Autumn Blues

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

Each day the temperature gets a tiny bit lower. You can tell that the beginning of fall is just around the corner. Several close friends have birthdays this month and I wanted to make special cards for them. I have always done “fall” colors in creating their cards and wanted to do something different this year but still honor the fall season.

Supplies

·       Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits

·       Blender, cello sponges and soft towels

·       A sunny window

·       Scraps of white paper (think junk mail, etc.) ™

·       Scrap of white card stock to die cut

·       Scrap of thin plastic to die cut a leaf stencil

·       Scrap of matboard to die cut the leaf shape

·       The PaperCut™ card bases, envelopes

·       Dies: Quiet Fire Designs™ ECD#1158 “Dream”, and Sizzix™ Tim Holtz #660039 Layered Leaf and matching embossing folder

·       Spellbinders^TM WIZARD™ die cutting and embossing machine (still the best machine to cut and emboss matboard!!!!)

·       Westcott™ paper trimmer

·       Scor-Pal™

·       Beacon ZipDry^TM adhesive, double sided foam tape

·        Ken Oliver Color Burst™ paints

·       Fine mister bottle and water

·       White embossing paste (or light weight spackle)

·       Tonic Studios™ Mother of Pearl Nuvo Mousse™ #804N

·       ColorBox™ Stylus™ handle and white tips

·       Hand cut “Arabesque” stencil

·       Random pattern 5 x 7” embossing folder

Instructions:

1.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create white slurry, and make one or more sheets of medium weight handmade paper. (I always make extra sheets!) 

2.     Allow the paper to dry.

3.     Cut one piece for each card 3 ¾ x 5 ¾”. (Always save the left over pieces for future projects.)

4.     Water down tiny amounts of the Color Burst™ paints, blues, turquoise, greens, purple (you want very light colors).

5.     Use the Stylus™ handle and tip to apply colors around the edge of each cut sheet of handmade paper. Add a tiny bit of color to the center of one sheet. Mist the paper if needed.

6.     Allow the paper to dry.

7.     Die cut the word “Dream” from the scrap of white cardstock.

8.     Die cut the leaf stencil from the scrap of plastic.

9.     Die cut the leaf from the scrap of matboard.

10.  Apply more intense colors to the matboard leaf die cut.

11.  Allow the matboard leaf to dry.

12.  Emboss the matboard leaf with the embossing folder.

13.  Apply the Mother of Pearl Nuvo Mousse to the edges and veins of the matboard leaf.

14.  Lay the plastic stencil onto the sheet with no color in the center. Apply the watered down CB paints through the leaf stencil with the Stylus handle and tips.

15.  Apply tiny bits of matching CB colors to the die cut word.

16.  Allow the paper and die cut word to dry.

17.  Apply embossing paste (light weight spackle) through the “arabesque” stencil several places on the paper with some color in the center.

18.  Allow the paste to dry.

19.  Score cut and fold the colored cardstock to create 5 x 7” cards.

20.  Emboss the random design onto the card fronts.

21.  Center and attach the background papers to the front of the cards.

22.  Attach the leaf die cut to the middle of the card with tiny pieces of foam tape.

23.  Use adhesive to attach the word “Dream” to the lower portion of the water colored leaf card.