Friday, July 26, 2013

Fusion #14 + Adventure PIcs

We're back with another FUSION challenge, only you'll notice a few changes this time around:
  • Fond farewells to Ally and Deanna (so fun working with you ladies!);
  • Very excited to have Lynn and Geri join our team, wait until you see their projects;
  • A new, Zen-inspired look to the blog that Lesley has been working on; and
  • A bonus week to get your mojo going ... it's going to be a two week challenge now!
With all that said, the challenge concept remains the same. You'll see a photo and a sketch, and can create a card inspired by either or both of those. Like this:


 I chose to be inspired by the photo (specifically the dipped gold shells) and sketch.


 As I was talking to my husband in the doorway of my craft room, my eyes landed on a large roll of stickers I got at a discount store and never used. The pink damask sticker is perfect for the oval element at the bottom of the sketch. I wanted the other colors to be gold (from the photo) and  cream/chocolate (from Neapolitan ice cream).

Sure hope you'll check out the updated blog/challenge/design team! Thanks so much for looking!
-Kelly

ETA: also linking this up to the CASology challenge to use gold on your CAS card.

Here are some pics from this week's adventure in the Chicago neighborhood of Beverly:


 First stop is Jimmy Jamm's Sweet Potato Bakery and Cafe. Yep, everything they serve is made from sweet potatoes! We had the sweet potato pie (yummm), made from the same recipe that's been passed down in their family from the 1930's. Afterwards, we enjoyed a sweet potato grilled cheese sandwich. We were encouraged to come back and try the loaded sweet potato (with meat, veggies, you name it), the sweet potato stew, and the sweet potato ice cream. Everything is made fresh on-site (you can see the open kitchen in the background).
 

 Beverly is a very proud neighborhood with large, established trees and architecturally significant homes, many with plaques showing the architect and the date built.


 This one is by Frank Lloyd Wright, which may be a tad confusing seeing the stone work facade. At some point an owner "renovated" and covered up the original stucco. Yikes!


 Wanted: Camera Theif

We met this very friendly and adorable 2 year-old at a neighborhood park, who reeeaaally wanted to take some photos with my camera. She sweet talked me into giving it to her for a little bit. All of her shots were of the ground, as the lens was too heavy for her to hold up!


Huh. It's a branch. That grew around and through a fence. And is no longer part of a tree. Cool!


Logan's favorite part: finding the huge black beetle on the sidewalk. He told me to drive carefully on the way home, and to go easy over the bumps, so it wouldn't be frightened. He got to keep it until tonight when I made him release it (hopefully it doesn't breed in my bushes!)


I love finding fun details ... like this gargoyle in the roof line of an old house.


Or the vintage, stamped bricks edging a garden.


If we don't already have a place scoped out, I love to ask the locals where to eat. We follow their advice to Fox's and have way too much food (including the biggest side salad I've ever seen!)

  
 Every adventure involves a stick (in this case, a very large one used as a weigh lifting bar)


And ends in ice cream (in this case, Chicago's famous rainbow ice cream cones of orange sherbet, pistachio, New York cherry, strawberry, & chocolate ... see the rainbows over the windows in the background?)

Thanks for sticking around for this week's adventure : )

20 comments:

  1. Love your card. And, those adventure pics are so much fun. I think I may have been to Beverly--years ago before I got married, my then-boyfirned (who is my now-husband) lived in Chicago, and we had an adventure there to look at the houses.

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  2. what a beautiful card for the Fusion, Kelly! love that pink and white flourish with the gold sentiment! your family vacation pics are super fun, too!

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  3. Its good to see ur adventure pics :) I am sure u r having loads of fun :) love to see ur creative cards :) love the stickers

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  4. This is so pretty! I love the gold against the pink sticker! What a great use for that!

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  5. That is a really cool card - why not link up to CASology..if you can find the time between all your adventures. I can not believe someone renovated a FLW house! The horror of it all! lol!

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  6. Wow Kelly what a fabulous card!! Love the pics you've shared. My fave is your little weight lifter!!!

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  7. Gorgeous card and what tons of fun y'all have been having!!! Nice!! :)

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  8. Oh I love how much that sticker adds to your gorgeous card!

    What awesome pictures! thanks for sharing them with us!

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  9. Beautiful card and wonderful photo's of your adventures.

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  10. Wonderful card! That pink sticker really looks like a painted flourish - spectacular look paired with the gold, cream and brown! Really enjoyed your photo journal too, the branch and brick photos in particular are so awesome from a photography point of view, and the boys are so cute!!

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  11. lovin' this (vicarious) summer adventure with you and these adorable children. Seeing the Frank Lloyd Wright house is a little disturbing...we are huge FLW fans and have books of all of the known houses. This was one of my favorites...why would someone think they could improve his design? I guess that's what happens when I case one of your fabulous cards and declare it "my creation"!!!
    I am currently into all things pink and gold so your card really got my attention-beautifully done. : )

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  12. Kelly only you could turn this week`s challenge upside down, your card is stunning and cool and fabulous! I love all the beautiful photos you have been sharing this summer too. Thank you so much for sharing with us this week at CASology!

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  13. This card is beautiful! I love it when I find the perfect thing in my stash. Bliss, isn't it?

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  14. Your card is absolutely beautiful and your photos are fantastic! :) FLW is popular in my area too and I just LOVE taking photos around the buildings as they are so unique and perfect for a backdrop!!!
    Thanks so much for joining us at CASology this week!

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  15. Such a beautiful card, love how you have used layers but still kept you card CAS. Thank you so much for joining us at CASology this week

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  16. Kelly your card is to cool. That sticker and the gold embossing are perfect. Your day of exploring looks like so much fun. I'll be taking notes on these little Chicago adventures for my "someday" file. I love Chicago, but I've never explored further than downtown.

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  17. I love your card, of course... but I also cannot get over the fact that you are one COOL Mama!
    Taking these sweet boys of yours to all kind of fabulous places and they're growing up so enriched by them!
    Super fun post, keep them coming pleeeease...

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  18. A NBUS well you used it beautifully and created a beautiful card.
    Oh man I love sweet potatoes, gorgeous home, but imagine someone changing a Frank Lloyd Wright house crazy, the new photographer is a DOLL, cool tree branch in the fence, kids are so brave, I couldn't touch one of those bugs, I loooooved going on your adventure with you, I love the pics, thanks for sharing them with us..

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  19. You know, that sticker on the kraft... it gives the effect of stage smoke! This is such a well-designed, perfectly executed card! Love it! and Love that gold piece, is that a die cut?
    Your photos are so cool! I specially loved that branch through the fence, and my, what a huge beetle! I would have ran away from it as fast as I could :D
    Adorable pictures of your boys. Thanks for sharing your adventures!

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  20. LOVE the damask sticker Kelly! Looks like another FAB adventure too :)

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I absolutely love reading comments. Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave one! - Kelly