Warm Autumn Wishes

Hey there, blog friends!!  So, I thought I was going to create & post a card each day this week...but I ended up practicing my watercolor skills instead.  Traditional art has never come easy for me.  I can push paper & layers of embellishments around a card base & stamp like a pro....but I've never been good at the things you would do in an art class.  I actually dreaded art class in school.  When I was little, a girl that my grandma used to watch some afternoons (along with me) would make fun of the fact that I couldn't draw a heart very well.  I was really good at pretty much all subjects in school, except for art.  I never felt confident that my projects were good enough, and I actually grew up thinking that I wasn't creative.  At all.  Friends, I am a professional photographer & I've been in the paper crafting industry for a really long time!!  It's crazy to me now that I didn't consider myself a creative person until I became an adult.

There are just so many amazing artistic things that can be added to paper crafting, and I decided that I really want to start learning them!!  So- I am going through some online classes that I should have done ages ago, and am having a wonderful time.  It still isn't easy for me...painting does not come natural to me.  But I am enjoying the process so far, and I did a watercolor background with a stencil that I am actually really proud of.  It took me A LOT of tries getting it to work....lol!  This card also has a preview of a couple things that will be releasing from Winnie & Walter at the end of the month...I'm keeping my lips sealed as to what they are, but you can take a guess if you'd like! :)

I created this card with quite a few challenges in mind.  I used the Cardabilities Sketch #109 as the start to my design.  I added a bit to the bottom & changed the sentiment location, but it still resembles the sketch pretty well!  The Tag You're It #8 inspiration challenge had a cute fall themed tag in the lower right corner, so I brought that same type of element into my card.  A Blog Named Hero #54 is challenging us to use something recycled on their project...and I actually reused the paper my watercolor background was done on....I had tried something else on the other side & didn't like it.  In order to not be wasteful, I let it dry & tried again on the other side.  That time it worked for me!  Plus, the button is from an old top that had been stained...so it couldn't go to the donation pile.  I liked the buttons, so I salvaged them before tossing it!!  Simon Says Stamp & Show Monday is all about using the letter O this week, and I chose to use October & a fall theme!  And last but definitely not least, Word Art Wednesday #154 is anything goes, and I really just like sharing my projects over there! :)

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So, on Monday I talked about how I've been thinking about renewal a lot lately, & things that I want to renew in my own life.  I talked about health first...and I am happy to say that I've done really well this week.  I worked out every single day except for today (I'm not feeling very well today, and I have to shoot a wedding all day tomorrow...so I figured being low key today would be better.  I'm going to make up for missing today on Sunday!), drank a lot of water, & we mostly ate at home.  We went out to lunch a couple of times, but picked healthier options & no fast food.

Tonight I want to talk a little about what I'm doing in my crafty life.  I talked a lot about it at the beginning of the post....I'm learning new things & having a fun time doing it!!  I'm going to start taking more online classes in order to push myself & prompt myself to create more....plus I think it will just be fun to connect with other crafters while working on the same things.  I'm enjoying spending more time at my desk, and loving the new product that I've been getting from my creative teams.

I also made a really hard decision about 2 months ago.  I completely stepped down from Glitz Design.  I'm not longer the creative team coordinator/blogger/etc...and it feels like a weight has been lifted off of me.  Don't get me wrong...I LOVED the creative team.  They were a group of amazing women & crafters...& they created killer projects.  But, I didn't love the way the company started going after the change in ownership.  And because I felt like that, I knew it was time for me to bow out.  I look forward to the new adventures I have ahead of me in the paper crafting industry, and am feeling super inspired lately.

That is all I have for you tonight...I hope you enjoyed my card & my post!!  Let me know if you have any questions at all...I'm always more than willing to answer.

Until later,
~L.