Paper Sweeties September Inspiration Challenge #24 - Happy Fall

Hello again!  I'm super excited to be back guest designing with Debbie and her lovely Paper Sweeties crew for the month of October.  They're starting things off right with the beautiful, inspiration board challenge below.  I've used it to inspire a card for my sweet girl's upcoming birthday.  She loves the Sweeties so!  Enjoy!

I started this card by trimming the top of a piece of green, polka dot, patterned paper with a strip of yellow, heart, patterned paper; framing them with White cardstock; and anchoring them with white-threaded, straight and zig-zag, machine stitches respectively.  I then adhered them to the Kraft, cardstock, card face; stamped a chalkboard tag, in White ink, with the "Hey Punkin'!  Happy Birthday" sentiment; and adhered it, with foam tape, in the center of the card face.

It was then trimmed with a Cupcake seam binding ribbon bow, dressed up with a simple, orange, stripe, ribbon bow, as well as a bit of lace, lone pearl, and felt leaves, which were die cut out and stitched down their centers for added interest.

The apple basket and pumpkins, as well as Emma and the bottom half of her fall ensemble were all stamped, in Jet Black ink, on White cardstock; colored with pencils and mineral spirits; hand cut out; and adhered, some with foam tape, in their present positions.  Emma's wrap was stamped, in Jet Black ink, on a yellow floral print and hand cut out.

Finally, I die-cut a "6" from Daffodil Delight cardstock, glittered it, and tucked it in behind the fall produce to complete the look.

Can't wait to see how y'all are inspired by Challenge #24!  Obviously, the palette played a role in my creation, but the fall scene spilled over onto it as well.

Link up by the end of the month for the chance to win a shopping spree in the Paper Sweeties Shoppe, as well as a Guest Designer invitation for the next challenge.  Also, please be sure to stop by these inspirational blogs to see what the Design Team has created just for your viewing pleasure.  Thanks so much for stopping by, and have an uber blessed October, friends!  Hugs!

Amber Kroening

Annette Allen

Annette Witherspoon

Char Cundy

Debbie Marcinkiewicz

Jinny Newlin (You're here!)

Kerin Sylvester

Larissa Heskett 
Lisa Elton
Lysa Rohrer

Maria Patrick

Michelle Bala
Mynnette Kitchen

Nancy Penir
Tammy Hobbs

October Guest Designer: Nance Salkeld

Oh!  And can I just say, "Let's go, Royals!"?

{Supplies & Tools}

Stamps: You're Invited, Sweeties Wagon, The Splendor of Autumn, Stand Add-On: Fall Harvest, & Emma (Paper Sweeties) Paper: White & Kraft (Wplus9); yellow heart (Fancy Pants); yellow floral (Jenni Bowlin); Daffodil Delight & green polka dot (SU!) Ink: Jet Black (Ranger); Jet Black (StazOn); White (SU!) Other: white thread (Coats & Clark); sewing machine (Janome); Coming Up Roses, Banner Trio, & Modern Numbers dies (Wplus9); Big Shot (Sizzix); Dazzling Diamonds (SU!); pencils (Prismacolor); mineral spirits (Inky Antics); foam tape (Scrapbook Adhesives); chalkboard tag (MME); Cupcake seam binding ribbon (Paper Sweeties); pearl (sei); orange stripe ribbon (Maya Road); lace (Paper Studio); felt (Scrapbook Page)

For the Love of Books

Happy Monday, friends!  I'm thrilled to say that our driveway installation went off without a hitch, and it really does look amazing.  My hubby is so excited for the snow to come this year.  What a breeze shoveling will be!  My big kiddo can't wait to cruise around it on his bike.  Adina is thrilled to have a larger surface for all her chalk doodles, and while I'll totally enjoy the convenience of a paved driveway, my biggest hope is that, when we're ready, it'll make our home that much more saleable.  Without further adieu and since the last day of the month is quickly approaching, my September For the Love of Books pick was chosen in honor of one of my family's favorite times of the year, apple picking season.  It is written for children ages three to seven and a beautiful picture of what so many American children today may never fully comprehend, the value of hard work.

Apple Picking Time, written by Michele Benoit Slawson and illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray, is a book about its name sake; and "when it's apple picking time, everyone has to help."  Anna's town leaves their day jobs behind and sets out for the orchard before dawn.  Quick work is made of getting the apples from their trees into the bins and onto the tractor, as the heat and exhaustion will set in after lunch.  As those bins are filled, the proud picker receives a half-moon punch in his purple ticket.  In all the years Anna has helped her family pick apples, she has never had her ticket punched, but she longs for this to be her year.  So, she puts all the things she's been taught into practice; but while lunchtime brings a precious peek into the love Anna and her family share for one another, she still doesn't have a punch in her ticket.  By the end of the day and as people begin to pack up and head home, celebrations can be heard, amidst the silent rows, for one, little girl whose hard work has finally paid off.

Thanks so much for reading and for sharing in my love for good children's literature!  Speaking of, I'm off to cuddle in with my kiddos for a little reading of my own before rest time.  Have a wonderful week!  XOXO

The Studio Scraplift Challenge

Morning, friends!  Just stopping by, on this beautiful Sunday, to share my take on The Studio's latest challenge, which is to scraplift a member of our Design Team.  Here goes.

I started this page by securing a large, vellum triangle, with white-threaded, straight, machine stitches, near the top left corner of the kraft, triangle, base page.  I then layered lots of color-coordinating papers, near center of the design, to ground my photos, which were matted with Whisper White cardstock and adhered in their present positions.  Many of those papers were anchored with more white-threaded, straight, machine stitches; and the far left photo was wrapped with a bit of leftover fabric, tied in a bow, and flanked with both a kraft, typography number and "capture the moment" sticker.

I then tucked a white doily and an "always" tab under the collections' top edge and paired them with a "JUST PASSING THE TIME" cardstock sticker, as well as a "BEST OF FRIENDS" cut phrase.

Under the groupings' bottom edge, I tucked a kraft journaling label, upon which I wrote, January 4, 2014.  I then topped it with both a "SATURDAY" banner, grounded with a bright pink button, laced with white string, and "happiness defined" sticker.

A hand-cut, from patterned paper, "&" centers my "you & ME" title, which was created from a Cameo-cut, from Whisper White cardstock, "you" and chipboard Thickers.  A bit of shimmer and shine and a sweet, little, rubon kitten...

turn our attention to the journaling, which reads, Braving the cold temps to give Toby a little love @ Grandpa and Grandma's.

A handful of snowflake sequins and single, pink, crochet bloom complete the look.

I was inspired by the stunning, multi-photo design and trendy, big triangle on Anastasia's take for our August Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge.

Don't forget to stop by our Scraplift Challenge post to check out all the inspiring pages from the rest of the team.  Can't wait to see what you all cook up!  Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a wonderful week!

{Supplies & Tools}
Paper: Whisper White & aqua floral (SU!); vellum (Paper Studio); "&", multicolored triangles, kraft triangles, & pink scallops (Crate Paper); teal arrow (MME); aqua gingham (Lilybee Design); "DATE DUE" (Jenni Bowlin) Ink: Black PITT artist pen (Faber Castell) Other: white thread (Coats & Clark); sewing machine (Janome); doily, pink polka dot fabric ribbon, & white string (Hobby Lobby); snowflake sequins (Jenni Bowlin); "JUST PASSING THE TIME" cardstock sticker & "BEST OF FRIENDS" cut phrase (Crate Paper); "always" tab (Pink Paislee); kraft typography circle & scallop label (Maya Road); "capture the moment" sticker (K&Company); "happiness defined" sticker (Chic Tags); crochet bloom, Dazzling Diamonds, & button (SU!); foam tape (Scrapbook Adhesives); kitten rubon (Dear Lizzy); Cameo (Silhouette); kraft chipboard Thickers (American Crafts); "SATURDAY" banner (MME)

Friday Faves

Happy Friday, y'all!  What a week it's been in our neck of the woods!  I'm so ready for the weekend and super excited to be starting it with a new driveway being poured in my front yard.  We've had a gravel drive since we moved in nine years ago.  So, it's long overdue, especially because the sidewalk entering it got crushed by a heavy truck a long time ago and has been gradually disappearing ever since.  I'm just hoping it all looks as beautiful when it's done as I have pictured in my head.  We haven't had a lot of luck with contractors.  Anyway, let's kick off this edition of my Friday Faves with a Hand Painted 16 oz. Mug from Morning Sunshine Shop.  It's simply too funny but oh, so true.  LOL!

With fall now in full swing, I couldn't help sharing these darling Hand Knit Pumpkins from Luna Cab Co.  There's just something about chubby, round pumpkins that I adore, and the texture of these ones makes them simply irresistible.

Wild Garden Designs' Golden Acorn Earrings would be the perfect addition to just about any fall ensemble.

I happened upon a little shop called A Flair for Buttons early this month and fell in love.  Try as I might, I couldn't pick just one favorite set to share here.  I love them all!  Matter of fact, her shop is so full of delicious flair buttons, that I didn't even have time to make it through every page; but I love Owl Love, Camping Extra, and Chalkboard School Days.  Swoon!

And I know it's a bit early for Christmas features, but Simple Stories' Cozy Christmas 12x12 Collection Kit has completely captured my attention.  I adore the timeless patterns, playful stickers, and versatile journaling bits.  Sigh.  It couldn't be any more perfect for this homespun, country-loving girl.  Love!

That's all, for this month, friends.  I apologize that a few of the specific bits aren't linked up.  A number of the Etsy shops featured this month decided to go on vacation before I was able to do so.  When they do come back online, I'll be sure to get you those links.  Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to humor me with a visit!  I'm off to check on our driveway progress ;).  Have an amazing weekend, friends!  Hugs!

Weekend Snapshots

Hey, friends!  Just popping in to share a few pics from our annual apple-picking weekend, but before I get to that, we made a little trip to the Natural History Museum, with my hubby's sister and her family, a couple of weekends back.  It's on the University of Kansas' campus in Lawrence, Kansas, and they just so happened to be in town for a wedding.

So, we met up with them there for an afternoon of fun exploring four floors worth of exhibits, featuring live animals and insects and displays of fossils and Kansas wildlife.  The museum also had a special event on bones.

So, my kiddos made their way through all the stations, including one where they dug through owl pellets in search of treasures.  They both found a mouse skull and, overall, learned so much about the plants and animals of North America.

We then said goodbye for now...

and, as a family, made our way to Massachusetts Street to visit our favorite toy store before getting dinner at my all-time favorite pizza place ever, Pyramid Pizza...

and heading home.

This past Monday, we traveled to St. Joseph, Missouri, to visit the Patee House Museum which was once a luxury hotel built in 1858.

It served as the Pony Express headquarters from 1860 to 1861 and was used as the Provost Marshall's office during the Civil War, as well as a sewing factory during the Industrial Revolution.  Today, it houses all kinds of fascinating information about the history of St. Joe, as well as the most elaborate artifact collection I've ever seen in one place.

Adina's favorite part was riding the vintage carousel...

and I was completely enthralled with this lace loom.

It also sets just one block away from the home of the infamous outlaw Jesse James.

We then got lunch at our favorite little diner, Pappy's, before heading out to Schweizer Orchards.

We picked approximately 80 pounds of apples specifically for the purpose of making apple butter in mind, but there'll be plenty leftover for all of our other favorite apple treats, including pureeing some for this little bear.

Apple cider to go around and a pumpkin for our front step wrapped up our purchases and another fun trip to the orchard.

I, once again, apologize for the silence around here.  It seems one of us gets better just before somebody else comes down with something new.  Fortunately, we're not passing the ickies around.  Unfortunately, the ickies keep finding us, and sick kiddos means a lack of sleep for Mom, which, in turn, leads to little time for blogging.  But I will be back tomorrow to round up this month's Friday Faves, and I've whipped up a number of fun projects to start the month of October out right.  Thanks so much for checking in on us, y'all!  Blessings on you!

Color Me Scrappy Challenge #70

Note: Love to have you scroll down to check out my Stuck?! September 15th Sketch post scheduled earlier this morning.  Thanks!

Hello again, friends!  I know.  I know.  Three pages in two days!  What's going on?  LOL!  Nevertheless, I am back to share my take on Color Me Scrappy's latest palette.  Here goes.

I started this page by layering a number of color-coordinating, patterned papers, most of which were anchored with brown-threaded, straight, machine stitches, as well as a yummy new cut file, which I cut from vellum, across the center of my wren, base page.  After matting my photos with Whisper White cardstock and securing them in their present positions, I stamped a kraft envelope, in Riding Hood Red, Lucky Limeade, and Early Espresso inks, with a trio of apples and tucked it in behind the left photo.  A cardstock sticker and tag, laced with Baker's Twine, tied in a bow, round out its top edge...

and a vintage advertisement and silhouette flashcard create the backdrop for my "Apple Pickin'" title, which was created with red, glitter alphas.

A "date:" Friday, Sept. 27, '13, Schweizer Orchards label and handful of feathers, hand cut from patterned paper, top that same photo and complete the left column.

I then tucked a "THIS TOTALLY HAPPENED:" journaling card in behind my right photo and topped it with a chipboard cloud, house sticker, and bit of vintage flair.  A "FRIDAY" pennant, hand cut from patterned paper, completes the top corner.

A roll a dex card guides the eye down the right side of the photo towards an "eleven" journaling card and "this is the day {heart}", sticker pennant which complete the look.

Further inspiration for this page came from Let's Capture Our Memories' Sketch #87...

and here's your Challenge #70 palette to get you started.  We're looking for you to include something, on your pages, that signifies fall to you.  Every fall we go apple picking.  We pick nearly 80 pounds of apples.  Then, we spend an entire Saturday making and canning apple butter to give as gifts for Christmas and throughout the year.  Yum!

Be sure to stop by the challenge link above to see what our talented team has created for your viewing pleasure.  As always, you have until the 28th of each month to link up your takes and are playing for the opportunity to guest design with our talented team.  Thanks for stopping by!  Have a fantastic work week, y'all!

{Supplies & Tools}
Stamps: Tart & Tangy (SU!) Paper: Whisper White (SU!); vellum (Paper Studio); wren, feather, & cherry (Jenni Bowlin); red chevron (Jillibean Soup); arrow & aqua polka dot (MME) Ink: Early Espresso, Riding Hood Red, & Lucky Limeade (SU!); Black PITT artist pen (Faber Castell) Other: brown thread (Coats & Clark); sewing machine (Janome); Arrows with Attitude cut file (The Cut Shoppe); Cameo (Silhouette); foam tape (Scrapbook Adhesives); tag (Crate Paper); Baker's Twine (Clean Country Paper Supplies); "FRIDAY" pennant, "THIS TOTALLY HAPPENED:" journaling card, "$5" cardstock sticker, & "date:" label (MME); chipboard cloud (October Afternoon); vintage flair (Paper Bakery); house & "this is the day {heart}" cardstock stickers (Simple Stories); vintage "QUEEN SEAL" wrap & "Run" flashcard (Jenni Bowlin); glitter letters (KI Memories); kraft envelope (Maya Road); "eleven" journaling card (Elle's Studio); roll a dex card (Lilybee Design)