Monthly Archives: September 2018

Happy Autumn Leafy Frame Border

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This is another “Happy Autumn” card made. I made if from the leafy die frame that came with the Hero Arts  September My Monthly Hero (MMH) card kit.

There are lots of beautiful stamp images with this kit. However, I chose to use the leafy die frame that came in the kit and run with it. The frame was colored with Hero Arts inks and a sponge dauber. I also used the “Happy Autumn” sentiment that came in the MMH stamp set.

I first matted the finished leaf frame against a cream-colored cardstock, but it looked bland. More texture was needed, so I used a background cover die to add a woodgrain texture.

Hope you like this project. Have a great day!

How I made this project:

  • Die cut the leafy frame from a piece of Bristol Smooth paper. I did this because I intended to do a lot of ink blending and Bristol Smooth really helps achieve a very blended ink look.
  • Dab inks in autumn colors around the leaf frame using sponge daubers. Blend the inks as you go around the frame until you get the desired effect. Set the frame aside.
  • Die-cut an A2 (4.25” x 5.5”) piece of cream-colored cardstock using a wood-grain patterned cover die.
  • Trim the A2 cream-colored mat down to 4.00” x 5.25” (trim an eighth of an inch off on all sides).
  • For the sentiment:
    • Die-cut a sentiment banner from the same cream-colored card stock. It should be slightly longer than the width of the sentiment.
    • Heat emboss the sentiment using Versamark ink and rose gold embossing powder.
    • Set sentiment aside.
  • For the tiny leaf and acorn embellishments:
    • Punch out tiny leaves and acorn using a leaf border edge punch from copper and bronze metallic papers.
  • For the final assembly of the card:
    • Adhere the leafy frame to the cream-colored, woodgrain mat with liquid adhesive.
    • Adhere foam tape to the back of the sentiment banner and place it on the matted frame piece.
    • Adhere the tiny leaves and acorn to the card front as show in the photo.
    • Mount the card front (matted frame piece) to an A2, horizontal-oriented, top-folding card base cut from rust-colored cardstock.

 

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps: My Monthly Hero Card Kit of September 2018 – stamp set (‘Happy Autumn’ sentiment for this kit).
  • Dies:
    • Hero Arts MMH September 2018 card kit: leafy border/frame.
    • Lawn Fawn: Woodgrain Backdrop die.
    • MFT Die-namics Sentiment Strips die – This particular die set may no longer be available.
  • Inks: All inks are by Hero Arts: Mulled Wine, Moss, Butter Bar, Just Rust, Royal Red.
  • Punches: EK Success: EK Tools Edge Paper Punch: Falling Leaves. (love the tiny images from this border punch!)
  • Cardstock:
    • Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper (100#) – for the leaf frame.
    • Neenah Classic Crest cardstock in Natural White (this cardstock is a very subtle cream color) 80# (for sentiment strip and woodgrain mat).
    • Papertrey Ink: Terracotta Tile 100# cardstock for card base.
    • Metallic paper in bronze and copper (from my stash).
  • Other: Rose Gold embossing powder from Simon Says Stamp.

Happy Autumn: Leafy Background in Autumnal Colors

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Autumn arrives tomorrow technically and where I live, the cooler Fall weather has arrived today! YAY!

Spring and Autumn are my favorite season, followed by Winter. This is mainly because I’m a creature that despises heat and humidity and I live in a place in the Midwest where we have plenty of that in the summer.

Spring is wonderful because things become alive and start blooming. Fall is wonderful because of what I’ve mentioned previously. Winter is great because I love wearing sweaters and it’s too cold outside to do anything but craft and make cards!

I love rich color and Autumn is the time of year where Nature’s rich textures and golden sunlight come into play. I hope this card captures some of the rich colors.

The card was easy to make as far as techniques go, just randomly stamped leaves using rich autumnal colors.

Hope you like this project. Have a great Fall day!

How I made this card:

  • Stamp a pattern onto a piece of white cardstock cut to 4” by 5.25” using various leaf stamps in autumnal colors.
  • Stamp the sentiment using Versamark ink onto a burgundy piece of cardstock.
  • Heat-emboss the sentiment using gold embossing powder.
  • Trim down the sentiment piece to 2.5” wide and 3.75” long
  • Adhere the sentiment piece to the leaf-patterned card front with foam tape.
  • Adhere the card front to a burgundy A2 landscape-oriented card base.

 

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps:
    • Hero Arts: Textured Leaves clear stamp set (leaf background)
    • Altenew: For All Seasons clear stamp set (sentiment)
  • Inks:
    • Hero Arts Bold Inks in Mulled Wine, Moss.
    • Hero Arts Shadow Inks Mid-tone: Pumpkin, Cup o’ Joe.
    • Catherine Pooler Inks: Mandarin Spice.
    • Versamark ink (for embossing).
  • Cardstock:
    • Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock (for leaf background).
    • Papertrey Ink: Scarlet Jewel cardstock (for sentiment and card base).
  • Other:
    • Wow Metallic Embossing Powder in Gold Rich Pale.

 

Gulls’ Night Out

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I often buy cute stamps sets and then struggle with using them in projects other than the one’s that are already  demonstrated. I think that is the challenge for every card maker. We don’t want to copy, we want to be inspired and then go from there.

Here is a project I thought of on my own.

The sentiment is created by me, though I’m sure someone else in the universe has thought of this punny (and funny) phrase at one time or another. I typed the sentiment on my laptop, printed it, and then die-cut it with a sentiment strip die. This sentiment strip was from a set of slanted sentiment strips that I received with my order from My Favorite Things. Thanks, MFT!

By the way, all the stamps (other than the sentiment) and dies used to make this project are from My Favorite Things! Unfortunately, two of the dies used to create this project are no longer available at MFTSTAMPS.com but you may be able to find them at other online stores via a GOOGLE search.

Hope you like my project. Have a punny day!

How I made this project:

  • Die-cut an A2-sized (4.25” x 5.5”) piece of navy cardstock using the stars die. This piece will serve as your card front.
  • Adhere a strip of gold glitter cardstock behind the die-cut star openings of the card front. This will create the twinkling stars in the sky.
  • Using a piece of black card stock, die-cut the city silhouette using the skyline die. (Note: you will have to use partial die-cutting technique for this.)
  • Trim the height of the skyline to 3.25”. The width of the skyline should be 5.5” (the width of the card front).
  • Adhere the skyline to the bottom of the navy card front.
  • Using white cardstock, stamp the seagulls in Copic-friendly ink and color them using Copics.
  • Die-cut or fussy cut them.
  • Draw tiny eyelashes to each of the gull’s eyes using a fine line black ink pen.
  • Die-cut the shadow oval on which the seagulls will stand. I used light gray cardstock, but white can be used.
  • Arrange and adhere the gulls to the shadow oval and add dimensional tape to the back of the piece.
  • Type up the sentiment on your computer and print on cardstock. Cut out the sentiment and adhere dimensional tape to the back.
  • Adhere the gulls/shadow oval and sentiment strip to the card front.
  • Adhere the card front to a horizontal card base.

 

Supplies used to make this project:

  • Stamps: My Favorite Things: Seaside Seagulls stamp set.
  • Dies:
    • MFT Die-namics: Seaside Seagulls coordinating dies.
    • MFT Dies-namics: Stars in the Sky (Horizontal) die.
    • MFT Die-namics: Skyline Border (no longer sold at MFT) but 2 possible dies could be used and are currently available through MFT. They are: New York Skyline and Our Town.
    • MFT Die-namics: Oval Shadows die set. Note: This die set is no longer available. However, you could use an oval punch or die to create the same effect.
  • Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 80#, black cardstock from my stash, navy cardstock from my stash, gold glitter cardstock from my stash.
  • Inks: Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black.
  • Copics: Seagull bodies: C0, C1, C3, BV11; Seagull beaks: Y17.

Autumn Cosmos Flower

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I’ve mentioned this before. Fall is my favorite time of year because of all the rich colors nature displays. Though it’s sad to think of plants and trees dying or at least going dormant, Nature is giving us one last burst of glorious color before going to sleep. It’s nice to know that autumn is such a beautiful part of the cycle of life.

My project for today is my celebration of autumnal colors. Hope you like this project. Have a great day!

How I created this project:

  • Wet, but do not over saturate an A2-sized (4.25”x5.5”) piece of watercolor paper with water.
  • Drop in the chosen Distress Inks using a large wet mop brush and let the colors move on their own. You may want to blot very wet areas with a dry paper towel if some areas are becoming to wet or intense for the effect you want.
  • Allow the water-colored background to dry thoroughly.
  • Die-cut the flower onto an A2-sized piece of metallic bronze-colored cardstock using a metal shim. Metallic cardstock is thick, and the die-cut is detailed. Therefore, you may want to run the die back and forth in your die-cut machine to insure everything cuts through.
  • Cut down the dried water-colored background to be slightly larger than the opening of the die-cut flower window. Save the scraps from the water-colored background.
  • Use strong adhesive on the back of the die-cut flower panel around the window opening of the flower. I used a combination of scor-tape and dots of liquid adhesive on the die-cut flower panel. Strong adhesive is needed to secure the slightly warped watercolor panel.
  • Carefully place the water-colored background onto the back of the die-cut flower panel behind the die-cut flower area.
  • Adhere entire panel to a brown A2 card base.
  • Die-cut the word ‘Autumn’ three times and adhere each of the three words together to give the word a dimensional look.
  • Adhere the word to the front panel, just below the window. I used liquid glue for this.
  • Punch tiny leaves cut from the scraps saved when the watercolor background was cut.
  • Add gold sequins to finish off the card.

Supplies used to make this project:

  • Dies:
    • Simon Says Stamp: Cosmo Flower Frame wafer die.
    • Simon Says Stamp: Four Seasons die set (‘Autumn’)
  • Distress Inks:
    • Peeled Paint, Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon, Wild Honey, Mustard Seed.
  • Cardstock:
    • Distress Watercolor Card Stock (for background behind the flower window).
    • Stardream metallic cardstock in Bronze (for cutting the Cosmo flower frame.
    • Papertrey Ink: Dark Chocolate (for card base)
  • Other:
    • EK Success Tools Edge Paper Punch: Falling Leaves
    • Pretty Pink Posh gold sequins (4mm and 6mm).