with this fun color combo, check out the entries over at TGIF Challenges here.

I am trying to talk my husband into not mowing over all the fallen leaves until after my grandson, Easton, visits during Thanksgiving.  He doesn't get to experience the fun of clomping through fallen leaves in Coastal South Carolina. I want to share one of my simple joys with him. 

Here's to simple joys!

--Sara Nell