Fall is in the Air

Today is a day Winnie the Pooh would call a blustery day.   The wind is howling through the trees and leaves are dancing across the way.  Rain is pouring down in buckets.  (or at least is was while I was loading groceries in the car)  It's a perfect day for sitting in front of the fire with a warm beverage or at the stamp table without guilt.  :)

The weather is also perfect for the challenge this week at StampNation.  The challenge is to use leaves on your project.  If you have not checked it out yet, you have to see the AMAZING card that Allison created with some Holly Leaves.  Oh my gorgeousness!  One of my all time favorite cards. 

 

For my card, I went all out.  I went into my yard and picked up some colorful leaves off the ground for inspiration.

Either I had a stroke of genius or I may have gone a bit too far with my craft when I punched shapes out of those leaves to add to my card.  What do you think?  Aren't the colors incredible? YES!  These are leaves I see when I look out my windows.  In fact, now I have some brilliant yellow and orange leaves out there as well.   I love living in the Pacific Northwest.

Soon after I made this card I made a card for the Inspired By series at StampNation.   Leaves were still on my mind, as  you can tell.  I wanted to add some gold and chocolate sequins to my cards, but didn't have any.  Then in a stroke of genius I checked out my mixes of sequins from Pretty Pink Posh and found both in her different Christmas mixes!  Woot-Woot!  It was like finding a treasure.  :)  I'm so easy to please.  

This time I stamped the leaves.  Want to see how this card was created?  Be sure to check out my video in the Classroom at StampNation.   Clicky here if you are a member.  Not yet a member?  Click here to join today.

One last bit of info for your midweek.  Tomorrow A Very Trendy Holiday 2.0 Card class officially launches.  The class is open today, a day early, for StampNation members only.  Be sure to grab your $10 off coupon if you are a member.   

Supplies
Stamps: Fall Foliage (My Favorite Things) Defining Words (Wplus9)
Ink: Golden Glitz Delicata (Tsukineko),Cajun Craze - Cherry Cobbler - Hello Honey - Mossy Meadow - Tangelo Twist (Stampin' UP!)
Paper: Very Vanilla
Accessories: Linen Thread (Stampin' UP!), Stitched Film Strip Die - Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), Wood Heart (Studio Calico)

Hope You Can Cling To

October is breast cancer awareness month, a subject that is near and dear to my heart, as it is to so many of you.  Every woman on my dad's side of the family, over the age of 50 has had breast cancer.  Most of them have fought the battle and survived, which gives me hope.  My aunt fought cancer and went into remission.  She started feeling sick about 10 years later and ignored it.  By the time she went to the doctor her cancer had come back and quickly spread through her body.  She passed soon after.  

My hope is that a cure for cancer will be found soon!  In the meantime, be sure to get your yearly exams and have every lump checked.  Early detection is key and it might just put your mind at ease to find out your cyst is benign.  If not, then girlfriend, we are in this fight together.  Just today I said a prayer for you for strength to make it through the day and healing for your tomorrows.

Chiatali created a wonderful stamp set for Breast Cancer Awareness in honor of her mother who was recently diagnosed. I will be ordering this stamp set soon.  In the meantime, you can check it out, read her story and hop along with her blog hop here.

My card colors came from last week's Colour Q challenge.

The current inspiration at The Cutting Edge Challenge is a card with an adorable airplane in the sky.  My card design is similar, with the wreath of hope at the top of the card, gaps in the die cut to see the background paper behind it and lots of "white space".  (or pink space, in my case)

Last, but not least, is the hope you can cling to month long challenges at Splitcoast Stampers.  This card fits at least 3 categories.  Missing element (the hole in the wreath), Holding It Together (I used a safety pin to stick my ribbon onto the wreath), and Chicks Stick Together (I used silver ink to ink up the word friend on the background stamp).

Supplies:

Stamps: Defining Words (Wplus9), Fight Like A Girl (A*Muse Studio), Woodland Wreaths (Wplus9)

Ink: Pink Pirouette (SU), Black Onyx (Versamark), Silver Shimmer Delicata (Tsukineko)

Paper: Pink Pirouette, Basic Black, Whisper White (SU)

Accessories: Woodland Wreath Die (Wplus9), Pink Pirouette Taffeta Ribbon (SU), Basic Rhinestones (SU)