Our week of gratitude continues with more thanksgiving. Please be sure to visit
Susan and comment here and there for a chance to win one of 2 great prizes. (a gifts certificate for Shady Tree Studios & a copy of Paper Crafts Card Style and 2 Hero Arts shadow inks)
This time, I'm thanking my neighbor--again. She stopped me at the end of my morning walk recently and she said, "He told me, 'you better get those blackberries out of the freezer, Mary Dawn just headed out on her walk' so I've been watching for you at my window." Seriously? I've gone back in time, people, to a very happy place. My neighbors not only know that I take a morning walk, but they give me blackberries! That they've grown! In their yard! I love blackberries and blackberry cobbler more than a little bit, and I'd mentioned to her the week before that the first batch of blackberries that she'd snuck up on my back porch never made it into a cobbler because we gobbled them up (they are especially good in vanilla yogurt with crunchy raw sugar sprinkled on top).
It took me hours and a good 15 tries to get this card right. I love this set from Papertrey Ink and I want desperately to use it more often, but I have never been happy with how my stampings turn out. But I figured out a solution--watercolor paper. I usually use distress inks when I stamp this tree, and PTI card, of course. But the juicy distress inks + photopolymer stamps + hard card = no likey! But the watercolor paper soaks up the distress ink in such a beautiful way--I'm quite pleased with myself, can you tell? I used wild honey, spiced marmalade and fired brick for my flaming fall foliage and summer sunrise card stock to mat the focal image top and bottom. The sentiment is so lovely, to look at and to hear. I'll give it to my neighbor on today's walk, perhaps.
41 comments:
I brought some very thick, plotter paper scraps home. It soaks up the plotter ink really well; I can't wait to try it with stamping.
Another great reason to make a card...and a gorgeous one at that! What great neighbors!
BLACKBERRIES!!!! YUM!!!!
Isn't it great when you have awesome neighbors? We've lived places where the neighbors were anything but awesome, and now, we live in a wonderful neighborhood of people who support and care for each other. It perks up your whole quality of life!
The leaves on your tree are GAWGEOUS! What a lovely card for a lovely person!
Me likey:) The multi-colored leaves are gorgeous...such fab neighbors you have!
I've been very fortunate in neighbors. Over the years some of my best friends have been neighbors. They started out as new neighbors, and morphed into my best buds. What a wonderful feeling to have caring people nearby. Love that stamp set, in fact, I've just ordered it for me. Thanks for the inspiration!
Love that stamp set too! Beautiful card..I always find it more challenging to make a card for a specific person, I know how you feel when you have it in your head and just can't get it to work on paper, but I think maybe we are too hard on ourselves :)I'm sure your other 15 tries were perfectly fine! However, the end result IS really beautiful...
what a lovely card for your neighbors and how wonderful to have neighbors like that!
Beautiful card!!!! Totally FALL!!!! Glad to know I am not the only one who has numerous attempts at a card sometimes!!! lol! : )
This turned out beautiful!
I love how you used multiple colors in the leaves. So pretty!
Great card!! I'm glad that i'm not the only one that will sit there for hours trying to perfect a card!!! Great job
Beautiful, beautiful! I love how neighbors look out for each other!
I love your idea of using watercolour paper for the image - I will have to try that as I've had the same problem with really juicy ink pads and PTI stamps.
Your description of blackberry cobbler and blackberries with yogurt made me suddenly hungry and I only just got out of bed (I'm on the west coast so it's first thing in the morning - don't want you to think I'm a lazy layabout!).
The variegation on the leaves is outstanding. Makes me wish we had real fall colors here.
Oh my gosh, those leaves are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing such a beautiful card!
Thanks for telling us how many tries it took - I often wonder if I'm the only one that suffers a little trial and error while designing (LOL). I love the color palette in this card - it's one of those cards that just make you smile! TFS
What great neightbors and a great card! :) Thanks for sharing!!
Good old-fashioned neighbourliness! And such a lovely card with warm colours - from a warm heart!
Just beautiful! Love the color of the leaves. They are perfect! And I am "jealous" (in a good way) of your thoughtful neighbors! Enjoy the yummy treats...
Your card is beautiful! Thank you cards are always my favorite to make. There something special about thanking others. It makes you both feel good. *Ü*
Fabulous card--I really like how you stamped and colored and watercolor paper. I love blackberries too!
What gorgeous colors you chose for your fall foliage! I'm so glad that you have kind and caring neighbors!
WOW, Mary Dawn, this is gorgeous! I love how you stamped the leaves!
Love this! The tree is so beautiful! But you know what I am enjoying more than your gorgeous creations? I am enjoying reading who you are thankful for and your stories! Amazing!
Thanks for the tip on that stamp since I have that set now too! Tell your neighbours to send some my way...we had such a cold summer that almost none of our berries made it!
BTW, your card is sure purdy!
Mmmm, all that talk of blackberries makes me hungry for some!
I hear what you're saying about blackberries -- they rarely make it past the eat them raw stage in our house either! Your card is gorgeous. I've only had success with distress inks and clear stamps when I use versamark first... I'll have to try watercolour paper.
I think your tree turned out grand! I wish the tree outside our house would keep its leaves longer but it seems like the minute that they stop being green they fall to the ground.
Terrific card! Love the fall colors! Thanks for the tip on the paper too!
DeniseB
Oh, I love the colors you chose for this card! And of course, that PTI stamp set is gorgeous. Must CASE this card at the first opportunity -- THANKS!
The tree on your card shimmers - I love how it looks. You are blessed with very good neighbors, and I think they are blessed to have you as a neighbor as well!
I love those leaves..so gorgeous! And the sentiment..super super!
Blackberries are yummy and oh how I wish I had such nice neighbors! Right now I think I have the absolute worse there are, so be so grateful for them! I am sure they will appreciate your beautiful card! Thanks for sharing with us too!
lovely card!! i love the colours!
how pretty....like the layout....
I love the sentiment and fall colors. Beautiful card.
What great neighbors and a great card for them.
Wonderful colours on the leaves!
What a beautiful tree and beautifully stamped! I love that layer of yellow peeking out from behind with the punched border!
Love the colours on the tree, and thanks for the tip, will have to have a go! :)
I'm going to have to try watercolor paper. I love how your card looks.
Great fall colors/idea ~ TFS!
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