Autumn splendor

Today's card is the result of die cutting, new and old. I have a bag of die cut remnants, left overs from projects that never happened, or I had made too much for. Today was time to put some of them to use.

 

I die cut two geometric shapes out of yellow and orange papers, those pretty seasonal colors. I die cut the yellow shape twice, once without, once with a frame. That frame is used as a corner piece to offset the form and gain some continuity, if that makes any sense.

 

The wreaths are from my ready stash - so glad I found some use for them. 

The final additoin were a sentiment "Thinking of you" and some flat sequins to mimic the shine of autumnal dew drops.

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

A Cut Above: October challenge

TioT: Autumn's beauty

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes 

Dark and darker

 The season of fading light is descending. It totally affects the colors I choose. Today I chose black.

I have this piece of textured plastic (perhaps a carpet underlay?) that I use for pulling textured prints when I am too lazy to work with a gelli plate and stencils.

 As I had a scene with pumpkins in mind I stenciled it with two orange hues.

Then I cut the background to size and gathered the other supplies: a stenciled orange print from my previous session and a couple of very small gelli print remnants as well as some autumn themed stamps.

I started by attaching the background papers onto my card base. I was working with a sketch (see below), but as you can see, it's not identical. I added another black and orange paper from my stash - I found they worked better this way, not letting any one background dominate but rather support each other.

I stamped the leafy branch with green Versafine and heat embossed it with transparent embossing powder, then fussy cut it out. I stamped the pumpkins and fussy cut them as well. Lastly I grouped them together, raising the large pumpkin with foam pads to create some dimension.

 

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

The Paper Funday Challenges: #91 AG/ Sketch optional. - I am playing with the sketch

 

Sweet Stamping: Autumn

Simon Says Monday: Use more than one stencil - I used two

Creative Artiste Mixed Media: #131 AG mixed media

Simon Says Wednesday: AG 

Hedgehog greetings

It's the day of the Card Chain reveal again. There's a challenge where you actually get to exchange the card you make. There a sketch, a small color palette and a few prompt words each time. One gets to choose. I usually go for two to three prompts, even though only one is required. This time I chose to work with the sketch and follow the color palette as best as I could. 

Here's what I pulled out: a hedgehog die and two pieces of gelli printed paper. I also used a floral stamp. It was an afterthought, that's why it's not pictured.

 

I cut both papers according to the sketch. Then I stamped the hedgehog, the sentiment and the flowers. The flowers were colored in with GT watercolor.

 

I got a beautiful card from Joanne in return.

If you are interested in such an exchange, why don't you join the fun? This month's sign-up is open till Oct. 6th (here).

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With my card I am playing along in these challenges:

Critter Crazy: #115 AG w/a critter

Elliebelle's Garden Party: #19 Anything in/ from a garden

Love to Scrap: #181 AG

Crafty Animals: #110 AG w/ a animal

 

Thinking of you

 There's a technique called 'double embossing' - which I have been dying to try out. Basically you heat emboss a piece that's gone through an embossing folder. I was inspired by a sketch and many challenges calling for autumn, so I decided on using a paper block with co-ordinated fall colors (for some reason called 'Day break'), a die set and an embossing folder. I selected an embossing powder in the color of 'dusty grape'.

 

I cut 1 1/4" panels from three colors and partially dry embossed them. Then I gently smeared the embossing ink here and there. I didn't want to cover it all as I wanted a rather organic look. Lastly I heat embossed them and cut down to 1" width.

I arranged them onto a piece of scrap paper and cut this to fit the card. I had a piece of ribbon which I wrapped around on the bottom. I mounted the panel on foam pads and arranged the die-cut and paper backed leaves onto it. The sentiment says: Thinking of you.

 

Entering this in these great challenges:

Try A Sketch on Tuesday: #705 sketch

 

Allsorts: #859 Anything Autumn

Can You Handle the Pressure: AG w/ a twist of Trees. - Paying tribute to trees with those leaves

Crafty Gals Corner: #280 AG / Fall foliage optional - playing along with Fall foliage

Simon Says Wednesday: Anything goes 

 

Gentlemanly greetings

There's beauty in simplicity. Today's card is made with just a couple of ingredients: a die, two stamps and some watercolors.

The die just adds double stitched circles to the background. I started by punching it directly onto my card base. Then I stamped the gentleman bird with his fancy bow tie and goggles, colored him and fussy cut the image and adhered it over the circles. Lastly I stamped the sentiment "Best wishes for your birthday".

 

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

AAA Cards: #324 Follow my lead

 

The Male Room: #214 Dots and/or stripes - I chose dots and placed them on the bow tie

Polkadoodles: 9, week 4 AG 

Recycled goodies

I decided to tackle my pile of paint chips again. They are great to have for color variety, but too much is too much. 

There is a die set that I have been coveting for two years now, "Boho vases" by Altenew. (Google it if interested.) Today I had the brilliant idea of trying to make my lantern dies work for the purpose. I don't used them nearly enough. (Lastly used them here.)

 

So I selected six paint chips, three for vases and the other three for their insides, since the lantern have holes which need to be covered. I also used some green chips and a piece of scrap for the leaves. I die cut the lanterns and just snipped the tops and bottoms away.

To ground the vases I took off cut strips from my strip stash. Then I arranged the vases and greenery on top. The branches were looking rather bare, but I found some pink die cuts that I had stashed away.

All in all, a very satisfying session. I think I am cured from my obsession with that Vases die set, as I could replicate the look with dies I already own.  

Entering this in these nice challenges:

Die Cut Divas: Recycle, re-use, repurpose (2nd entry)

Crafty Gals Corner: #280 AG / Fall foliage optional - I am playing AG

Digi Choosday: 9 week 4 AG 

 

Late roses

 I have been on a quest to use my old and neglected stuff. I confess, I like to make backgrounds, but then not use them. I stash them away, thinking there will be a time when something will come handy - but it rarely does. Because it is too interesting to make new backgrounds ... and so it goes.

Today I pulled out backgrounds which I made two years ago. Two years. Made out of strips of old book pages and a few other remnants that I had collected.

 

When I was looking for an image, a stamp fell into my line of vision: a Santoro girl that I had purchased well before Covid, but never used since. The colors went nicely and I knew I could create the same-ish colors. It was an inspiring match.

I stamped the girl and the rose garland and colored both in. To get the dreamy look and delicate shading I worked with colored pencils.

 

After fussy cutting I arranged both onto the word strip card base. I had to cover a boo-boo with a separate flower, but I think it looks rather natural. The sentiment will go inside.

Entering this in these nice challenges:

Girlz Creative: Splash it with Color: #31 Bruin en/ of oranje

 

I Spy with My Little Eye: #41 Added text (background or sentiment)

Kleuren met potloden: September alles mag

The Neglected Stuff: September AG - the stamp and the background were heavily neglected

Creative Knockouts: September 17 AG 

Changing seasons

 It has come time to say farewell to summer. A cold spell and hefty winds have made a seasonal wardrobe change a necessity, and with that, a seasonal change in colors I'm using. How do oranges, deep greens, pale grass browns and bright pinks suddenly feel so comforting and right?

I noticed a couple of inspiring challenges that were in this vein, and gathered my supplies. The dies are by several makers: Marianne Design, Gummiapan, Elisabeth Design and Spellbinders. The stamp is a new acquisition from Papertrey Ink.

I started by die cutting leaves and branches from my gelli printed papers. Then I stamped the vase with Lost Shadow, and the decoration with Forest Moss DO.

The background was created by using an aperture of a die cut. I used it as a stencil and dabbed Old Paper trough it, creating a dome. It needed grounding. I die cut just the top half of the same dome and flipped it for the bottom.

 

Then I assembled the branches. I left this without a sentiment, as I it is for no special occasion and I am going to fill the inside anyway.

 

Entering this in these wonderful challenges:

Time Out: Seasonal Colors where you live - see my explanation above

 

Tic-Tac-Toe: tttc#302 - My row is diagonal orange - free - pink. 'free' stands for 'other colors'

 

Allsorts: #859 Anything autumn

Inspiration Station: #89 Inspiration photo - Lovely colors! I wish our world was as colorful as the photo, but no, our colors are more subdued.

 

Nachteulen / Nightowls: #65 Herbstlich bunt

 

 

Christmas greetings

 A sketch led me to think of Christmas and two other challenges reinforced the feeling in me: it's time for another Christmas card, as I don't have nearly enough yet... I have made just nine so far.

I pulled out my trusty snowflake dies, glittery card stock and glitzy little bits and pieces.

 

I die cut three snowflakes and arranged them on top of another, but not before I had cut a strip of vellum and stamped it with "Christmas greetings" which I then embossed as the drying time on vellum was more than I had time for.

 

Lastly came the shiny bits, one of them even has a snowflake design on it which I count as bonus.

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches: #755 Sketch

 

As You See It: #382 Christmas is a-Coming ... My number is 9

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Christmas in September

Craft Rocket Challenges: #140 Use dies

Having fun

I am a guest designer for this fortnight over at Girlz Creative: Splash it with Color. Today's card is all about gelli plate fun. The leaves haven't turned yet where I live, but it is nice to live in anticipation. 

I selected a couple of autumn colors, a few stencils and a couple of stamp sets with leaves. And since fall - for me - is a joyous time, I added some celebratory gold thread; but also brown, to ground it.

I started by making just three sheets. I know I know, once you start it is nearly impossible to stop. I limited myself beforehand to just three. Even if they would not have been to my liking I would have made something. But luckily one was just perfect for the background and the other two were suitable for stamping.

 

To bring more shimmer and shine to the card (besides the gold thread), I heat embossed the stamped leaves with transparent embossing powder. It totally transforms the dull brown ink.

 

I propped the two leaves flanking the sentiment on foam strips and arranged the threads as a whirlwind underneath. The other leaves were just strewn below. 

 

I am entering this in these autumnal challenges:

Die Traumfabrik: #154 Quand vient l'automne [When Fall is coming]: Autumn colors and/ or mushrooms - I am playing with just the colors

Cardz 4 Guyz: #390 Fall / autumn theme colors

Creative Inspirations: Hello Autumn

Addicted to Stamps and More: #526 Make your mark

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Make your own background