It’s beginning to look a lot like….

FALL! Actually, this morning it FEELS more like fall, or autumn if you prefer, than it looks. Although, I noticed when mowing the lawn for about the third time this year (well, it was a bit more than that, but not by much. So dry here.) that I noticed the leaves are changing and falling. Whether that is because of the seasonal change or because of the dry weather, I cannot say.

I LOVE making autumn themed cards, just with leaves, or trees, or with a Thanksgiving theme and pumpkins, or even Halloween, I really enjoy thinking up ways to use the new stamp sets and new ways to use the older, favorite ones. Today I am using my FAVorite set, Vintage Leaves.

I began the card by cutting the card stock. Next up is stamping the front mat of Crumb Cake in Crumb Cake ink with the Touches of Texture dots. I also did this on a smaller piece that I would use for my sentiment.

I took a piece of Very Vanilla card stock and sponged Peekaboo Peach, Daffodil Yellow, Old Olive, Cajun Craze and Soft Suede  with Stampin’ Sponges (I cut these in quarters), sponged randomly all over it. Using the Embossing Buddy, I went over the entire sheet to prevent the embossing powder from sticking where I didn’t want it. Then, with Versamark ink and my Vintage Leaves stamps, I stamped as many leaves as I could fit on the paper.

After heat embossing with Copper Stampin’ Emboss powder, I cut them with the matching Leaflets dies. The Magnetic Platform is a big help here. I also cut an oak leaf in Copper Foil Sheets. On this one I used the stylus that comes with the Simply Scored Board to mark veins. I chose one oak and one maple leaf to put with the copper one and Glue Dotted them together at the stems, then tied a piece of Linen Thread around them.

Using another favorite in my arsenal of tools, the Woodland Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, and a sheet of the Wood Textures Designer Paper Series stack, I dry embossed the paper. A sponge dauber and a light touch with Basic Black ink hightlighted the trees just a tiny bit. Then, with my Basic Black Stampin’ Write marker (the pen end) I filled in all the little marks in the tree bark. I really, really love this look. I hope we always have the Wood Textures DSP! And that embossing folder! (Even if SU retires them I will ALWAYS use that embossing folder)

This panel is layered over a Copper Foil Sheets mat with Tear & Tape (with the center of the panel cut out of course!). I cut a piece of burlap into a banner and used Tear & Tape to adhere it to the textured piece. The bunch of leaves is adhered with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

The sentiment piece is stamped in Versamark with the sentiment from Paisleys and Posies and heat embossed in Copper Stampin’ Emboss powder. This is liquid glued to the slightly larger Copper Foil piece and adhered to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

For the inside I stamped a couple of leaves from the Vintage Leaves set in Crumb Cake on Crumb Cake card stock. I debated with myself about doing the same around the edges as I did on the front mat of the card, then decided against it. I like the clean look on the inside. This panel is left blank for writing whatever you choose, then Tear & Taped to another Copper Foil Sheets (center cut out), and liquid glued into the card base.

The Kraft envelope (did I mention that this is a 5″ x 7″ card?) got embossed woodland on the flap and a multicolored maple leaf on the front. I used the marker-to-stamp method of inking the stamp using Daffodil Yellow, Old Olive and Cajun Craze. I also used the Sponge Dauber and Basic Black ink to just highlight the embossed trees on the flap.

I hope you like this card. I do, but then it incorporates most of my favorites, copper, leaves and embossed trees.

If we don’t connect tomorrow, please have a safe end-of-summer holiday weekend and remember in prayer those suffering from the damage left behind by Harvey.

I am working with my sister and others to figure out the best way to help. She has been in touch with one of the churches there and has a list of things they need. We just need to figure out a way to get it there, even if I have to drive my SUV down as full as I can pack it with these items. Getting things back to any semblance of “normal” will take weeks, scratch that, MONTHS! Trying to get stuff there now would probably be pointless until the waters recede.

Money donated to Salvation Army or a small church there would be the best bet for getting it where it NEEDS to go.

Thought for today: Love your neighbor as yourself. Folks, those in Texas and Louisiana are our neighbors.

Card Cuts: Early Espresso: 7″ x 10″ scored at 5″; Crumb Cake: front mat 4-3/4″ x 6-3/4″, inside sentiment panel 4-1/4″ x 6-1/4″, front sentiment 1-1/8″ x 2-3/4″; Copper Foil Sheets: front panel 4-1/4″ x 6-1/4″, inside mat 4-3/4″ x 6-3/4″, front sentiment mat 1-1/4″ x 2-7/8″ leaf 2-1/4″ x 4-1/4″; Wood Textures DSP: embossed panel 4″ x 6″; Very Vanilla: to sponge for leaves 5″ x 8-1/4″

Non-Stampin’ Up! products used: a piece of 3″ burlap ribbon cut to size, 1-3/4″ x 5-1/2″

Product List

Vintage Leaves

[138802]

$26.00

Paisleys & Posies Photopolymer Stamp Set

[142196]

$21.00

Leaflets Framelits Dies

[138283]

$25.00

Woodland Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

[139673]

$8.50

Early Espresso 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock

[119686]

$8.00

Crumb Cake 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock

[120953]

$8.00

Very Vanilla 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock

[101650]

$9.00

Copper Foil Sheets

[142020]

$4.00

Wood Textures Designer Series Paper Stack

[144177]

$10.00

Crumb Cake Classic Stampin’ Pad

[126975]

$6.50

Touches Of Texture Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[143251]

$33.00

Versamark Pad

[102283]

$8.50

Copper Stampin’ Emboss Powder

[141636]

$5.00

Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin’ Pad

[126944]

$6.50

Peekaboo Peach Classic Stampin’ Pad

[141398]

$6.50

Crumb Cake Classic Stampin’ Pad

[126975]

$6.50

Cajun Craze Classic Stampin’ Pad

[126965]

$6.50

Soft Suede Classic Stampin’ Pad

[126978]

$6.50

Old Olive Classic Stampin’ Pad

[126953]

$6.50

Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad

[140931]

$7.00

Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker

[100082]

$3.50

Stamping Sponges

[141337]

$3.50

Sponge Daubers

[133773]

$5.00

Linen Thread

[104199]

$4.50

Liquid Multipurpose Glue

[110755]

$4.00

Glue Dots

[103683]

$5.25

Tear & Tape Adhesive

[138995]

$7.00

Stampin’ Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.00

Copper Stampin’ Emboss Powder

[141636]

$5.00

Paper Snips Scissors

[103579]

$10.00

Big Shot

[143263]

$110.00

Big Shot Magnetic Platform

[130658]

$40.00

Simply Scored

[122334]

$30.00

Embossing Buddy

[103083]

$6.00