A Couple Challenges

It has been a loooooong weekend with lots of activities, but I did manage to stamp a couple things here and there, nothing exciting, a couple challenges.....the first one was Our Creative Corner's challenge, which was to watercolor something.   Yippee, that's my favorite, but when I looked at my stamps, nothing jumped out at me.  So I just grabbed some fall images and decided to stamp the basket of apples from Carolyn King's Whimsical Autumn set:

I also used tearing on my card, which qualifies it for this week's NMBS challenge, but I forgot my stamp wasn't a Stampin'Up! stamp, and that is a SU group, so I guess that disqualifies it!  (That will give me an excuse to stamp another card!!! ) This ALSO is a sketch challenge from Jen Del Muro's blog  "I {heart} 2 stamp". 

• Stamps:  Whimsical Autumn, Gina K Designs; Crazy for Cupcakes, SU
• Paper:  Ruby Red, Garden Green, More Mustard, Watercolor, Retired SU that I can't remember the name of
• Ink:  Stazon, Cr Caramel, More Mustard, Ruby Red, Garden Green, Bravo Burgundy, Sahara Sand
• Acc:  Aquapainter, Circle Punches, Red Gingham colored with Cr Caramel marker, white gel pen

I visited my stampin' friends/sisters Georgette and Charlette yesterday and we were comparing notes and swapping likes & dislikes and I said I decided to get my first Flourishes stamp set, Forest of Trees, after seeing Susan's post here.  Charlette said she had a duplicate of that set, so I went home with it!  Wasn't that sweet of her?!  So although I didn't try to replicate Susan's card, I did play with the set a bit:

This was just embossed in white on white cardstock and sponged with Handsome Hunter and Sage Shadow inks, then mounted on matching cardstocks.  (The card base looks gray, but it is Sage Shadow!!)  I added some organdies and a tiny little bling, as well as a tiny sentiment from PTI's Mixed Messages.  There is glitter on the branches too but you can't see it here! :(

• Stamps:  Forest of Trees, Flourishes; Mixed Messages, PTI
• Paper:  Sage Shadow, Handsome Hunter, WW
• Ink:  White Craft, Sage Shadow, Handsome Hunter
• Acc:  White EP, Heat Tool, Organdy Ribbons, Bling, Gelly Roll pen, sponge

Finally, I played around with a neglected Spectrum pad and came up with this one:

This uses Taylor's sketch #40.  Honestly, I just threw this together because I was running out the door to another function, so it probably is not the best use of this beautiful image!!  It was stamped on Whisper White, which looked too stark to me, so I brayered it with Creamy Caramel, added some Basic Grey DP from Recess and Cupcake, some wide grosgrain ribbon and again, a sentiment from PTI's Mixed Messages.  I realize my proportions are a little different from the sketch, but I hope it will be okay!

•  Stamps:  Forest of Trees, Flourishes; Mixed Messages, PTI
• Paper:  Old Olive, Whisper White, Basic Grey Recess & Cupcake DP, Ruby Red, Hostess Patterns DP
• Ink:  Spectrum Pumpkin Patch, Ruby Red, Creamy Caramel
• Acc:  Brayer, Grosgrain Ribbon, Brads, 1" circle Punch, Designer Label Punch, Ticket Corner Punch

I am looking forward to using this stamp set a lot more in the future, and taking a bit more time to be focused on what I stamp!!!  It was definitely a rush, rush weekend!  I need to get back to my routine on Monday so I can rest!  LOL!   TFL!
LeAnne