Challenge Combo--Give Thanks, Elegant Autumn, Clean and Simple

Happy Friday!!  Being a stay at home mom, usually Friday is not unlike any other day, but today it feels awesome.  No explanation for why, but I'm just gonna go with it!  Here's what I came up with when I combined a few challenges!  The theme comes from both The Paper Players Theme challenge #120 "Give Thanks" and from SUO #57 "Elegant Autumn". And the layout comes from Clean & Simple Stamping FTL215.  I watched a tutorial for the pine cone on YouTube from Valitas Fresh Folds.  I don't have the punches that she used so I used the bird builder punch.  I also used the Early Espresso Core-dinations paper and roughed up the edges a bit for dimension.  In retrospect, I probably should've used Cajun Craze or More Mustard instead of Bravo Burgundy for the little strip behind the sentiment to make it more "Autumn" than "Winter".  I had fun making this and I kinda fell in love with Tombow multipurpose glue while making the pine cone.  That stuff is great!  It's totally forgiving (lets you move stuff around a bit) but also dries quickly and holds really well!!

 Have a great weekend!

Black Tie Friday #8

This card gave me trouble....it just took me FOREVER to figure out what I wanted to do.  I used the Black Tie Friday challenge #8 .  I knew right off the bat I wanted to do something with purple....the rest took me all week to decide on.  Using their challenge grid I decided on purple, flowers and metal (there's mini brads in the center of the black flowers...hard to tell in the pic).  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out though and I know exactly who it's going to! 

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Simple Happy Birthday--PPA146 and CCMC225

I love this layout.  So versatile!!  I used the layout from the challenge over at Create with Connie and Mary  and the color combo comes from the Pals Paper Arts Challenge this week.  Riding Hood Red is another one of the colors that I don't LOVE.  I rarely use it, probably because I'm so partial to Cherry Cobbler.  But I have to admit this card made me like it a little more.  I've said it before, but one of the reasons I am enjoying doing challenges is that it forces me to turn to colors and layouts that I don't normally use.  Thanks for looking!

Everything Eleanor

Good morning! Today I'm sharing a card that I made as a set for a friend.  She needed Thank You cards and asked me to make them for her. Such a huge compliment, I think!  She gave me absolute freedom to choose what they looked like.  She didn't even care what colors.  This was one of those cards that I just kept adding elements too.  The distressing on the edges, the scroll stamp from Everything Eleanor in the background, pop up the sentiment, add some flowers and ta-da!  I love that process, where you just keep going.  Only problem is.....all those elements on a set of 12 cards.......UGGGHH  I was ready to be done, that's for sure!  But of course, you can't have one pretty one and 11 plain ones!  Hope you like it and I hope she liked it!