Kitty with Squirrel

Hello, everyone.  Today I made a card for someone special, and I've so happy with how it turned out.  I was inspired to make this card by a challenge (see details below), and once I got started, I really got into the groove.  I used several of my new dies that I got for my birthday last week - thank you, Brian. 

Here are the supplies used:

• Stamps:  Elsie with Squirrel (Wild Rose Studio), leaves (Clearly Besotted Leafy Accents)
• Sentiment:  Create with TLC
• Ink:  Versafine - Onyx Black and Vintage Sepia, Stampin' Up! - Green Galore and Tempting Turquoise
• Dies:  Clearly Besotted Leafy Accents, La-La Land Grass Border, Memory Box Moonlight Butterfly and Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Simon Says Stamp Allegro Corner, Spellbinders Labels Twenty-two, Nellie's Multi-frames Ovals
• Cardstock:  Recollections
• Patterned paper:  Recess of Carson Dellosa
• Die cuts:  Recollections
• Accents:  Acorn (Jolee's Boutique), gems (Want2Scrap, Dollarama), flowers (Crafts Canada), ribbon (Multicraft Imports), twine (American Crafts), leaf charm (candy won from Kaia Hobilehekulg - thank you, Kaia)

I was inspired by the "Anything Goes about Me" challenge at Dreamtime Designs, and it took a bit of thought to decide how I was going to design my creation.  The challenge is a fairly involved one and consists of 3 parts:

Challenge - Part A:

Answer the following five questions:

1) Where do you live?  I love in a small town on the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada.

2) What do you love most about where you live?  What I love most about where I live is the beauty of nature that surrounds me.  Although I live in the middle of town, I am just minutes away from a woodland park where I love to walk.  More on that later.

3) Who do you share this special place with?  I share my home with my two cats, Honeydew and Kiwi.  Anyone who follows my blog knows how much I love cats, and many of my cards are inspired by my love of cats.  This is also reflected in the card I present to you today, as is my love of nature.  Returning to the question, I also have a frequent guest in  my home, namely, my loving and supportive BF Brian. 

4) What is your favourite season there and why?  My favourite season is early fall, mid-September to mid-October.  One of the reasons I love it is that it starts to cool down and it's great for walking - one of my favourite activities. 

5) What is your most loved thing to do or place to visit and why?  My favourite place in the whole world is the woodland park I mentioned earlier.  Last summer when I became unemployed I walked there nearly every day.  It really helped me get back in touch with who I am.  I now walk there at least once a week and sometimes more.  Why do I love this park so much?  Because it is peaceful, quiet, and spacious, and I love the fresh air.  When I walk there, it's like I have the whole park to myself.  I do occasionally meet another walker on the path but many times I can walk around the park and not see a soul.  And although I do enjoy a mindful walk alone, I mostly enjoy walking with my friends.  My other favourite walking buddy is Brian.  It's a lot of fun when I walk with him because he enjoys feeding the squirrels.  He hands out peanuts, and the squirrels love it.  After doling out the nuts, we double back along the center path, and if we're lucky, we'll see a squirrel with a peanut in its mouth - I laugh out loud every time I see this.   

Challenge Part B:

Create your design / project that reflects the questions above.  My design reflects my answers to the questions above in that I have included a cat (reflecting my love of cats), a squirrel (representing the enjoyment of my woodland park walks), flowers, butterflies, grass (for my love of nature), acorn and leaves (reflecting my love of early fall). 

Challenge Part C:

Take a photo or two of anything that relates to your above discussion so that they can be included in your challenge blog post.   Below are three photos of the park, all featuring squirrels (the second and third photo were taken by Brian).  I've also included a photo of my two kitties. 

This photo shows the beauty of the park - and there's also
a squirrel in the middle of the path.

 

Squirrel on rock at the park.

Close-up of squirrel at park entrance.

 

My kitty inspiration:  Kiwi and Honeydew

I would like to enter the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create #43 Anything Goes with Optional Twist Paper Piecing 3E #2
A Creative Romance Metal Mania (leaf charm) 3E #1
Blessings Ink Amusing Challenge Anything Goes 2E #2
Brown Sugar #65 Autumn 2E #1
Card Crafter's Circle #98 Autumn Splendour 3E #1
Challenges 4 Everybody #32 Anything Goes 5E #3
C.R.A.F.T. #230 Recipe:  1 or more die cuts, 2 or more designer papers, 3 or more embellishments, glitter or bling (got it all) 5E #3
Craftin' Boutique #13 Anything Goes 3E #3
Craftin' Desert Divas #18 Anything Goes 8E #2
Crafty Creations Challenges Make It Yourself 2E #1
Crafty Hands #1 Anything Goes 3E #3
Crafty Sentiments Anything Goes 3E #2

Create with TLC #5 Show it Off Sunday UE

Creative Inspirations Paint Anything Goes UE

Cuttlebug Mania Autumn (Cuttlebug is my only cutting/embossing tool - I used to only emboss until I discovered dies a few months ago, and now I'm crazy for dies - in this card I used Clearly Besotted Leafy Accents, La-La Land Grass Border, Memory Box Moonlight Butterfly and Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Simon Says Stamp Allegro Corner, Spellbinders Labels Twenty-two, Nellie's Multi-frames Ovals)  3E #1

Delightful Challenges Winged Things 1E

Designed to Colour Tie it Up (twine tied in bow on charm) UE

Die Cut Divas Animals and Autumn 4E #1

Die Cuttin' Divas Anything Goes 3E #1

DL.ART Thankful Thursday October Linky Party Anything Goes UE

Dreamtime Designs Craft Challenge #1 Anything Goes About Me - The Designer Behind the Project

Flower Love Delice Halloween/Autumn must use flowers UE

Fashionable Stamping #59 Make a Card 3E #3

Hanna and Friends #183 Anything Goes UE

Hiding in My Craftroom #121 Use a Critter 3E #2

Just B Creative Crazy Oct. Linky Party Just Because/Anything Goes UE 1 per day

Lacy Sunshine #20 Anything Goes 3E #2

LEJ Designs #77 Anything Goes 3E #2

Magnolia-licious Anything Goes with Magnolia, Wee, or Wild Rose Studio 3E #1

My Craft Creations Oct.21-Nov.2 Anything Goes UE

Oldie but a Goodie Charming - Add a charm (the oldie on this project is the patterned paper - had for about 5 years) 3E #1

Paper Crafting Journey Anything Goes 3E #3
Papertake Weekly Sketch Free for All (I used Sketch #42 below) 5E #1
Parade Your Crafts #7 Halloween and/or Autumn 2E #1
Party Time Tuesdays #144 Anything Goes 2E #2
Pile It On #43 Embellishment Crazy UE
Ribbon Carousel RCC86 Fall and Halloween UE
Scrapbook Stamp Society #25 Anything Goes with Option Use Kraft 3E
Scribble and Scrap #4 Anything Goes 3E #3
Simon Says Stamp Monday Anything Goes 5E #2
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Anything Goes 5E #1
Sister Act (Cards Only) Anything Goes UE
Sweet Stampin' Wood, Trees, or Leaves (I used leaves) 2E #1
Tammy's Scrapin' Corner #86 Anything Goes 2E #2
The Corrosive Challenge Tic Tac Toe (see below - I went with dies, image stamp, and metal/charm but I think I've achieved every square on your Tic Tact Toe LOL) 3E #2
The Crazy Challenge #157 B is for... Butterfly, Blue, Bling 4E #1
The Cutie Pie Challenge Cute plus Embellishment Bingo (see below - I went with flowers, charm, card candi) 3E #1
The Hobby House #5 Roses 3E #1
The Paper Nest Dolls #16 Anything Goes 2E #2
The Rubber Buggy Challenge #12 Charm it Up UE
Through the Craftroom Door Oct.29-Nov.4 Anything Goes 2E #2
Twisted Tuesday 2TC62 Free for All 3E #1
Use it Tuesday #66 Creatures (the hoarded item on this card is the sparkly blue flowers - I've had them for several years and I only use them once in a while) UE
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes with Uplifting Sentiment 5E #1

Papertake Weekly - Sketch #42

The Cutie Pie Challenge - Embellishment Bingo

Thank you for looking at my card - I enjoy your comments.  Wishing you a wonderful day of crafting.