Hi friends! This past week went by in like five minutes! Wow! But, I'm so happy, because here we are at September! And I'm officially calling it Fall here on my blog! I LOVE FALL and live for it all year long! I am so happy to celebrate the next few months with pumpkins, coffee, apples, football, leaves....All that good stuff. Yeah! College football starts today too. And the weather has been perfect - cool nights and dark mornings.... Okay, yeah I'm excited! I've been Fall crafting for a couple of weeks already and that's going to continue. I hope everything is going great in your neck of the woods! Sending you some good wishes today.
I went back and pulled out some of my favorite dies from Taylored Expressions to create my apple cards to share today. These apple dies are PERFECT for Autumn cards and I chose to watercolor them with my favorite watercolor paints. This project started out with some water color playing... I just die cut some apples and enjoyed painting. Then later I turned them into two cards. Sometimes I begin with a card design already formed in my head, and sometimes I just color pieces and see what happens later. So, let's take a look at the cards! How do you like these apples??!! LOL.
No stamping on either of these cards today. Only die cuts and watercolors! I used a wet on wet watercolor technique to color the apples. Some red and one green one. I added in some deep golden yellow accents to the painting. The leaves were painted with three or four shades of greens. Apple leaves have that gorgeous deep green color. I colored the stems brown and then generously splattered gold paint over all of them.
This first card started with a white A2 card base. Then I chose some woodgrain paper from my stash and splattered it with gold Finetec paint. I LOOOOVE GOLD SPLATTERS! Lol. Can you tell? I die cut out the AUTUMN letters from a Taylored Expressions alphabet set. I painted those deep golden yellow. The rest of the card came together fast. I used foam tape to attach the apples to the card and clear glue to attach the letters. A piece of pretty twine at the top finished it off. Oh, and a few gold Doodlebug Sprinkles too! Simple and pretty.
Here's a close up of the leaves and painting!
I staggered the letters this way because they wouldn't fit across the card. It's kind of playful and fun this way though! Happy accident!
I turned the card for this photo so you can see all that yummy gold paint!! MMMMM.
Next up is another clean and simple design I made with the last apple die cut. I just bought the brand new Lawn Fawn Reverse Scalloped Circle Dies and wanted to use those! This is an A2 white card base layered with gingham from my stash. Then a pretty deep red layer die cut with the circle die. It creates the perfect frame for the apple! The 'hello' die cut is from Simon Says Stamp and I die cut it from watercolor paper (The same paper I used for the apples).
The red paper layer was attached to the card with foam tape - and the apple was also. I added some glitter sprinkles in red and gold. Because I like sparkly things!!
Near where I live we have an apple growing region called Apple Hill. It's only about 25 miles from our house and in the Fall it's so fun to go up and see the orchards, get apple donuts, see the arts and crafts and generally hang out in the fresh air. CLICK HERE to read about Apple Hill! The weather was sooooo fresh and nice when I woke up yesterday I got the idea to drive up to Apple Hill for a photo shoot and some donuts! This is the last few days before the crowds and craziness starts. I went up super early and guess what? I was the ONLY person there! Gosh, it was magic! I got the first batch of hot donuts (am I mentioning the donuts a lot?? LOL) and I had the whole place to myself. Up amongst the pine trees and the orchards. Here are some of the photos I took! Hope you enjoy them!
When you take pictures of things like fruit and flowers you really notice how many individual colors there are in them. I like to save this type of photo for reference when I'm using my Copic Markers or my watercolors. God is the master artist and no one paints like Him! I can try though! These apples were so pretty and you can actually smell them on the trees in the cool air. MMMM.
As a photographer, I am a life long student of light. Photographs are all about light... Not your camera or your photo editing software. LIGHT. Pure and simple, taking a picture is using the light to create something beautiful. The light changes with the seasons. Summer and Winter light is very strong and harsh and bright - with hard shadows. As we turn into Autumn, the light becomes warmer and a bit softer. I felt that yesterday - the coming of the light of Fall. AND I LOVE IT!
That's it for today! Have a super wonderful weekend! Labor Day Weekend! YAHOO! Are you doing something fun this weekend?? Tell me about it! I will be back on Wednesday as part of a fun celebratory blog hop! See you then! XOXO
SUPPLIES FOR TODAY!
Absolutely stunning <3
Posted by: Laura J. | 09/06/2018 at 11:12 AM
Love love love the fall! I wish so much my grandkids lived in my state! I would be making them "school/teacher" stuff all the time!
Your cards and coloring are perfection! Hugs
Posted by: Diane Oliver | 09/05/2018 at 11:51 AM
Those apples are gorgeous!
Posted by: Stacey Kowbel | 09/05/2018 at 09:56 AM
SQEEEEE! Your cards and photos make me want to run outside and pick apples! Except it's too hot right now. I'll wait a few weeks before driving up to Apple Hill. In the meantime, I shall paint apples and make cards. Thank you for the inspiration!
Posted by: Rosa M. Vasquez | 09/04/2018 at 12:05 PM
Your cards are so beautiful and your photos make me wish I lived somewhere near you so I too could take a drive to Apple Hill. Thanks for sharing your card and day trip with us.
Posted by: Linda S. | 09/03/2018 at 05:56 AM
Your apples cards are gorgeous! I love your photos as well. Such a talented lady!
Posted by: Dorlene | 09/02/2018 at 09:02 AM
What an amazing talent you have, Wanda. Those cards and photographs look great. I must look out for those Taylored Expressions dies.
( Now I know this might not be in the same league, but I have one apple tree in my back garden here in Scotland which has a bumper crop this year and should you fancy taking photographs of it you only have to say. Hee hee.)
Posted by: Lynne | 09/02/2018 at 12:54 AM
Love these sweet apple cards! Your photos are outstanding! The apple donuts look delicious. What a fun little roadtrip to have taken!
Posted by: LC Lamothe | 09/01/2018 at 09:43 PM
Beautifully colored apples. Thank you for the fabulous tip on using real photos to determine how to color with Copics etc.
Posted by: Danielle Dietz | 09/01/2018 at 07:10 PM
Love them (painted) apples, and your photos from Apple Hill. We’ve lived in N Calif for 36 years, and I’ve never been. I’d love to try those apple donuts.
Posted by: Julie | 09/01/2018 at 04:52 PM
YAY for Wanda’s declaration of FALL! I used to like summer best but our southern heat is too hot now. I just adore these cards and look forward to more fall creations and beautiful photography from you! I too live close to the Apple “country” in GA and cannot wait for the festivals and pumpkins and on and on! Thanks for adding happiness AGAIN to my day! Hugs!
Posted by: Julie L | 09/01/2018 at 01:43 PM
We are kindred spirits... Fall is the best. Love your wonderful water coloring on these apples. The gold splatters look perfect. I need to check out that scalloped circle from Lawn Fawn. You did say donut a couple of times... now I am longing to have one with my coffee! Always enjoy your photos, you definitely have the eye for it. Weather here has been crazy. Loads of thunder, lightening and rain. Tuesday Jim's second eye surgery is happening. Now that he knows what he is in for it's not so stressful. Keep us in your prayers....
Posted by: Anne Sturgeon | 09/01/2018 at 12:22 PM
Love both the photos & the cards. You inspire me to try water coloring again. Need to get that pretty new circle. As always awesome Blog post.
Posted by: Geneva | 09/01/2018 at 12:14 PM
Beautiful water color technique. I can smell the apples!! Great tip on staggering your letters. I always try to fit them on the card, evenly spaced, straight up. Thank you for another inspirational card. I also love fall; not too warm and not too cold, just right. Hugs to you Wanda 🤗
Posted by: Veronica Fairbrother | 09/01/2018 at 10:08 AM
Your photographs are so beautiful! What a gift you have.
Posted by: Laurie | 09/01/2018 at 09:17 AM
I love your pictures of the apples! It gets me in the mood for Autumn!
Posted by: Eva Wierzbinski | 09/01/2018 at 08:05 AM
Very inspirational and positive publication. Cards and photos are wonderful. As always everything is so well done.
Posted by: Blagovesta Georgieva | 09/01/2018 at 07:42 AM
Wow! Your apples are so amazing! I love seeing the photographs that inspired you as well. You're right...so many colors in a red apple! I found the pic of the oak leaves with the beautiful light particularly awesome. My next favorite was the apples with the plaid thermos...and let's not even talk about those delicious donuts! Thank you so much for your insight. I agree...the light in the fall is the BEST!
Posted by: Laura Crandall Greig | 09/01/2018 at 06:04 AM
Wanda, I love your apple projects. There is something about fruit inspired cards, love them...throw in fall and it is perfection.
Your photography is always beautiful.
Posted by: ~amy~ | 09/01/2018 at 05:34 AM
Me too, I live for Autumn as well! I’m really excited to see your projects coming for the Fall Season!! Awesome watercolor apples!!
Posted by: Tami | 09/01/2018 at 05:30 AM
Beautiful photos Wanda! And lovely cards too! Fall is my favorite season. We've had a wonderful summer here in Minnesota. A bit too warm for my taste. Guess that's why I prefer Fall. Cool nights. The flowers are getting tired & im tired of watering! Have a great weekend!
Posted by: Nan | 09/01/2018 at 04:59 AM
Wonderful photography and cards. I love fall too and all the fall colors. Thanks for sharing. Now I want to visit Apple Hill it’s been too long
Posted by: Maureen sala | 09/01/2018 at 04:23 AM
Hi Wanda, your cards are so sweet. Your photos are amazing. We live in Annapolis Valley, in N.S. and we are the "apple capital" of our area so I am very familiar with the beauty of apples/orchards and apple blossoms. Spring & fall are my fav seasons. It has been so hot here this summer I am more than a little thankful that fall is fast approaching.
We are spending the weekend at home, puttering around and will be dog sitting for our son & DIL. It will be nice and relaxing.
I hope you have a relaxing weekend as well.
Posted by: Teresa Doyle | 09/01/2018 at 03:39 AM