It's Sugar Baby and Artful Sentiment copic Challenge time!

AH!  I forgot to get this post on automatic yesterday!!  Sorry I'm late!!  Here is my card for this week's challenges.   This week I combined the challenges.  The colors for the copic challenge seen to the left inspired leaves.....right?!  I'm STILL wishing that I was in New England so see the beautiful fall colors.   Personal Interlude:   Last night we went to a new place to eat.....I had a coupon for $25 (you had to spend $35).  It was a BBQ place.  I'v e been hankering to have some Yankee Smokehouse BBQ since last year in New Hampshire so when I saw the Smoky Mountain BBQ I thought.......hmmmmm......maybe it will be as good as Yankee....     Wow......Nothing could be further from the truth.  The 'restaurant' ended up being an order window inside a bar.  At least in Oregon you can't smoke inside any building anymore.....thank goodness....or I would have had to leave.  The meatloaf wasn't too bad.....but almost every bit had something unchewable.  The brisket sandwich was FULL of fat.....ewwww.  The 1/2 rack of pork ribs wasn't too bad but lacked any real BBQ taste and the middle of the rack was cold.  The black beans were fair to midland but the potatoe wedges and sweet potatoe fries were fine.  I had two gift certificates to go there but I don't think we'll use the second one. 

Okay.....back to stamping.    After I decided I wanted leaves, I grabbed Sweet N Sassy's Autumn set which is drawn by Chris Dickinson.  I did use my blender to lighten the colors a little so they would look a little more leafish!  This sketch layout is from the Sweet N Sassy Sweet Spot blog....you can click on it to the left on my sidebar.  The long piece below the image is a Technique Junkie technique called Painted Mesh.  I used gesso instead of acrylic and toned it down with sponging.  The card ended up being a little dark but I guess it made the image stand out that way, right!  Around the image I also used TJ's Rubber Thwamping.....a technique that I submitted.  I think the technique has been around a while though.  I just love the texture that it can give....much different than sponging AND it is easy to clean off to reuse.  The maple leaf brad was a embellishment that I frankly forgot I had!  I have a slew of brads in different shapes that I got at the last Hot off the Press warehouse sale (locally) and I had them stored in those divided containers......I just never remember to look in there!!  Hope you enjoy this week's ramblings!