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Allsorts Challenge 538: Leaves and Trees

It's Saturday again and that means it's time for a new theme at Allsorts challenge. Mervi is hosting this week and she picked the theme of "Trees and Leaves". We're still enjoying summer weather but with the squirrels running around busy gathering acorns. They do love to sit up on the oak tree and throw them down at us and the cats. So funny!! Still a few weeks until our trees will turn color but what a perfect theme for this time of the year!

For this challenge I decided to make an art journal page. I'm actually hoping (and planning) on making more of these, maybe once a month to fill an art journal. I love all kinds of poems and inspirational quotes and I think some of them will be a perfect inspiration for art journal pages. Today's inspirational quote is by F. Scott Fitzgerald from The Great Gatsby.

Traditionally when art journaling I think you're "supposed to" work directly in a book, but there are really no rules when it comes to art, so I decided do make single pages and then add them to an art journal. Since I plan on stamping in mine vs. drawing (I cannot draw!!), working this way is easier for me. Mine will be a 9x6 inches journal. I also read somewhere that some art journal creators carefullly take out pages from ring bound journals then put them back in when complete.

For this page I started with a 9x6 piece of Canson Mixed Media paper. (My paper pad is larger, I used a paper cutter to cut to this size.) Same process as a card... I added a circle mask made with a circle  die for the moon (or sun) and began applying the distress inks with a  blending tool  ...I used Antique Linen, Victorian Velvet, Seedless Preserves, Faded Jeans,  and Blueprint Sketch inks. I go from light to dark, and may repeat this process.


For the grass portion I tore some copy paper to use as a mask and inked up with Peeled Paint distress ink. Before I removed the circle mask, I added some rays around it using Tim Holtz Rays Stencil and Antique Linen ink for a subtle design. While I had my stencils out I also decided to add some clock stencil designs (TCW Stencil) to the background. The words you see stamped with blue ink are from the retired Stampin Up set Natural Beauty.

The tree I used is an old silhouette stamp (Spotted Winter) by Penny Black. While this specific stamp is no longer available, I do really like this tree stamp from Penny Black. I also think this tree stamp by Deep Red would work well for this technique.

I first inked it up the tree with Tea Dye distress ink, then using waterbased markers (I used distress markers)  I added more color to the trees. I do this by simply tapping the marker held sideways onto the inked tree. Some of the trees I stamped with huffing onto the stamp first to re-activate the ink, and at other times I lightly spritzed with water for a messy watercolored look. I did have to re-ink/re-color the stamp a couple of times for this page. The birds are from the Hero Arts set Layering Sea and Sky, stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink.

On the grass portion I used another stencil (Circle Explosion by TCW), some were inked with distress inks in Mustard Seed and Rusty Hinge, and then I also used modeling paste for a little bit of a texture. The modeling paste is white, and I sponged a little bit of seedless preserves ink over it once it dried. The printed quote was cut apart and attached to the page with double sided tape and I used a black Micron pen around the words to make them stand out. I also used some Faber Castell Gelatos on the grass area and around the words. A quick inking around the edges using Blueprint Sketch ink finishes off the page. When I was happy with the end result, I used a foam brush to apply a coat of matte Mod Podge over the completed piece.

Penny Black Tree - retired, similar option, similar option // Hero Arts Layering Sea and Sky //  Stampin Up Natural Beauty // Distress Inks: Antique Linen , Victorian Velvet, Seedless Preserves, Faded Jeans, Blueprint Sketch, Peeled Paint, Tea Dye // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink //  Distress Markers // Rays Stencil // Circle Explosion Stencil  // Clock Stencil // Modeling Paste // Mod Podge // Foam Brush // Mini Ink Blending Tool // Faber Castell Gelatos // Black Micron Pen // Canson Mixed Media Paper

Thanks so much for stopping by! This challenge runs until next Friday .... hope you can join us for your chance to win a beautiful die set by Tattered Lace.

I'm linking up with these challenge blogs:

Path of Positivity - Anything Positive // Art-Journal-Journey - Polka Dots, Patterns, Plaids or Stripes // We Love 2 Create  - Anything Mixed Media // C.R.A.F.T. - Autumn // Crafty Gals Corner - Fall Colors // Creative Moments - Fall Colors // Moo-Mania & More - Autumn Glory // Crafty Sentiment Designs - Fall Colors // Unicorn Challenge - Fall // Always Fun Challenges - Fall Colors // Life in a Snapshot - Everything Autumn // Crazy 4 Challenges - Include Dots // Penny Black Saturday Challenge  - PB Stamps (Tree Stamp: Spotted winter by PennyBlack)

Anything Goes:

Creative Fingers // Aud Sentiments Challenge // Crafting With An Attitude // Crafting By Designs // Through The Craft Room Door // Stamps & Fun = Creativity // LeAnn’s World 101 // Not Just Cards // Crafter's Castle 

Some affiliate links were used in this post, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks so much for your support!

Fashion Friday: Casual Style from Amazon and Old Navy

Hello and welcome to another Fashion Friday post! It's been another hot week here in the midwest, luckily I kept enough summer clothes in my closet to be able to dress for the weather :-) This red top is another one perfect for summer with the non-clingy rayon material, but I love this darker shade of red for this time of the year. I'm sure most of you have similar clothes in your closet but if not I've included some links for those of you interested. Hope they are helpful!

My top is a couple of years old, but still available on Amazon. Lots of color choices available too (even florals), I may have to get a couple of the other colors. This top is made in USA of 95% Rayon and 5% Spandex. While I normally buy size XS in tops, this one I ordered in a Small, so if you do plan on purchasing I would suggest going up one size.

My jeans are the Old Navy  Super Skinny Jeans I purchased this spring. They come in regular, petite and tall. I find these to be very comfortable. If you prefer premium denim brand, you might want to check out these jeans at Nordstrom Rack. Most are marked down more than 50% off.

The loafers are a what I'd call a "Not Quite Navy" color (papercrafters will recognize this as an old stampin up color 😀). They are by Naturalizer and super comfy. Unfortunately I don't have a direct link, but these look similar and have great reviews, and I also like these Ugg Driving Loafers. Nordstrom Rack has some great options of blue loafers as well. 

Since my outfit was all solid colors, I decided to bring in a pattern with a crossbody bag by Sakroots. Mine is a messenger bag. 

I kept my jewelry simple by wearing a pretty bracelet my daughter found for me at Nordstrom Rack. It's been purchased at a retail location in the Chicago Suburbs, but some pretty choices are available in their online shop. My necklace is a short 16" necklace to fill in the neckline. You can find similar lengths necklaces here. I really love this one a few other bloggers have been posting about this past year and keep waiting for it to go on sale, but not sure that's ever going to happen! I've been waiting for probably over a year 😄. 

These are snippets of the same or similar options. Each one of these is clickable. I've included a cardigan since I find them so practical. 

And that was it for today's fashion post. As always thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to visit my blog. 

Linking up with these great fashion related blogs.

Some affiliate links were used in this post, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks so much for your support!

Autumn Hedgehogs

Hello and welcome! It's time already for our midmonth share for the Penny Black and More September challenge where our theme is "Animals". Plenty of time still left to join us if you  haven't already, and we always welcome up to 3 entries for more chances to win. We do have some fantastic prizes to give away, so hopefully you'll decide to play along!

This cute hedgehog stamp I've had for several years has been neglected on my shelf, so I decided it was time to ink it up. I stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink on Bristol Vellum paper, then heat embossed with black embossing powder. The image has then been colored with distress inks (I've listed and linked each color closer to the end of this post) from an ink pad, diluted with water and I used my Zig Detailer brush for coloring.  The small leaves are from the retired Stampin Up set Petite Patterns, retired but available on ebay. They were stamped around the image using Peeled Paint Distress ink. Sentiment is from the Penny Black set Sweet Wishes stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink.

Related Products:

I was playing with the thought of framing the card with the same pattern paper I used with the jute twine, but in the end I decided to just keep the focus on the cute image and not add a pattern paper frame. The little paper strip has been added with a glue dot and staples. The card base is a 110 lb heavyweight cardstock. 

Penny Black Hedgey Gift  // Penny Black Sweet Wishes // Stampin Up Petite Patterns // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // Black Embossing Powder // Heating Tool //  Distress Inks: Tattered Rose, Spun Sugar, Black Soot, Candied Apple, Peeled Paint, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Rusty Hinge, Mustard Seed, Seedless Preserves // Zig Detailer Brush // Bristol Vellum Paper // Pattern Paper Strip from Stash // Natural Jute Twine

My card fits these great challenges so entering here:

Dream Valley Challenges - Autumn Colors // Retro Rubber Challenge - Autumn Colors // Cardz 4 Galz - Fall // Brown Sugar - Anything Goes // Penny Black Saturday Challenge - PB opt. of something neglected // Send a Smile for Kids - Fall or Halloween For Kids

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit my blog today. 

Some affiliate links were used in this post, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks so much for your support!

Allsorts Challenge 537: Anything Goes

It's Saturday again, that means time for a  new theme at Allsorts challenge. Brenda's turn to host and she's keeping it simple this week with Anything Goes. Hope you'll decide to share a new creation with us for your chance to win a fabulous stamp set by Rare Earth.

I decided to make  a CAS card using an old stamp by PSX. Isn't this a gorgeous stamp!!!  While this stamp is probably over 20 years old, I purchased my on ebay a few years ago, and this was only my second time using it. 

I stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and heat embossed with black embossing powder. Coloring was done with distress ink pads and a Zig Detailer brush by pressing the corner of an ink pad onto a clear block and then diluting the ink with the detailer brush.  I used Seedess Preservers, Crushed Olive, Mowed Lawn, Antique Linen and Vintage Photo for coloring this image. The "canvas" texture you see on the background was done with an old Stampin Up background stamp. The "Happy Birthday" is from a retired set by MFT. This set by Altenew is a similar style and also comes in a Spanish version. I tied a bow with some gold cord to finish off this simple card.

Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // Black Embossing Powder // Clear Acrylic Block // Distress Inks: Seedless Preserves, Mowed Lawn, Crushed Olive, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo // Zig Detailer Brush // Bristol Vellum Paper // Wine Themed Stamp // Background Stamp // MFT Label Sentiments - Similar Option // Gold Cord

Related Products:

Sharing with these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday - Stamp It // Sisterhood of Crafters - Embossing (I heat embossed the image) // Colour Crazy Challenge  - Coloring // 

Anything Goes:

Brown Sugar // Creative Fingers // QKR Stampede // Crafting With An Attitude // Arty Divas

Thanks so much for visiting!! 

Some affiliate links were used in this post, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks so much for your support!

Fashion Friday: Styling a Summer Top for Fall

A couple of weeks ago when it was cooler and more fall-like outside I decided to pack away most of my summer clothes and get my closet "fall ready". Some of the tops I still kept out. This sleeveless yellow top was one of them. I think this color works well not only for summer, but is also perfect for fall and can be worn under a cardigan or jacket.

It's a good thing I kept some of my summer tops out because we've had a heat wave this past week and it's been a super sunny day here on this day which unfortunately didn't do my outfit any favors as the top clashed with the bright grass in the background. (But yay for sunshine!!) I didn't want to waste these pictures so decided to share them anyway. 

The yellow top is from a few seasons ago from Loft. It's such a pretty shade of what I'd call lemon-y yellow with a white dotted pattern. Once again too long for me so I tucked it in, which I actually prefer over leaving out on most of my tops. (Maybe they're all too long 😄)

As you can imagine, this top is no longer available but I did find some pretty yellow tops at Nordstrom. I love this bloom- printed top by Caslon, and it comes in several colors. I also love this one with a tasseled neckline similar to the one I am wearing. Petite sizes are sold out but most sizes are still availabe in regular and plus. This pretty halter top with bold flowers would be an nice choice as well. Also comes in a beautiful blue and leopard print for those of you enjoying the animal print trend.

This very thin open knit cardigan is the perfect piece to throw over this top. These pictures were taken in the morning when there was still a nip in the air so I was happy to have it with me. With the open knit and thin material it's perfect for an early fall day. While I can't link to this specific one, I do LOVE this lightweight green cardigan. (It runs slightly large so you may want to size down, but sizes are very limited.)  This fall long cardigans are trending,  if you like that style then you might like this longline cardigan, and it comes in several great colors. This moss colored open cardigan by Universal Threads has great reviews as well and you may be able to pick it up at your local Target.

I'm wearing NYDJ "Leann" boyfriend jeans in petite (old). These boyfriend jeans are similar and currently 40% off. Or you may prefer these darker wash boyfriend jeans. These also come in petite. Nordstrom Rack has several choices of Boyfriend jeans as well. I really like this pair. 

Above is a closer look at my crossbody bag by B.O.C/Born. It's made of a thick linen type material but I can't find a link to it anywhere. You may like some of these....

My espadrilles are old from a couple of years ago. This design is their current style and looks very similar to mine. I do love these shoes and wear them a lot in spring, summer and early fall when I want a closed toe shoe. I've worn and mentioned these espadrilles in my first ever fashion post. 

Similar Boyfriend Jeans // Similar Yellow Top // Similar Cardigan (very limited sizes in the green but fully stocked in ivory), another option or another option here //  Similar Espadrilles

My sunglasses are prescription glasses. The frame is by Vera Bradley. Non-prescription designs are available here.

Below I've included snippets of most of the alternatives I mentioned above. Each image is clickable and will direct you to the online shop where you can find out more info. As always with jeans, keep in mind the models below are probably very tall and therefore the jeans will fit you differently depending on your height. 

Please note, these and some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, this is at no extra cost to you. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by! Hope you're having a fantastic weekend! If you plan on fashion shopping this weekend, don't forget to check out the Nordstrom Sale! Lots of great finds and premium brands are marked down and as always free shipping and free returns! (Plus it's never too early to start your Christmas shopping! How cute is this faux fur throw!!!)



Linking up with these great fashion related blogs.

Allsorts Challenge 536: Fall Colors

Hello and welcome! It's time for a new theme at Allsorts challenge. Helene is our host this week and she picked the theme of ...........

Fall Colors. 

Hope you can join us for your chance to win! This week our prize comes from JMC Designs . 

This beautiful sunflower stamp is a retired stamp by PSX and most likely only available in used condition. Otherwise you may be able to find some  pretty sunflower stamps by Stampendeous.

Related Products:

To make my card I heat embossed the image using Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and black embossing powder on Bristol Vellum paper. Then I watercolored the image using distress ink pads (I simply pressed the ink pad onto a clear stamping block and picked up each color with a zig detailer waterbrush. I did brush some clean water over the flower before adding color, this makes the watercoloring easier. I used Barn Door, Rusty Hinge, Carved Pumpkin, Mustard Seed, Peeled Paint, Brushed Corduroy and very diluted Black Soot to color the flower. The purplish background was done with Seedless Preserves ink and I flicked some black soot and Seedless preserve ink onto the background for a few spatters. The sentiment is from the Penny Black set Friendship, stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and adhered to the card with glue dots. Natural jute twine finishes off the card.

Sunflower Stamp (may be in used condition) or see these  Similar Options // Penny Black Friendship //  Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // Black Embossing Powder // Distress Inks: Barn Door // Rusty Hinge // Carved Pumpkin // Mustard Seed // Peeled Paint // Brushed Corduroy // Black Soot // Seedless Preserves // Bristol Vellum Paper // Natural Jute Twine 

I am also sharing my card  here:

 Simon Says Wednesday - Stamp It // Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes // Stamping Sensations - Anything With Flowers 

The Flower Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for stopping by, hope you  have a wonderful weekend!!

Some affiliate links were used in this post, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks so much for your support!