WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND YOU...

...WHAT DO YOU SEE?  This was an exercise I gave myself last evening, while sitting at my craft table.  I relaxed, cleared my head (as best I could) and let my mind wander.  My "mantra" was to create what was in me to create rather than using a style I was used to, colors I might prefer or tools I am comfortable with.  When I opened my eyes, my hands just went for certain papers, inks, tools and accessories.  My table was covered with items I wondered what "they" would create.  So, I did the normal cut the paper, scor it and again - stop.  My mind was not in charge of this and my history certainly wasn't at play.  There was nothing familiar in what I was about to (as I later discovered) do.  This card is dedicated to breaking the mold, stepping out of the comfort zone, becoming what you were not (yet) 5 minutes ago!  You may find yourself, like I did, quite pleased with the results.  SQUISHY HUGS.

Goodies:

TECHNIQUE:  I laid down a Glimmer Mist Stencil (actually 2 of them, one on top of the other) and started sponging all around them.  First Olive Green, Then a bit of Pumpkin, Then a mix of chocolate, cocoa and yellow.  I found something developing...it seemed to me the color wanted to extend from the top of the tree outward.  I took my sponge and "swept" outward, using a combination of pumpkin and yellow.  I sponged a tad of olive green and brown at the base of the sweeping where needed.  I then took a stamp from the Basic Grey Indian Summer Set and laid down cocoa branches.  They felt barren so I added a variety of colors to bring them out.  The bird, also from the stamp set, asked to be in similar hues to the highlights in the branch.  I used Copics to fill in the bird, yellows to be exact.  The acorn stamps are also from the stamp set.  I wanted the drama of full size acorns beneath the tree, along with a seed branch.  I stamped them in cocoa and filled them with Copics.  The seeds were then covered with Glass Effects and the acorns were covered with Spica Pen in Copper Color.  The bird also is colored, on top of the Copics, with red and orange Spica Pens.  The paper at the top inside of the card (and also the theme inside the card) is from Basic Grey Indian Summer.  The trim is punched from a Martha punch.  The trim on the card is also from the Basic Grey Indian Summer Paper Pack.  The brads are from Bo Bunny Melody Icandy Brads while the flower and tree ornaments are also Basic Grey's complimentary accessories to Indian Summer.  Once finished the color portion of the card, I highlighted certain portions of the card with Gold Leaf Gel Pen.  And finally, the stamp I used for "happiness" is from Stampin Up and is called Warm Words.  The Word is stamped with Chocolate Ink from Close to My Heart.

Paper: Basic Grey Indian Summer, Kraft, Barely Banana (SU)

Ink: Rose Red, Dusty Durango, River Rock, Olive Green, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Groovy Guava (SU), Chocolate (CTMH)

Punch: Martha

Stamp: Warm Words, Basic Grey Indian Summer

Accessories: Glossy Accents, Basic Grey Stick Ons, Gold Gel Pen, Blender Pen.