Gratitude is Where You Find It

     Our new challenge at the Perfect Sentiments Challenge this week is do a card with a Thanksgiving or Autumn sentiment, and add some Baker's twine.  Our prize this week is offered by Shelly's Images.

My sketch came from A Die for a Sketch, and the image is from Digi Doodles, called "Hobo's Thanksgiving."  The Digi Doodle shop is going to be closing soon (sniff) so I went over there and bought a bunch of digis before they're gone forever.

     I thought this image was a great reminder that we all need to be grateful for what we have, because it's probably a lot more than many others have.   I didn't do a lot of coloring, wanting to leave the hobo looking a bit vague and 'empty', but I did use pastel Promarkers on the crates and for shadowing around the figure.  I had to use a fine point, black pen on the line drawing so that it would show up a little better.  It tended to fade out without coloring.

     The sentiment is printed with a computer font.  I loved the brown, gingham check dp and found another complementary dp for the background, both from DCWV.  I pulled the tiny bits of golden orange from the background dp by matching CS for the stripes down the left side.  I added the Baker's twine, the layered flower and the leaf plus pearls, and knew it was finished.  This will make a perfect Thanksgiving card for one of the guys in my family this year.  Guys outnumber gals in my extended family more than 2 to 1, just in case you're wondering why I learned to make masculine cards!  :-D

     Challenges:
ABC Challenge -- W for Wishes (called prayers on this card)
Card and Scrap -- Use a die
Cards for Men -- Going Digital
Creative Craft Challenge -- All about the Boys
Hooked on Crafts - Cards for men
Love to Create -- Ribbon or twine
Paper Playtime -- gingham and die cut
Raise the Bar -- Celebrate fall

     I hope you're enjoying this mid-week-Wednesday.  It'll be the weekend before you know it and then you'll have time to craft something to submit to our "Thanksgiving/ Autumn with Baker's Twine" challenge.  Don't forget the sentiment!  Happy crafting.  NanaConnie

When Summer Leaves...

        At the Perfect Sentiment Challenge this week we are being sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps and we have your favorite "Anything Goes" as a challenge theme.   Bugaboo generously supplied us with images and sentiments and I chose to use "AKV (A Kid's View) Fall Leaves."

I chose to use this sketch from Operation Write Home (where this card will be going so that it can be used by one of our troops to write to loved ones back home) and the colors are from Shelly's Images.

  

     My image is colored with a combination of Copic, Promarker, and Spectrum Noir markers, then matted with CS and layered onto two dps from the Jillibean Soup 'Dutch Mustard' pad.  I did my sentiment so that the "leaves" in the image became part of the sentiment -- "When Summer Leaves."

     The twine came from Really Reasonable Ribbon and I wrapped it three times before tying a double bow.  The flower was made from different punched layers with  a brad to hold them together.  Again, clean-and-simple and easy to mail.

     Challenges:
Inspired by -- photo inspiration (fall)
Oozak -- Fall
Sparkles Forum Challenge -- Nature

     Thanks so much for visiting today.  I hope you have time to browse around a bit, and it would be great if you'd pop over to the Perfect Sentiment Challenge and see what all the others have by way of inspiration for you.  Remember to use a sentiment, and come play with us.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie