Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 77

This week at Crafty Cardmakers it was my turn to choose the challenge. So, I kept it fairly simple, but there's an extra twist if you want to go with it. I want Autumn-themed cards. So, autumn colours or scenes, or, better still, Autumn festivals (but not Hallowe'en!) There are loads of Autumn festivals - but only one seems to have challenges galore, so here's your chance to celebrate something different! And, if you choose a challenge that's not so well-known, I'd love it if you'd explain a little about it when you post.

We are sponsored by

Milk n' Coffee Digital Stamps
Cute digis for cute creations 
 

I've actually made two cards for this challenge. The first uses an image from our new sponsor. It's called 'Girl Collecting Chestnuts', and it's got a beautifully autumnal feel.

I took an element from the image, and used it to create a border in Photoshop Elements. For me, that's one of the advantages of using digital images - you can make papers and embellishments from the image itself really easily. I coloured with Promarkers, and matted using a Spellbinders die cut, and paper from the Papermania Capsule collection, finishing with some sticky gems.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Crafts and Me where anything goes,
Inky Impressions where they want Autumn colours,
Die Cutting Divas where they want Autumn colours,
Sarah Hurley where the theme is Autumn,
Two Sisters where anything goes,
Challenge Up Your Life where anything goes.

And, as an example of a 'Not a Hallowe'en Festival', I thought I'd do something on Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night. Having decided to do that, I trawled around trying to find some suitable images and failed. So, I was forced back onto my own devices. Now, I don't consider myself at all artistic - I can't draw to save my life. So, it was with some trepidation that I show you what I came up with!

I started with some black card, and onto it I painted some 'fireworks' using irridescent Twinkling H2Os. I roughly edged the card with the same colours, and mounted that onto some silver mirror board that I embossed in my Wizard using a Sizzix folder. Then, in Photoshop Elements, I put together a multi-coloured version of the traditional Bonfire Night rhyme, which was also matted onto silver board.

I must admit, I'm not entirely happy with the result, but I doubt I'll ever be happy with anything I've done 'freehand' like that, so it's here for all to see!

I hope you can join us this week, and I'm really looking forward to learning about some new Autumn festivals!

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Whimsy where they want 'sparkly things',
Craftymess where anything goes,