Decorating a Door

Happy Wednesday everyone! Today I finally had a chance to photograph a card I started on Monday for Bonnie's Merry Monday challenge to "decorate your door". Last night when I got home (more on that later in this post), I spotted this beauty by the amazing Rosemary using some of the same supplies I worked with. I'm almost embarrassed to post my wreath when hers was so gorgeous.
Oh well..... here's my "door" with wreath:

Supplies: Dies - Hero Arts DI327 Branch Wreath Fancy Die, September 2016 My Monthly Hero kit (wreath and branches), DC195 Christmas Trimmings Stamp & Cut; My Favorite Things Die-namics Blueprints 13 (washi label)
Stamps - Hero Arts CL787 Holiday Petals & Leaves (flower), CL887 Color Layering Christmas Tree (sentiment)
Paper - Anchor Paper (tan); Target (woodgrain), Authentique, Hero Arts, Paper Studio glitter
Other - Foam Tape, Copic Markers, Stickles

After I read the challenge Monday morning, I started to create a stamped wreath that turned out wonky - I just had to scrap it! Then I decided to try the wreath die from the Hero Arts September My Monthly Hero kit, plus add-ons. Layering the dies, I ended up with a full wreath I liked. The stamp set from the stamped wreath was still on the counter so I used one of the flower images, masking it to make a layered flower. I finished it with some holly and a bow from another add-on set. Now, more on why I couldn't finish my card on Monday...

Last weekend we celebrated my baby sister's retirement from Mayo where she was an educator. She's moving to AZ so I helped her pack boxes. Then I came home Sunday night due to a Monday appointment and chorus where we had a Halloween party (I dressed as Judge Judy...). I took advantage of a free Monday morning to work on my Merry Monday card. On Tuesday I needed to go back and help Kari finish with her move activities. The movers had picked everything up on Monday so I helped clean and polish her old house. I'll definitely miss seeing her as often as I could when she lived in MN! Here's the card I made for her retirement:

Supplies: Stamps - Hero Arts CL838 Stamp Your Own Cactus; Impression Obsession MC185 Fore Retirement

Dies - Hero Arts DI112 3D Cactus Pair Frame Cuts, My Monthly Hero travel kit (can't remember which month - camera, sun, glasses); My Favorite Things Die-namics Blueprints 18 (diagonal panel)
Paper - folded card by unknown; Neenah Solar White, scraps of black and yellow, Pressed Petals Woven Paper
Ink - Tim Holtz Mowed Lawn & Gathered Twigs Distress Ink, Ranger Archival Watering Can (Wendy Vecchi)
Other - foam tape, Copics, google eyes

I thought it was appropriate to include a cactus and a sun for AZ, plus a camera since Kari enjoys photography. The sentiment is from a fun Impression Obsession Leigh Hannan golf set which says Best Wishes Fore Your Retirement. I simply did surgery on this clear stamp to cut out the "Fore" and then stamped a little "on" to finish it off for a non-golfer. I love the inside sentiment from that set too - "The joy of retirement is having nothing to do and all day to do it!" Kari loved the card and said it was "a keeper". Anyway, I wish her well in AZ and will now have another place to visit!!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you're having a crafty week! Not many weeks left until Christmas cards need to go out so be sure to head over to Merry Monday for some inspiration!!