Let’s FALL in love with cardmaking and create a stunning design that mixes watercolor powders, paint splats, stamping, die cutting and a bit of sewing to create an Autumn masterpiece.
Today’s Autumn inspiration comes from our very creative designer,Christine, who really thinks outside the box to create unique designs that feel fresh and inspiration. Christine said she loves fall because of the “Crisp, cool mornings, that wonderful smell of fall in the air and the crunch of leaves under your feet!” This 5×7 card sends warm, but cool vibes of happiness to the recipient. A bit of a mixed media feel, with some watercolor powders to create easy die cuts. Get out your splatter paints and watercolor paper, thread that sewing machine and play along! This tutorial is rich with detail and will guide you on a fun Autumn adventure!
- Key: card stock= cs, watercolor paper= wp, distress oxide ink= DO,
- Begin by taking 3 pieces of watercolor paper (roughly 6×9). ON one ONLY- Drop small amounts of watercolor powders onto the DRY paper (see photos). After dropping all of the various powder colors (giving space between each and roughly 5 piles of each color). Then spray, allowing the ink to move, add water as you get the look you wish. (See photos). There will be excess ink on your glass mat, after. Use this to cover the other 2 wp; adding more powder or water, as desired. Dry all 3, thoroughly with a heat tool. Now splatter using paints ( I use a matte acrylic white and several metallic pan paints). Set again, with heat tool. Once completely dry diecut all of the leaves using the Fall Leaves die set, from the first full strength paper.
- Cut the other wp down to 5×7 pieces. (Save scraps for sentiment strip) Using the 5×7 Nested Classic Stitch Nested Oval dies cut openings into the pieces, more towards the top then bottom. Also from a piece of vellum cut to 5×7. Remember to use largest opening on the wp you choose for the top layer, and go down a size for each lower layer. (See Photos).
- Die cut the Twig Cover Die from a dark chocolate cs. The lightest color layer is where you will glue this to- to the top, over the oval cut opening. Now using DO ink of choice, distress edges. I LOVE all of the browns. :O)
- Cut a small piece of the yellow polka dot paper from the Whispers of Fall 6×9 pp. This will fit onto the back of the Twig/wp layer.
- Taking the French Script Background stamp and archival ink (dark brown/Ground Espresso) and randomly stamp, imperfectly around the card front. Take a bit of water and splash the card front, as well- for more distressing.
- Before adhering the vellum layer- distress the oval openings, leaves, and border of the wp. If you wish sew around the edge and oval of the top layer. The entire oval openings pieces and twig piece can now be adhered together. I used lot of liquid glue to help flatten the previously wet, wp.
- Taking the lightest layer scrap- wet emboss the “happiness” sentiment onto the center with versamark and white embossing powder. I gently added in watered down Walnut Stain DO over the white to allow it to pop a bit more. Allow to dry thoroughly. Using a piercing tool, add 3 holes to top above the sentiment. With thin twine and needle sew some sloppy criss-crosses.
- Cutting the scraps from the remainder of the top layer of wp in half to border the lightest color wp- adhere together with glue (only in the center area- to spare sewing machine needle) Now, if desired do slopping sewing; changing between types of stitches. Glue over top of card front (edges only until after placing leaves). Add thin foam and liquid glue to each leaf and adhere forming an oval wreath around oval opening. Now add enough foam adhesive to center of embossed sentiment strip to touch back layer. All DONE! Did we have a Crisp Fall Adventure? Hope you enjoyed your creative play date this Fall day with me!
