Autumn Thinking About You

Inspiration

Here's another autumn card - with one of my favorite fall images - pumpkins! I always use pumpkins practice my shading techniques with COPICs. The Heartfelt Creation pumpkin images from the Pumpkin/Autumn Vines set are perfect for this card, plus they match the Spellbinders Pumpkin dies, so they're easy to cut out in a flash, too.

Ingredients

Note: Finished card size is 5" x 7"

Paper

Early Espresso(SU!)	7" x 10"; score at 5"
Autumn Meadows DSP(SU!)	4 3/4" x 6 3/4"
Vintage Cream(Papertrey Ink)	2" x 3"
Stamper's Select White(Papertrey Ink)	5" x 5"

Ink

Memento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko)

Stamps

HCPC 3383 Cardinal Posy Branch PreCut Set (Heartfelt Creations)

HCPC 3334 Open Falling Leaves PreCut Set (Heartfelt Creations)

HCPC 3330 Elegant Autumn Swirl PreCut Set (Heartfelt Creations)

HCPC 3329 Pumpkin/Autumn Vines PreCut Set (Heartfelt Creations)

Accessories

HCD 707: Falling Leaves Die (Heartfelt Creations)

Pumpkins Nestabilities Die (Spellbinders)

Big Shot Pro (Sizzix)

Scalloped Oval Punch (SU!)

SPICA Markers (Imagination International)

COPIC Markers (Imagination International)

Sponge

3-D Foam Squares (Scrapbook Adhesives)

ATG (Scotch)

Scor-Pal

Scissors (Cutter Bee)

Rotary trimmer (Fiskars)

Instructions

BASE CARD

Start with a piece of brown card stock measuring 7 x 10, score at 5", and fold.

MAT LAYER

Using a deckled blade, cut a piece of designer paper measuring 4 3/4" x 6 3/4". Sponge brown ink around the edges to distress the deckle.

Stamp the Autumn Leaf Swirl image and the pumpkin leaf swirl using brown ink on the mat layer. Color the open areas of the swirls of the Autumn Leaf swirls with a Chocolate SPICA pen, and the open areas of the swirls of the pumpkin leaf swirls with a Turquoise SPICA pen.

Stamp the matching small autumn leaf from the Open Falling Leaves set in brown ink on white card stock 4 times, and cut these out with the matching Falling Leaves die. Color these leaves with COPIC markers: YR12 & E39, and enhance with the Chocolate SPICA pen. Glue them over the upper-most 4 autumn leaves on the mat. Stamp the pumpkin swirl in brown ink on white card stock. and cut out the two leaves. Color them with COPIC markers: BG11 & BG13, and enhance with the Turquoise SPICA pen. Glue them over the pumpkin leaves on the mat. Mount the mat layer on the card front.

PUMPKINS

Stamp the three pumpkins in brown ink on white paper. Cut them out with the matching pumpkin dies. Color with COPIC markers: YR00, YR12, YR18, E39, and enhance with Orange and Chocolate SPICA markers. Glue the largest pumpkin on the card front, then add the two smaller pumpkins using foam squares.

SENTIMENT

Stamp the sentiment in brown ink on cream paper. Punch out with scalloped oval punch, and use a sponge with brown ink to distress the edges of the punched sentiment. Mount in the upper right corner with foam squares.

HC Blog

Don't forget to check out the beautiful creations of the design team at the Heartfelt Creations blog!

Thanks for stopping by!

Nature Laughs

Inspiration

We're right in the middle of autumn - the clocks have "fallen back" and the northeast has already seen snow! And I'm trying to come up with a masculine card for fall birthdays... Trees are always good for masculine cards... Here's the Heartfelt Creations' All Seasons Tree - a beautiful tree that can be colored to fit any season, and today my season is autumn - perfect!!! And, you know, this would work for a feminine autumn birthday, too!

Ingredients

Note: Finished card size is 5" x 7"

Paper

Really Rust (SU!)	7" x 10"; scored at 5"
More Mustard (SU!)	3" x 6 1/2"
2009 Specialty (SU!)	3 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Kraft (SU!)	4 1/2" x 4 1/2"
Vintage Ivory (Papertrey Ink)	2 1/2" x 3"

Ink

Timber Brown (StazOn)

Early Espresso (SU!)

More Mustard (SU!)

Really Rust (SU!)

Stamps

HCPC 3331 All Seasons Tree PreCut Set (Heartfelt Creations)

Accessories

Fleur De Lis Square Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Labels 18 Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Cuttlebug (Provo Craft)

Chalks (Koss)

Prong pick-up tool (Excel)

Cotton Pom-poms

Sponges

3-D Foam Squares (Scrapbook Adhesives)

ATG (Scotch)

Scor-Pal

Scissors (Cutter Bee)

Rotary trimmer (Fiskars)

Instructions

BASE CARD

Start with a piece of rust-colored card stock measuring 7" x 10", and score it at 5", and fold. Using a sponge, apply rust-colored ink around all four edges of the card front. Cut a piece of yellow card stock measuring 3" x 6 1/2". Using a sponge, apply yellow ink around all four edges of the yellow card stock. Mount the yellow card strip centered on the front of the card. Cut a square from the brown glittering paper measuring 3 1/2" x 3 1/2". Mount this on the card, so that one point is touching the left edge of the card and one point is touching the top edge of the card.

IMAGE

Cut/emboss the largest Fleur de Lis square from the Kraft card stock. Using a sponge, apply brown ink around all four edges of the die cut to enhance the embossed pattern. Stamp the tree image using StazOn brown ink in the center of the die cut. Apply fall-colored chalks to the tree leaves. Mount the image on the card front, leaving some of the yellow strip showing on the right of the image.

SENTIMENT

Stamp the sentiment in brown ink on ivory paper. Cut/emboss the sentiment using the Label 18 Nestabilities die. Mount to the left of the tree image using foam squares.

HC Blog

Head over to the Heartfelt Creations blog for all the beautiful creations the talented design team members!

Thanks for stopping by!

Gatefold #2 – Rotated Sketch

 

Inspiration

As I mentioned in my last post (November 17), I have been playing with the Gatefold card design quite a bit. This is my second design using the technique. The November 17 post gives you detailed instructions for scoring and folding your card to make this type of card.

For this card, I used another SCS sketch challenge (#304) to get started - I just turned it into a portrait orientation:

I used a set of stamps from Rubber Stamp Tapestry to create the floral border around the front oval.  These sets include 4 or 5 “peg” stamps that are used as components to create a larger picture – in this case, borders for the cover, inside, and matching envelope.  A really fun, easy way to create a beautiful effect!

 

Ingredients

Paper

Note: finished card size is 4 1/4” x 5 1/2”

Always Artichoke (SU!)	4 1/4” x 11, score at 2 1/8” AND at 6 3/8”
Chocolate Chip (SU!)	a) 2 5/8” x 4 7/8” b) 1 5/8” x 4 c) 3” x 4” d) 4” x 5 1/4”
Cherry Cobbler (SU!)	1 1/2” x 3 7/8”
Autumn Traditions (SU!)	2 1/2” x 4 3/4”
Stamper’s Select White (Paper Trey)	3” x 4”
Whisper White (SU!)	3 3/4” x 5”
A2 Envelope	4 3/8” x 5 3/4”

Ink

Rich Cocoa (Memento), Mellow Moss (SU!), Almost Artichoke (SU!), Cherry Cobbler (SU!), More Mustard (SU!) 

Stamps

Oak Leaf Background (Heartfelt Creations), Autumn Blessings (JustRite Stampers), Pretty in Pink (Rubber Stamp Tapestry), Happy Birthday 10 (Stampabilities)

Accessories

COPIC Markers: YR31, R37, R39, R89, E31, E33, E37, W30, BG72, G94, G99; Classic Oval and Classic Scallop Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Cuttlebug (Provocraft); Scor-Pal; Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); Rotary trimmer with straight blade (Fiskars)

Instructions

Base Card

Score and fold the green paper to create a Gatefold card.  Stamp the leaf background in the matching green ink on the closed card.

Image

Stamp the apple image on the white card stock, and color with COPIC markers. I used the following:

• Apples: YR31, R37, R39
• Berries: R89
• Bucket: E31, E33, E37, W30, BG72
• Leaves: G94, G99

Cut the image out using the plain Classic Oval Nestabilities die – run it through only once – no need to emboss since you will stamp a border around the oval.

Use the peg stamps to create your border – leaves in lighter green, flowers in red and yellow, and tendrils in darker green.

Cut and emboss a scalloped oval from the brown paper using the scalloped Classic Oval Nestabilities Die.  Mount the white image oval on the scalloped oval.

Assembly

Mount the patterned yellow paper panel on a brown panel, and the red panel on another brown panel. Then attach the red stack to the yellow stack.  Adhere the color stack to the left panel of the base card. 

Then adhere the image panel across the middle of the card.

Final Notes

Inside / Envelope

Use the peg stamps to create a mound of flowers in the lower left corner of the white cardstock, and stamp the greeting in red near the top center.

Create another fun matching border of flowers across the bottom of the envelope.

Thanks for stopping by!

Bucket o’ Apples

Inspiration

Here’s another quick & easy birthday card for the fall season.  It’s based on a sketch from the CardMaker’s Sketch Book (Annie’s Attic) – one of my favorite “browsing for idea” books – there are 3 sketch books and I have all 3.  You know I like to start with a sketch, and I’ve been working on my COPIC coloring skills, so this one brought all the elements together!

Ingredients

Paper

Note: finished card size is 4 1/4” x 5 1/2”

Taffy (CTMH): 4 1/4” x 11”, score @ 5 1/2”, plus a 2” x 2” square; Gingham Autumn Combo (CTMH): 4 1/4” x 5 1/2” – cutting instructions below; New England Ivy (CTMH): 2 1/2” x 2 1/2”, plus a 2” x 2” square; Stamper’s Select White (Paper Trey): 2 3/8” x 2 3/8”.

Ink

Tuxedo Black (Memento); Almost Artichoke (SU!)

Stamps

Give Thanks (SU!) ; Simply Said (Unity)

Accessories

COPIC Markers (Imagination International): Y19, YR04, R27; Y19, YG63, C1, C3, C5; Small and Large Tag Punches (SU!); Olive Green Jute (No Time To Stamp); Bow-Easy; Scor-Pal; Glue dots; Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); Rotary trimmer with straight blade (Fiskars); Scissors

Instructions

Image

Stamp the image on the white square using the black ink.  Color with COPICS – I used these colors:

• Apples: Y19, YR04, R27
• Leaves: Y19, YG63
• Bucket: C1, C3, C5

Mount the finished image on the larger green square.

Stamp the sentiment in green on the smaller taffy square.  Punch it out with the small Tag punch, and punch a green tag using the larger punch.  Mount the small tag on the large one.

Assembly

To cut the gingham paper that goes across the card, start with your 4 1/4” x 5 1/2” paper.  Measure 3 1/2” on each of the long sides of the rectangle and put a mark.  Measure 2 3/4” on each of the short sides and mark.  Then line up the marks on your paper cutter, and slice off the corners – like this:

Now, complete the assembly of the card:

Mount the gingham paper on the base card, and the image in the upper left corner.  Put the tag in the lower right.  Finish it with a bow tied with the jute (I looped the string around the Bow-Easy 3 times), and mount with a glue dot.

Final Thoughts

Inside, you can finish with a birthday greeting, a friendship sentiment, or just a Thinking of You.  Hope you try out this different layout for yourself, and let me know what you create!

Thanks for stopping by.

Scarecrow

Inspiration

Another fall card – I’m really enjoying the fall season this year1  This one is fun, and could be used for either a man or a woman.  It employs some really rich fall colors – I especially like the dark purple.

The special touches in this card are: a) using Gamsol (mineral spirits) to blend the colored pencils in the image, and b) punching out the stamped leaf image.  I bought the stamp and punch set years ago.  The leaf stamp (by CC Rubber Stamps) was made to match the leaf punch. I think the punch is from Marvy, although it is not marked anywhere on it.

Ingredients

Paper

Note: finished card size is 4 1/4” x 5 1/2”

Elegant Eggplant (SU!): 8 1/2” x 5 1/2”, score @ 4 1/4”; Autumn Traditions DSP(SU!): 4” x 5 1/4”; More Mustard (SU!): 1” x 5 1/4”; Ruby Red (SU!): 1” x 4”; Soft Suede (SU!): 2 1/2” x 3 1/4”; Very Vanilla (SU!): 2 1/4” x 3”; small scraps of Ruby Red, More Mustard, and Always Artichoke

Ink

Soft Suede (SU!); Always Artichoke (SU!); Ruby Red (SU!); More Mustard (SU!)

Stamps

Happy Blessings (SU!); Leaf (CC Rubber Stamps)

Accessories

Prisma Color Pencils; Gamsol; Paper stub; Leaf punch; Foam dots; Scor-Pal; Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); Rotary trimmer with straight blade (Fiskars); Scissors

Instructions

Images

Stamp the image using the brown ink on the vanilla panel.  Then color using colored pencils.  Use the Gamsol on a paper stub to blend the colors, and achieve the shading you desire.

Stamp the leaf 3 times using matching colors – green ink on green paper, etc.  Then punch out the leaf image with the matching punch.

Assembly

Quick & Easy!  Build your card layer by layer:

1. Base card
2. Patterned paper
3. Yellow vertical strip
4. Red horizontal strip
5. Brown mat for image
6. Image
7. Add the leaves using foam dots

Hope you are enjoying your autumn, and this card gives you some inspiration to try some bright fall colors.

Thanks for stopping by!