Happy Thanksgiving-Love of Leaves Stencil Card
November 25, 2020

This bleached leaves card is one of the projects found in my November newsletter featuring the stamp set Love of Leaves.
The Bleach Technique is easy to do with each project turning out a little different.
Want to learn more?
You can still receive my November newsletter.
Just add your name to my mailing list before Dec 1, 2020, and you'll receive the newsletter via e mail.
The sign up box is located in the upper right-hand side of this page.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Anne
Tuxedo Pop-Up Card folds flat for mailing.
Tuxedo Pop-Up Cards!
Create fun 3D pop-up cards using the Tuxedo Pop-Up Card technique.
This is a simple fold that will provide that WOW factor to your creations.
The possibilities are endless for all season and occasion crafting.
Want to learn more?
My November Fresh Card Making tutorial will feature the Tuxedo Pop-Up Card Technique.
Two cards will be featured.
The first is this one covered with colorful Stitched Leaves for a fall-theme.
The second is a Christmas card using Tree Angle stamp set and coordinating Triangles Dies.
(check back for the sample on my posting dated 11/19)
This tutorial will hit e mail inboxes at 9:00 AM (MST) on November 17, 2020.
Please add your name to my mailing list anytime from November 17 to December 14, 2020 to receive this tutorial in a pdf format, complete with photos and step-by-step instructions.
To sign up, please use the Sign Up Box located in the upper right hand corner of this page.
Once the sign up process has been completed, you'll receive my Adhesives 101 tutorial via email in pdf format as my gift to you.
I hope to hear from you!
Happy Thanksgiving from me to you and your family!
Supplies Used:
Stamp Set: Painted Harvest
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Cajun Craze
Paper: Very Vanilla, Bermuda Bay, Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry
Accessories: Big Shot, Tin Tile Embossing Folder, Leaf and Sprig Punches, 2 1/4, 2 1/2" Circle Punches, sponge, Mini Dimensionals, In Color Faceted Dots
Have you seen the Mercury Glass Designer Acetate in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog?
I overlooked it a few times as it really isn't prominent in the samples.
But, it is really cool stuff!
I provides easy backgrounds that add that WOW factor!
So, what is it?
According to Wikipedia, "Mercury glass (or silvered glass) is glass that was blown double walled, then silvered between the layers with a liquid silvering solution, and sealed. Although mercury was originally used to provide the reflective coating for mirrors, elemental mercury was never used to create tableware."
Stampin' Up! Mercury Glass Designer Acetate features a faux mercury glass look on translucent paper.
To get different effects, place it over different colored card stock.
Or, you can also color the back of the paper using Blends like I did for this card.
The color will show through the clear parts of the acetate.
Since Blends are alcohol based, the ink will dry fairly quickly.
The possibilities are endless!
Just a note, there is a clear film covering the back side of the acetate that should be removed in order to get the full effect.
It is a little hard to get started. I slightly bent one of the corners of the acetate, then used my Take Your Pick Tool to work the film free.
Then, you can peel it away.
I peeled just enough away to cut my 4" x 3 1/4" piece needed for this card. Then, I moved the film back over the rest of the sheet until I need it for another project.
The Designer Acetate comes in a pack of 4- 12" x 12" sheets, 2 each of 2 designs.
Fun!
Mercury Glass Designer Acetate
Supplies Used:
Stamp Set: Itty Bitty Greetings
Ink: Cajun Craze
Stampin' Blends: Dark Daffodil Delight, Dark Calypso Coral, Light and Dark Cherry Cobbler
Paper: Early Espresso, Whisper White, Mercury Glass Designer Acetate
Accessories: Big Shot, Snow Globe Scenes Die, Mini Dimensionals, Stamparatus
Recycle and reuse!
I always try to use the paper towels in my crafting that I've used to blot the color from Pigment Sprinkles, watercolor, or after cleaning stamps.
That was the case with this card.
I incorporated the paper towel I used to blot the Pigment Sprinkles from this Winter Woods card HERE.
I separated the plys, using 1 and saving the other for another creation.
I glued it to a piece of Whisper White card stock, then cut it down to the size I needed.
The trees were cut out of Early Espresso card stock using my Big Shot and In the Woods Die.
I added the Early Espresso landscape, also cut out using the In the Woods Die.
The greeting is from Itty Bitty Greetings stamped in Early Espresso ink using the Stamparatus.
Supplies Used:
Stamp Set: Itty Bitty Greetings
Ink: Early Espresso
Paper: Mango Melody, Soft Suede, Early Espresso
Accessories: Pigment Sprinkles, paper towel, Big Shot, In the Woods Die, Tombow Multi-purpose Glue, Mini Dimensionals, Stamparatus
I found this idea shared by Tina Wardell using a fluid masking product to mask the aspen trees found in Winter Woods, allowing you to add color behind the trunks without getting color on the trunks.
I thought it was such a cool idea that I immediately started searching for where I could purchase the product.
I found an Incredible White Masking kit at our local arts and crafts store in the watercolor painting supply aisle.
The kit comes with the instructions, fluid, brush and eraser.
I actually used a small paint brush I had in my stash, and I did not erase the masking fluid when everything was dry.
I found that the eraser also took some of the paper off with it. By not erasing it, your project is left with a cool texture on the trunks.
I CASED Tina's design on the first card using Mango Melody with a touch of Daffodil Delight Pigment Sprinkles.
For the second card, I used Bermuda Bay, Gorgeous Grape, and Granny Apple Green Pigment Sprinkles.
Here's how:
Card 1 Supplies:
Stamp Sets: Winter Woods, Itty Bitty Greetings
Ink: Stazon, Memento Black, Early Espresso, Old Olive
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, watercolor
Accessories: Incredible White Mask , post-it-note, Mango Melody and Daffodil Delight Pigment Sprinkles, spritzer bottle with water, paint brush, Stamparatus
Card 2 Supplies
Stamp Sets: Winter Woods, Itty Bitty Greetings
Ink: Stazon, Memento Black, Early Espresso, Old Olive
Paper: Very Vanilla, Night of Navy, watercolor
Accessories: Incredible White Mask , post-it-note, Bermuda Bay, Gorgeous Grape, Granny Apple Green Pigment Sprinkles, spritzer bottle with water, paint brush, Stamparatus
Add great texture to your projects by applying Embossing Paste over a Decorative Mask!
Embossing Paste is easy to use. Color can easily be added to the mix for an endless supply of possibilities!
Want to learn more?
My October Fresh Card Making tutorial will feature Embossing Paste and Decorative Masks made to create Four Seasons of a Tree cards.
Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer-a forest filled with changing colors!
This tutorial will hit e mail inboxes at 9:00 am (MST) on October 22, 2019.
Please add your name to my mailing list by 8:00 am (MST) on October 22 to receive this tutorial complete with step-by-step instructions.
To sign up, please use the Sign Up Box located in the upper right hand corner of this page.
Once the sign up process has been completed, you'll receive my Adhesives 101 tutorial via email in pdf format as my gift to you.
I hope to hear from you!
Anne
Shimmery White Embossing Paste
It's easy to celebrate the change in seasons by using the Leaf Punch to create this fall-inspired wreath!
(Inspiration came from Pinterest, but can't remember who.)
Here's how:
Be sure to check back on October 14 for my Leaf Punch Christmas Wreath!
Stamp Set: Painted Harvest
Ink: Cajun Craze, Soft Suede, Gray Granite
Paper: Merry Merlot, Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, Copper Foil, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Leaf, Sprig, hexagon punches, Big Shot, Circle Dies, Hardwood Embossing Folder, brayer, sponge, ribbon, Linen Thread, Frosted and Clear Epoxy Droplets, Mini Dimensionals
Supplies Used:
The Falling for Leaves Bundle has quickly become one of my favorites.
This quick, yet elegant card was easy to create.
I embossed a piece of Very Vanilla card stock using the Big Shot and Planks embossing folder and matted it with a piece of Copper Foil paper
The leaves were cut out of Copper Foil paper using the Big Shot and one of the Detailed Leaves dies.
The greeting and inside leaves were heat embossed using a heat tool and copper embossing powder.
Here's the inside:
Supplies Used:
Stamp set: Falling for Leaves
Ink: versamark
Paper: Very Vanilla, Copper Foil paper
Accessories: Big Shot, Detailed Leaves Thinlits Dies, Planks embossing folder, Embossing Buddy, heat tool, copper embossing powder, Mini Dimensionals, copper thread
The changing leaves have been so pretty this year here in the mountains of southern Colorado!
This card was inspired by this photo of one of the wild Choke Cherries growing on our property.
It always is a show-stopper!
To create the bold colors of my card, I did the Bokeh Technique.
According to Wikipedia," the bokeh is the blur or aesthetic quality of the blur in out of focus areas of an image."
It is one of my favorite stamping techniques.
I first created a card stock template of circles using my 1" and 3/4" circle punches.
Then, with sponge daubers, I added Mango Melody, Crushed Curry, Poppy Parade, and Old Olive inks, overlapping the colors to create the Bokeh effect. Once the ink was dry, I added circles of Whisper White craft ink.
The leaves were cut out of Old Olive and Gold Foil paper using the Big Shot and Detailed Leaves Thinlits Dies.
The greeting is from Falling for Leaves and was stamped using Poppy Parade.
Happy Fall!
Supplies Used:
Stamp Set: Falling for Leaves
Ink: Mango Melody, Crushed Curry, Poppy Parade, Old Olive, Whisper White craft ink
Paper: Whisper White, Poppy Parade, Old Olive, Goil Foil
Accessories: 1" and 3/4" circle punches, sponge daubers, Big Shot, Detailed Leaves Thinlits Dies, Tombow Multi-purpose glue, Mini Dimensionals, enamel shape
Using Designer Series Paper to create a 5-minute card is easy when you let it do most of the work.
That is the case with this card featuring Nature's Poem DSP.
Simply cut the paper into 1 1/4" x 5 1/4" strips and place on your card base.
Add a greeting stamped on a coordinating piece of card stock and you're done!
For this card, I used the greeting from Sheltering Tree, along with a leaf image from Painted Harvest stamped on a piece of Grapefruit Grove card stock using Blackberry Bliss ink. A Blackberry Bliss Faceted Dot was added to complete the card.
Nature's Poem Designer Series Paper
Supplies Used:
Stamp Sets: Sheltering Tree, Painted Harvest
Ink: Blackberry Bliss
Paper: Blackberry Bliss, Grapefruit Grove, Nature's Poem Designer Series Paper
Accessories: Faceted Dot, Mini Dimensionals
Here's one more fall-themed project using the perennial favorite stamp set, Lovely as a Tree.
This is a clean and simple, 5-minute card creation!
Here's how:
That's it, done!
Supplies Used:
Stamp Sets: Lovely as a Tree, Floral & Fauna ( December 2017 Paper Pumpkin kit)
Ink: Early Espresso, Crushed Curry, Mango Melody, Cajun Craze
Paper: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso
Accessories: heat tool, clear embossing powder, sponge, Dimensionals
Fall is my favorite time of the year!
I love the cooler temps and the changing colors.
To celebrate the arrival of fall, I've been busy creating some fall-themed cards.
This card features the Clear-Block Background Technique paired with one of my new favorite stamp sets, Dandelion Wishes.
Here's how:
I stamped the greeting from Dandelion Wishes on the inside:
Supplies Used:
Stamp Set: Dandelion Wishes
Ink: Pool Party, Crushed Curry, Mango Melody, Early Espresso
Paper: Mango Melody, Early Espresso, Shimmery White
Accessories: Clear-Block "F", spritzer bottle with water, clear embossing powder, heat tool, Mini Dimensionals, enamel shapes
After a very warm summer, I think fall has finally arrived here in the mountains of southern Colorado!
Cooler temps and changing colors.
Fall is my favorite time of the year!
To celebrate, I have been busy creating fall-themed cards which I will be sharing over the next few days.
This one was quick and easy using the Clear-Block Background Technique mixed with the dainty flower images found in the stamp set Daisy Delight.
Here's how:
Supplies Used:
Stamp Sets: Daisy Delight, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Pool Party, Pacific Point, Crushed Curry, Pear Pizzazz, Color Me Clover, Mango Melody
Paper: Pacific Point, Crushed Curry, Shimmery White
Accessories: Clear-block "E", spritzer bottle with water, rhinestones, Sharpie Pen, Mini Dimensionals
A fresh bouquet just in time for the arrival of fall!
Here's how:
Happy Fall!
Stamp Sets: Jar of Love, Daisy Delight, Dragonfly Dreams
Ink: Early Espresso, Pear Pizzazz, Call me Clover
Paper: Early Espresso, Pear Pizzazz, Crushed Curry, vellum card stock, Wood Textures 6"x6" Designer Series Paper
Accessories: clear embossing powder, heat tool, Big Shot, Everyday Jars Framelits Dies, Daisy Punch, Faceted Gem. Mini Dimensionals
I wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!
This card was created from a scrap piece of baby wipe left over from my tie dye leaf background card found HERE.
I often use baby wipes that I have used to clean my stamp sets in my crafting.
They provide interesting backgrounds.
The card above was inspired by one of our sunrises!
The colors were only on a small portion of the baby wipe, so the card itself turned out to be smaller in size.
That's ok though!
I placed a piece of multi-purpose adhesive sheet onto the back of the baby wipe.
The glue left from the adhesive sheet allowed me to place the baby wipe on a scrap piece of Whisper White card stock.
The baby wipe was trimmed down, and the edges were folded over and secured onto the back of the card stock.
I stamped the trees, leaves, and ground from Wonderful Branches using Early Espresso ink.
I used this retired stamp set from my stash because the image was small enough to fit onto the small card front piece.
The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.
The Tie Dye Background Tutorial hit e mail inboxes on November 14.
If you'd like to learn how to create the tie dye background, please sign up for my mailing list by December 1st, 2018 using the signup box in the upper right-hand corner of this site.
I'll e mail the tutorial to you.
Thanks!
Supplies Used:
Stamp Sets: Wonderful Branches, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Cajun Craze, Old Olive Curry, Early Espresso
Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso
Accessories: baby wipe, multi-purpose adhesive sheet
719 Rocks!
(719 is our area code)
There's a big craze going on here in southern Colorado (and maybe in your area too).
We find rocks, paint them, then place them back out in public spaces for people to find and hopefully brighten their day.
Simple as that!
I've jumped on board!
I decided to give hand-painted rocks as thank you gifts to attendees of an upcoming stamping class.
I thought it would be fun to share the 719 Rocks movement. They can pass the rocks on for someone else to enjoy, or not.
I'm not the best painter, so I started with the ladybugs because I thought they'd be easy.
Yes, simple. Basically just circles after prepping the rock with red and black paint!
I painted six ladybugs. One went to Colorado Springs, CO, and one went to Canon City, CO.
Then, two went with us on a recent driving vacation to visit relatives in IA. One was left in Cedar Rapids, and one was left in Muscatine!
For the class attendees, I decided to expand my horizons a little.
But, to do that, I decided I'd take a little help from Stampin' Up!
For the Christmas tree rocks, I used a stencil created from the Card Front Builder Thinlits Die (part of the Carols of Christmas Bundle).
I cut the single tree out of scrap card stock using the Big Shot and the thinlits die. I then placed it on my prepped rock (background painted blue and white), and dabbed on green acrylic paint. I added a little bling using rhinestones colored with red and yellow sharpies. The two smaller trees were painted free hand (with me holding in my breath the whole time!)
I originally thought I'd give everyone a Christmas tree painted rock, but then I started to get bored.
Time to move on to something else.
The fall tree was inspired by the stamp set Sheltering Tree. Everything was painted free hand.
My intent was that it would be a fall tree, but my husband thought it was a fruit tree covered in fruit. Either works, right?
The sunset rock was inspired by the tall flowers found in the stamp set Daisy Delight. After prepping the rock by painting it orange and black, I placed a circle stencil that I created using my 1" circle punch on it and dabbed on yellow paint.
I then drew the grass/flower stems using a black Sharpie pen. I also stamped the grass image from the retired stamp set In the Meadow using black Stazon ink!
That coupled with the two leftover ladybug rocks, I was done!
I had a painted rock for everyone.
Each rock has "719 Rocks, You Rock!" written on the bottom.
Fun!
I hope you'll encounter a painted rock along your daily travels.
I hope it brings a smile!
Be sure to share photos of any painted rocks you find.
Supplies Used:
rocks, acrylic paint, paint brushes, Big Shot, Card Front Builder Thinlits Die, In the Meadow stamp set, black Stazon ink, 1" circle punch, black, red, and yellow Sharpie pens
Lovely as a Tree is one of my all-time favorite stamp sets. It is one of the first stamp sets I purchased when I started stamping many moons ago.
I think it is the oldest set found in the SU! Annual Catalog.
I hold my breath every year when the retiring list is published, and I breathe a sigh of relief when I see that it is not on that list!
For this card, I combined Lovely as a Tree with the Faux Metal Technique.
Perfect for a fall-themed card!
Also perfect for those sometimes hard to create masculine-themed cards too!
The Faux Metal Technique is very easy to do.
You will need a Versamark pad, embossing powder, heat tool and a stamp.
That's it!
Here's how:
1. Ink up your stamp with Versamark and set it aside. This is an important step. The Versamark protects the rubber from the melted embossing powder in the last step.
2. Dab Versamark ink onto a piece of Whisper White card stock. Pour embossing powder over the Versamark, and heat emboss using a heat tool. For this card, I used copper embossing powder.
3. Repeat that step 2 more times. On the third time, make sure the embossing powder is melting and flowing, like melted wax.
4. Quickly remove the heat from the card stock, and stamp your preconditioned stamp into the melted embossing powder. Lift the stamp, and your image should be burnished into the embossing powder. It's the same principle as wax sealing an envelope.
5. If you don't like the image, simply add more heat to the embossing powder, so it is melted and flowing and try again. Remember to condition your stamp with Versamark before stamping.
6. Swipe Embossing Buddy over piece of Perfect Plum card stock. Stamp leaves and pine cones from Lovely as a Tree using Versamark ink. Heat emboss using copper embossing powder.
7. Dab edges of Perfect Plum into Versamark and heat emboss using copper embossing powder.
8. Attach to front of Whisper White card base. Attach Faux Metal piece to front of card base , popping it up using Dimensionals.
9. Stamp greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes using Elegant Eggplant to complete.
I hope you'll give it a try and will share your creations with me.
Lovely as a Tree, timeless tree images!
Supplies Used:
Stamp Sets: Lovely as a Tree, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Versamark, Elegant Eggplant
Paper: Whisper White, Perfect Plum
Accessories: Embossing Buddy, heat tool, copper embossing powder, Mini Dimensionals