Expanding Your Inventory of Background Paper

I love background papers, but they can really add up $$ in a hurry and so many times I find the colors to be off just enough that I don't want to combine them.  Here's a little trick I use, I emboss plain papers that have the same color scheme as the original background paper!   

On this card, I used 4 shades of color (green, yellow, purple and taupe) that matched the Stamping up DSP I wanted to use for the base.  To keep it all cohesive I used gold on each of the papers using one of my favorite leaf stamps from #UnityStampCompany.  Then just cut and layer as you like!  This works great with different stamped backgrounds too, as long as the paper colors and embossing powder work with the patterned paper you are using ~ a WIN every time 💗

Of course it doesn't hurt to have a lovely image to stamp, like this one from Unity Stamp Co by Angie Blom!!

#HeatEmbossing #Unity #Autumn #Fall #Cardmaking

 

Hello Awesome!

 I love Autumn!!  In fact I think it's Awesome!! (hee! hee!)  All the amazing colors and textures...  Here's and idea for combining them on a greeting card.  

The background of this project was inspired by the way beautiful Fall leaves float down  onto our wood deck.  

To get the same sort of plank decking look, I embossed my paper with a wood grain folder, colored it up and then cut the pieces into 'planks' of different lengths and reassembled them onto the card front.  I really like the way this turned out.  

I made this a pocket card because there were a lot of layers on the front panel of the card making it thick/heavy.  Adding a simple back would make it so disproportionate.   I like the idea of using this on an Autumn scrapbook page with the 'hidden' journaling or photo card pull out.For me, the leaves are the star of the show!  I love to heat emboss on them.  If you would like to know more about how, here's a link to that blog post.  WARNING: Stamping on leaves is highly addictive!

Blessings to you my friends ~ I hope you are well and looking forward to this holiday season as much as I am, and I hope we all find the time, friends and family to enjoy it with ❤💛💚 

The Happiest

 Another fun card incorporating a giant aspen leaf!  What a pretty gift from Mother Nature, I saw this beauty when I was mowing the lawn!!  It takes me a long time to mow in the Autumn because I often stop to pick up the 'prettiest' leaves ~ I just can't run them over!!!  🤣

This time I stamped these pretty mandalas in 2 different metal tones, gold and copper.   The Unity Stamp Co kitty is one of my favorites because you can pretty much color a cat ANY way you want!!  Plus it's just so cute and steals my heart! 

I used some upholstery ribbon across a background I mono-printed earlier with oil pastels. 

If you would like more information about how I go about embossing on leaves here's that link. 

If you are interested in my method of mono-printing with oil pastels here's a link to that post. Enjoy!!

I love this combination!  I hope you enjoy it too and I hope you are having the most wonderful season!!  I love Autumn and I love what follows ~ Christmas!!!  Here's hoping you have MANY joy filled days as the year 2020 begins to close..... 

The inside counts!

 It just occurred to me that I should share the inside of the card from yesterday's post!!  One of my favorite cards, I just love stamping on pressed leaves.  

Because I thought it would be a display worthy card I decided it would be fun to do something unique on the inside!! I kept getting new ideas as I went so it ended up with a separate note card inserted into a corner bracket (so it could easily be re-gifted) and highlight my "Hi!" Notes label at the same time!  

I had a pretty oval die cut I wanted to use and luckily found a couple of great sentiments (from Unity Stamp Co.) that fit inside - with a little modification.  (I snipped out a couple of the leaves and relocated them.)  

Also, a second plain oval was attached to the very back of the card so it looks 'finished' from the back and also leaves (Ha! Ha! leaves!!!) another spot to wright a note :)

Many Blessings to you in this season of Blessing!  Happy Crafting

#Autumn #Leaves #UnityStampCo #EmbossingonLeaves

HELLO Autumn ~ I love you

  #Autumn. #Crafting ~ 2 of my most favorite words!  Combining them in real life is so rewarding!   

I am hooked on stamping on leaves and I think I'll start making framed wall art with them too  🍁            

Here's a link to the "Stamping Leaves" post if you want to learn more!

My goal for this card was to express the chilly-ness of Autumn while showcasing my stamped leaf!! The Sizzix embossing folder I used is one of the 3D folders that gives different levels of dimension.  I rubbed a little gold and then some white ink over the embossed paper it to amplify the dimension too!  

A heavier upholstery ribbon along with a lace edger conveys the cozier aspect of an Autumn sweater, don't you think? 

Blessings on your day!  I hope you stay cozy and find time to enjoy the little things (like leaves!) 💛

 

Best Witches

  This is one of my favorite #witch cards!  I used it in another blog post as an example of using #homemade plaid (link) paper (see the background strip?!) But I really wanted to give it its own post because I love the puff of purple smoke, super cool moon and the crazy streak of bats!!  

Have a wonderful #Autumn and Happy #Halloween

Bendi-Fold Creepers!

Silhouettes and gloomy skies make anything seem creepy.  Funny that the name of a bare deciduous tree is skeleton!! Anyway, having some fun with this Tim Holtz classic die "Halloween Shadows".  

The simple formula for a bendi-fold card is to make a double fold card that will mail flat and then cut a slit any distance toward the middle of the card on the second page for the tab you will cut into the edge of the first page!!  The further in the slit, the greater the bend. 

 Do the same thing for the back of the card, cutting a slit for the tab you'll make on the second (back) page edge.  There are lots of formulas on Pinterest (Link), don't be intimidated ~ they're so fun and pretty simple to construct!  For extra dimension only adhere parts where necessary so that they 'pop' when the card bends and they do not!!

HaPpY HaUnTiNg!!!

#papercraft #scrapbooking  #rubberstamping #stamping  #distressink #Halloween #Fall #Bendifold

Embossing Folder Autumn Monoprints

 Hello, and thank you for visiting my blog!  Autumn is my favorite "color" season so I tend to make a lot of projects in the Autumn, especially since the garden and yard have all been put to bed for the Winter and the kids are out of the house (college and work!) giving me a little extra time to be creative🎨

Here are the cards that came out of some of the Autumn prints! 

I like to get the most out of my craft supplies that I can so I don't cringe too much when I find another "gotta have"!!!  This time I used my little spring birds embossing folder and colored it up with a heavy coat of oil pastels.  Then I made several prints from each color combination I applied, trying to specifically address the iconic colors of each of the 4 seasons!                   

A big "THANK YOU!" to Creative Scrapbooker Magazine for publishing this one in their current Autumn 2020 copy.

I like to get a lot of prints off of each color application.  This is one of the last prints, you can see the color is fading a lot.  I love them, each one is so unique!

If you would like to see more, here's a link to that post "Mono-printing from Embossing Folders"

Meanwhile, If you would like to show off your own results please feel free to post them on my "Hi!" Notes page on Facebook!!  I would love to see them and hear your ideas!

Thanks again for stopping by, Happy Autumn 🍁