Autumn Leaves – CIC 431

Most of the time I make a card I work on it from start to finish in one sitting, or at least all in one day. Not so with this one. This was an ongoing project over a few days whilst I’ve been ill – I just didn’t have the energy to work on it all at once. (And certainly not to work on anything else, which means I’m really behind on things..!) I made this as my DT project for the newest Cupcake Inspirations Challenge. Our new prompt is fall (or Autumn, as I would call it!) and this is what I came up with.

I started with my tone-on-tone background. I created it by stamping the leaf stamps from Hot Off The Press’s Leaves Small Stamp set randomly across my card base. I filled in the gaps with the little acorn stamp that also comes in the set. I then heat embossed them all with clear embossing powder. I chose clear rather than white to ensure that it completely matched the card base, as many white embossing powders have a cream tone to them.

I die cut a couple of snippets of watercolour paper using the Tattered Leaves Bigz die from Sizzix. I then started adding colour to them using my MozArt watercolour brush pens. I wanted them both to look different, so for one I used more of the red and orange, with hints of yellow and green, whilst for the second I used more yellow and green with just hints of orange and even less red. I made sure to use the same colours (in different quanties) on both though, so that they coordinated despite not being identical.

Once I was happy with the colour on the leaves and they had dried completely I decided to add a bow to tie them together. I knew I wanted the look of natural twine but I don’t have any. Luckily we had some string elsewhere in the house that was the right look. I untwisted the strands until it was as fine as I wanted it, then tied a bow around the stems of the leaves.

For my sentiment I decided to use a strip of vellum. I stamped onto it with a sentiment from John Lockwood’s Lily of the Valley Elements stamp set and heat embossed it in gold. I tucked it behind the leaves, adhering it to them with Glossy Accents, then adhered the leaves to the card base with Glossy Accents too.

I’m really happy with this card. The final result is so pretty, and I’m very pleased with the colour on the leaves. The clear heat embossed background adds just a little subtle texture and interest to the card without detracting from the focal point. I could happy make this design again.

Love,

Lady Joyful

Challenges included:

Addicted to CAS – Bows

Addicted to Stamps and More – Make Your Mark

Allsorts Challenge – Colours of Autumn

Cupcake Inspirations – Fall

Dies R Us – Anything Fall

Double D Challenges – Feeling Fallish

HLS Anything Goes With Dies Challenge – Anything Goes With Dies

HLS Watercolour Challenge – Anything Watercolour

Muse – CASE The Inspiration Card (The elements I picked up on were – white on white, embossing, leaves, banner, thanks, layout) (edit – where it was featured!)

Anita’s Muse inspiration card

Simon Says Stamp Monday – Thanks

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Check out what the rest of the DT made:

Charlotte (that’s me!)

Christine

Debbie

EK

Kim

Wendy