Friday, November 2, 2012

Jellypark GDT

Today is a first for me. I am  so tickled to be guest designing for the Jellypark Friends Friday Challenges! The theme for this week is Back to Nature. Now, for those of you who know me really well, you will be laughing hysterically at this. For those of you who don't, I don't really want to explain. But I will.

I am like the last person you will find out in nature. Unless, of course, there is an ocean nearby. Then, Calgon, take me away: I am in that water, snorkeling, if at all possible. But, if it is just going outside to sit, unless I am in the shade, you won't find me. If it is hikes on trails, you won't find me. If it is gardening, you won't find me. If it is riding a bike, you won't find me. If it is sitting on a beach, under a shady umbrella, you may find me. That's kinda the way I am. A house potato.

So, in doing a back to nature theme, I had to take myself back about 50 years. I was raised in the Montana Rockies, in Whitefish, to be exact. As a child I was outside all the time. My parents had trouble getting me to come home. Unless I was deep into a book. Otherwise, I was always doing something outdoors: roller skating, bicycling, sneaking to Whitefish Lake to swim, (and getting spanked for it later), playing softball, and in the winter, sledding and ice skating. So what happened? I think I'd need to lie down on a psychiatrist's couch to figure that out, because I have no idea. All I know is I quit the great outdoors when I got to be a teenager, and my family moved to Minnesota. Perhaps the shock of going from a small town to a big city did it. I am really not sure.

Anyway, I thought about what I loved seeing outside as a kid, and it was always the animals. Even the bears. From a distance. We didn't have the same kind of squirrels in our area as we saw in Minnesota. In Montana they were chipmunks, tons of them. Saw them in the trees pretty much everywhere. Just too cute, even though they are from the rodent family, and I really wouldn't want to get bitten by one.

So I thought I would do a rodent squirrel for my back-to-nature themed card today. I think this Jellypark digi, "Squirrel, I'm Nuts About You" is darling, and I had to color him up. Or down. But mostly up. He was printed on Make It Colour blending card. I brayered the background for him. Everything else was created with paper from a distressed piece of Authentique's Thankful collection, and card stock from Stampin' Up and Bazzill. I added a Memory Box Orchard Tree Frame die-cut around him. I also used a Memory Box Acorn die, as well as a La-La Land corner flourish, and several leaves from a Spellbinders leaf die. Then I finished die-cutting with a Spellbinders Classic Circle die and a Labels 8 die for framing my sentiment from Create with TLC, which I modified slightly by paper-piecing the acorn. A bit of baker's twine behind the frame, and I'd call him done.

He was shockingly, (oh, not really) colored with Copics: E04, E07, E09, E15, E17, E19, E40, E41, E42, E43, E44, E47, E49, E81, E84, E87, W00, W0, W2, W4, W6. If you are familiar with Copics, you will note I used colors mostly from the Earth collection, which was quite fitting for the theme, don't you think? I did a small bit of accenting with a white gel pen.

That's it for me. Over and out. But not before I encourage you to show us your back-to-nature side. Looking forward to seeing what you create!


14 comments:

  1. Penny, love your beautiful card! We have so many squirrels in our backyard it is terrible. Your coloring is incredible.

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  2. so cute Penny, love the colors nd gorgeous leaves dies!
    hugs
    céline

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  3. Hey Penny, I enjoyed your story. Love this cute little card with your accents and LO. Super job!

    :)
    Judy

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  4. Gorgeous card, Penny! Love the design and the perfectly colored image! It's all just too cute! Loved your story, as always! I didn't know you grew up in Whitefish! I've been there once when my bestie used to live in Stevensville, MT. Beautiful country! Congrats on your GDT spot! Hugs!

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  5. Congratulations on your GD spot at Jelly Park Friends, Penny. Your card is adorable and I love those die cuts.
    Blessing hugs,
    Teresa

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  6. Darling card Penny. The image is too sweet and love your gorgeous coloring. Great detail with the leaves and the great tree die. You made a fantastic card and I love it.

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  7. Well, firstly I have to say how much I've missed your novellas this last week! Secondly, I absolutely love this card!!! So very cute with that adorable image (congrats on the Guest DT btw) and the sky/grass look amazing :)

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  8. Congrats on the GD spot at Jelly Park Friends this month, Penny! This card is absolutely adorable. Such a sweet scene and perfect combo of elements. Your "outdoor" transformation story gave me a smile this morning. I guess I'm the opposite. Who could resist the outdoors living in Alaska??

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  9. Congrats on the guest spot Penny!! Your card is gorgeous!!! What a fun little scene you have created.
    xx,
    Brenda

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  10. Congrats on GDT, Sweet and cute, beautiful design and fabulous coloring. Thanks for visiting and leaving the sweet luv.
    Hugs
    Berni
    berni46blogspot.

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  11. Best oldest sister BarbaraNovember 8, 2012 at 6:04 PM

    What? Another great card? How strange! Seriously, it's really so cute and the oak leaves are wonderful. Great scene.

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  12. Oh my heck!!!! How cute is that little squirrel? Answer: Very cute.

    Great coloring, lovely use of die cuts, and a great color scheme.

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  13. Aww, that little squirrel is so cute. I want to pet him! Great card!

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Thank you for visiting my blog! I appreciate the kind comments more than I can say! :^)
Hugs, Penny