Harvesting Happiness

I've always romanticized about fruit picking but I've never had the opportunity.  When I learned that my girlfriend does yearly apple and peach picking in San Francisco, I was so jealous.  Of course here in Hawaii, we do raise and pick papayas, pineapples, and lillikoi, but I still would love to one day visit a real orchard.  The best I can do for now is to create a card depicting the fall harvesting of apples.  I purchased the CC Design stamp of the girl with the apples last year but didn't use it.  This year I got the Imaginisce apple stamp ($1,25?) from Ben Franklin Crafts and felt the two images would look good on a Sierra Pacific Kraft paper card (in a set from BFC). Using white chalk ink, I stamped the cut apple image on the kraft paper card and added a bit of color with color pencils.  The CC Design image was colored with Copic pens, cut out, and adhered to the card with foam dots.  The edge of the card was embellished with thin washi tape and raffia was used for the bow.  Since I had the Sizzix thin leaf die, I used it for the tag upon which I wrote the 'For You' with gold ink.  You could just hand cut the leaf if you don't have the die.  For a final touch, I added some 'shine' to the apples with Judi Kin Diamond Glaze. Oh, while I was gathering together all my papers with apple designs, I came upon one in a cheap $1 assorted package. I couldn't figure out how to use it on the card so I used it to line the envelope.  I always think a lined envelope turns a plain card into a spiffy one.  It is a simple card but I think it captures the desire I have to someday go apple picking.  I wonder though, "Will I be able to climb a ladder as I get older?" LOL!  Oh well, at least we all can enjoy the bountiful apple harvest available to us now in our local markets. Enjoy the sweet life!