Friends Are The Family That We Choose

Hello, and welcome to my blog. I am so happy to be here once again as September Guest Designer at Just Us Girls. I am loving this gig! This week's challenge #697 is a Mood Board, which I love. 

Here's a close up of the Mood Board so you can see all the wonderful details.

For my card, I zeroed in on the hand holding the leaf (check the merlot nails), and then lots of beautiful Autumn color that is present in each of the photos on the board... and then, there's the pie! I combined some things old and new from my stash. It was one of those projects that looks simple, but took forever to get right. In the end, I am pleased with the way it turned out.

Please hop on over to the Just Us Girls Challenge Blog to see what the lovely and talented Design Team has created to inspire you. Light a cinnamon, apple or pumpkin scented candle, and let your imagination take you to warm, cozy and creative places. Hope to see you in the gallery!

Project Details
Stamps/Dies	The Greetery Holding Hands stamps & Dies Papertrey Ink Leaf Prints stamps & dies Spellbinders Fluted Classics Circles dies Reverse Confetti Autumn Sentiments
Cardstock	SU Cajun Craze & More Mustard 80# Neenah Solar white Authentique 6x6 Thankful Collection
Ink	Catherine Pooler Merlot Tattered Rose, Antique Linen, Bundled Sage,   Rusted Wilderness Distress Inks
Embellishments	Twine, Hero Arts Adhesive Crystal
Other	Spellbinders Platinum Plus Die Cutting & Embossing Machine Sizzix Side Kick Scor-Pal Score Board Fiskars 12" SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer MISTI Stamping Tool Bearly Art Precision Glue Scor-Pal Score Tape-1" Scrapbook.com Foam Squares

Friends Furever

A new challenge starts today at Can You Handle The Pressure? where the theme is always Anything Goes with an Embossing Folder and an optional twist. Heat embossing is welcome, but not required. An Embossing Folder must be used. For this challenge, the twist is "Dogs / Cats / Pets". The challenge is open from August 13th to the 24th.

For my card, I used PinkFresh Studio's Scalloped Rectangle to cut a red frame. I die cut a piece of white card stock with the same die in white and used the aperture piece with the Cuttlebug Heart Block embossing folder. I placed the white rectangle inside the red frame, and glued them together on white fun foam. I adhered that piece on a Neenah Solar White 110# card base after I added the black & white twine to the card base. I stamped, colored with Copics and fussy cut the boy and dog image from MFT's Friends Furever stamp set and popped that up on the embossed hearts panel. I stamped and clear heat embossed the sentiment from PinkFresh Studio Always Uplifting stamp set and my card was complete.

Please head over to the Can You Handle The Pressure Challenge Blog to check out the Design Team inspiration projects. You are sure to be impressed! Then dive into your embossing folder collection and join us with or without the twist! Just be sure to use an embossing folder on your creation!

I'm also playing at:

Tic Tac Toe #174

Third vertical row - die cut, free, embossing 

CAS Colors & Sketches #482

Global Design Project #355 - Animal

Friends Forever

This week's inspiration for Tag You're It #39 is so adorable.  I love that little camper and many of the DT pieces had vehicles or homes on them, but I chose the sky as the inspiration for my creation.  Here is my take:

I love these Paper Smooches dies and they came to mind when I saw Erin's clouds. I wanted a sentiment that meant something like "no matter what the weather...". After a lot of digging, I found this sentiment from a Tailored Expressions set called "Branching Out" that was deep in my stash. Perfect.

I am also going to link this project to the current Simon Says Monday challenge, which is

BEST FRIENDS.

Thanks so much for stopping in today. As I type, there is a blizzard going on here in the northeastern part of the US. LOTS of snow, and lots of crafting time for me! Woot!  As always, I appreciate your taking the time to comment. Your feedback is wonderful.