Happy Friday! Fri-yay! How was your week? Hope it was excellent! I've had a wonderful week with lots going on. Tuesday I was able to finally get to San Francisco to meet my sweet friend's new baby boy! (I got a cold the last time I was supposed to go, and didn't want to make him sick). We had a marvelous visit and he is cute as a button! It's been about a million years since I held a tiny baby. I loved it. I've been doing lots of stamping, reading and pondering also. There are three excellent books I've been studying and reading (CLICK HERE) and they are opening my mind to an entirely new way of thinking about being an artist and creative person. God is sending me exactly what I need, and it is magical. I'm feeling super positive and blessed right now. Lucky me. Grateful me.
Today I'm sharing the card I made for the Papertrey Ink Customer Blog Hop for this month! YAHOO. The inspiration image is GORGE. I was all on board right away. The hard part with this one is that I had TOO many ideas! One of my favorite stamp sets from PTI is called Graceful Greetings and I used that set with the chalkboard stamping technique. Then I accented my card with the (new to me) Branching Out die. Hope you likey.
Instead of using pure black paper, I went with the Smokey Shadow paper (also from PTI). I think it's just a shade lighter than black and that makes it look more like a chalkboard. And, it's just a bit softer. For my leaves, I die cut the image with watercolor paper and then used several shades of Tim Holtz Distress Inks and a water brush. (Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade and Ripe Persimmon) (now I'm hungry, LOL). Then, I layered my card with a small edge of bright yellow.
Here is the Inspiration Image for this month!
CLICK HERE to see Betsy's tutorial on Chalkboard technique.
After I stamped my main sentiment, I added a heart and some swirls from different stamp sets. I also used some dots too. The main images were all heat embossed with Versamark Ink and white embossing powder. I used my finger and added some very light smudges of white ink around the words to really look like chalk. I wanted to mimic the berries in the photo so I used a few right red enamel dots.
The Branching out die is very large, so after I inked it up, I ended up cutting two of them into pieces to layer around my focal point.
Check out the Papertrey Ink Blog to see all the other entries - and to enter your own creation! It's open to anyone and everyone and it's so fun to play along! Have a great weekend. XOXO
Nailed it! I'm talking about everything... your card just spectacular and you captured evertyhing about the inspiration photo.
Posted by: Princess Judy | 09/29/2015 at 03:15 PM
Wow Wanda, this card just blows me away! It's so beautiful that I would have to frame it!
Posted by: Celeste Goff | 09/26/2015 at 08:41 AM
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE it!!!
Posted by: Holly Saveur | 09/26/2015 at 06:16 AM
Wanda, your card is amazing. I would have never thought to do this but your colour combo is just stunning! Great work!
Posted by: Teresa | 09/26/2015 at 05:50 AM
Love the combo of smoky color against fall colors, love these cute frame all around the pretty leaves and a lovely sentiment!
Posted by: Vinita Jain | 09/26/2015 at 02:11 AM
Stunning and stunned! Just wow.
Posted by: Diana K | 09/25/2015 at 10:11 PM
Wow what a beautiful card! Your leaves are amazing and I like how they are in front and behind of the front panel.
Posted by: Noelle | 09/25/2015 at 07:55 PM
Gorgeous card! Love the beautiful foliage frame!
Posted by: Mona Pendleton | 09/25/2015 at 07:40 PM
Absolutely beautiful Wanda!!
Posted by: Jennifer | 09/25/2015 at 07:38 PM
Amazing card! Love your take of the inspiration picture. So stylish and falish.
Posted by: Svitlana Shayevich | 09/25/2015 at 03:38 PM
Wanda - I love your card. It is just so fall-ish!
Lovely work.
Posted by: LynneZ | 09/25/2015 at 02:57 PM
Swooning here! So beautiful, Wanda....LOVE!
Posted by: donna mikasa | 09/25/2015 at 02:33 PM
beautiful
Posted by: DIANA L. | 09/25/2015 at 01:25 PM
This is so beautiful! I love the colors. Congrats on being featured on the PTI FB page for the blog hop! How exciting!
Posted by: Tammy W | 09/25/2015 at 01:14 PM
This card is sheer perfection. A wonderful take on the inspiration photo. Lovely!!!!!
Posted by: Gina | 09/25/2015 at 12:50 PM
Oh, this is stunning! I love it!
Posted by: Leigh Penner | 09/25/2015 at 11:47 AM
I think many of us will be trying to case your card this weekend! The leaves just send it over the top to loverly!
Posted by: Vikki H | 09/25/2015 at 11:44 AM
This is gorgeous! You've got me wanting to re-do my card. :) You did such a fabulous job!
Posted by: Lindsey Larsen | 09/25/2015 at 10:20 AM
This is a beauty of a fall card! Love the colourful leaves and the soft chalkboard effect.
Posted by: Sue McRae | 09/25/2015 at 09:57 AM
This is fabulous Wanda! Love all of the beautifully layered leaves. Great take on the challenge.
Posted by: Connie MacFarlane | 09/25/2015 at 09:48 AM
Gorgeous! Every technique & layer is perfect! Love the water colored leaves framing the sentiment.
Posted by: Jacquie | 09/25/2015 at 08:39 AM
Beautiful - I love those fall colored leaves. You are the master at working with the distress inks.
Posted by: Nancy Thomas | 09/25/2015 at 08:38 AM
Very pretty and great take on the challenge.
Posted by: Linda S. | 09/25/2015 at 08:27 AM
You read my mind--I came across a 12 x 12 pack of chalkboard paper in my stash and needed inspiration for a fall card. Yours is gorgeous.
Posted by: Julie | 09/25/2015 at 07:39 AM
Wanda, this is a perfect interpretation of the inspiration photo. I love it!! The blended leaves and little red pop dots are fabulous!!
Posted by: Birgit | 09/25/2015 at 07:26 AM
Wow - gorgeous! Love how those bright leaves surround the chalkboard!
Posted by: karen h | 09/25/2015 at 07:25 AM
Oh my...this is stunning Wanda!! Those leaves are just gorgeous and I love how you made them the frame for your chalkboard! You truly were inspired!! :0)
Posted by: Marcia Hill | 09/25/2015 at 07:12 AM
Oh wow! This is GOR-GE-OUS, Wanda! I love it. You might be able to play this over at AAA Cards Autumn Colors challenge too? :)
Posted by: Melissa L. | 09/25/2015 at 07:11 AM
Wow! I love this! Your leaves are stunning :)
Posted by: Jenelle T | 09/25/2015 at 07:10 AM
Those leaves look fabulous framing the sentiment. Gorgeous!
Posted by: Nancy Penir | 09/25/2015 at 07:09 AM
Absolutely gorgeous! Beautifully framed chalkboard, Wanda!
Posted by: Marybeth Lopez | 09/25/2015 at 07:04 AM