Sunday, November 15, 2015

Christmas Dahlias

So...I started walking to work. Wait! Before you congratulate me on my road to fitness....I have to be totally honest. I walk PART way to work. I DRIVE to a nearby park (Leif Erickson Park). I leave my car there and walk the rest of the way to work. I am TOO lazy to walk ALL the way to work! But the fall weather has been so incredible and the threat of sub-zero temps looms large so I decided to enjoy the weather and add a few (about 2000 one way) steps to my daily FitBit log. I also don't walk all the way from home to work because - when I am done at work - I want to be home SOONER rather than later. The park is about half the distance from my home to my place of work.

And to be even MORE honest...by parking at the park....I am walking the bulk of my journey on flat land....another declaration from lazy ol' me!

Walking has given me an up close and appreciative look at fall foliage. AND one of the last blooms of summer. Thought I'd share with you the splendor of autumn in Iowa.
 
The final days for this lovely dahlia.


Love the mix of colors on this prickly bush!
 
 
Cardinal bush....I have a thing for these beauties.
Can't drive/walk past one without snapping a picture!
I need to get me some of these!
 AND another one!
 
 I realized most of my tree photos were the orange, red, rusts.
Lets hear it for the yellow hues!
 
I love when you can see the line of demarcation between the leaves that are protected from the cold and are the last to give up their green!
 
Early morning sun on the tree and the corner of the Catholic church rectory.


Now on to the card. Even though I am soaking up the final days of autumn (yes we did have snow one day last week) I know that winter and Christmas is just around the corner.

Another admission: I checked in on the challenge over at Just Us Girls.  The challenge struck fear into my soul! Watercolor!?  Oh dear! I can NOT get the hang of watercolor! I end up with MUD. I should call it MUDCOLORING. GEEEEEZZZ!
 
 Card detail.
 
 
Mudslinging Poinsettias
~Base card Cryogen White
~Layer of Paper Studio Cozy Little Christmas
~Two strips Washi tape
~Brad painted gold
~Watercolor paper for poinsettias die cut using Cuttlebug and Tim Holtz Tattered Poinsettias 
~Sentiment punched using SU Word Window
~Star bling
~Martha Stewart dove punch gold foil cardstock
Challenges | Inspirations
Just Us Girls - Trend Week - Watercolor
Just Add Ink - sketch
Crazy Hazelnuts - red and green must be seen
Crafty Addicts - anything + die cuts
Simply Papercraft - anything goes
 
Thanks for clicking by!
 
Here's to the last remnants of autumn, walking (half-way) to work, my obsession with Cardinal/Burning bushes, and my addiction to my Fitbit!
 
Nancy in Iowa
 
 


11 comments:

  1. Very pretty. Love your watercolored poinsettia.

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  2. LOL, Nancy! Your post made me chuckle! I don't find your card at all funny though; it's beautiful! :)

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  3. Beautiful pictures of fall! I was looking forward to these. Hard to believe that beauty won't last too much longer. Good for you on walking (part way) to work too!

    I think you did wonderful on the watercoloring! I'M the one that can't swing that at all but you did it just right. A gorgeous card too!

    Lynn

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  4. This is gorgeous Nancy! I love the variation and vibrancy of colour in your water coloured poinsettia and your mix of DSP too. Thanks for joining us at Just Add Ink this week :-)

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  5. So beautiful and creative is your card as always you are so talented in lots of crafty ways x

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  6. Nancy - thanks for showing us those beautiful tree photos. I love seeing the changing colours. We don't see it here where I live. So we scared you with our water colour challenge? Don't believe you lol as your poinsettia is just beautiful as is your card. I am going to get my SB die out and water colour it . Thanks for sharing this beauty with us this week. So nice to have you with us at Just Us Girls.

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  7. You certainly see some pretty things on your way to work! Thanks so much for sharing this pretty fall card with us at Just Add Ink.

    Trish
    JAI Design Team

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  8. I sure enjoyed all of your beautiful photos! Your poinsettia is amazing! Thanks for joining us over at Just Us Girls this week!

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  9. Beautiful Christmas card and I love that poinsettia. Thanks for playing along with us at Just Add Ink :)

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  10. Well done walking to work, can imagine it will turn cold for you pretty soon, so fabulous to make the most of that beforehand. Absolutely love your card, the dimension with that gorgeous flower is incredible and you used the sketch perfectly. So very glad you joined us at Just Add Ink this week!!

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  11. Thanks for entering your lovely crafting for CHNC challenge 255 - you could also enter this into my CHNC challenge extra for November - I'd love to see it there too. x

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