Supplies used are listed in the description of each card in the body of this post.
I live in Houston, Texas where we have had a very HOT summer. Finally on Wednesday it was not-sweltering-enough for me to be able to resume my morning walk. I’ve finally been able to sit on the patio until about 1 and then it gets too hot and I have to go outside. I am SO READY for some cooler temps!
Every year about this time Houstonians try to will it to cool off by embracing all things Autumn and Fall. Pumpkin Spice, Halloween, autumn leaves…. I want it all!
A new autumn tradition for me is participating in Scrapbook and Cards Today Magazine’s Crop & Create Card event. One of the stencils in the supply box for the event made my heart go pitter-pat so I decided to use it to make some seasonal cards.
I began with the Taylored Expressions Falling For You – Triple Slim Layered Stencils. This set of 4 stencils makes one 5 3/4″ x 9 3/4″ leafy design which can then be cut down into 3 panels to use as the front for 3 mini slimline cards. This item will be released October 1 2022 so you can go grab it. Make sure to sign up for Taylored Expressions Crafty Points program to get a $10 reward and earn on all your purchases.
I selected autumn appropriate colors keeping in mind that I wanted to blend at least 2 colors together to create more colors for the leaves. I chose Catherine Pooler Inks in Mandarin Spice, Sage, Lemongrass, Royal Treatment, Lilac and Over Coffee. When I did my coloring I also used Buttercream
I used ink blending brushes to stencil. On each stencil I used 2 colors which would blend well together. The layer pictured in the photo I used both Lemongrass and Mandarin Spice.
Here is the stenciled piece cut into the 3 card front panels.
Next I searched my craft collection in my Color My Life App for mini-slimline sized dies because I wanted to cut the first panel with a scalloped edge.
I decided to use Pink Fresh Studio Essentials: Mini Slimline Stitched Scalloped Rectangle to cut the card panel. I popped up the center frame with foam tape. I searched my supply app for squirrels but ended up used the fox and rabbit from Lawn Fawn Happy Hugs stamp and die set colored with Copic Markers. I used an acorn die from Taylored Expressions Fall Flurry dies which are designed to coordinate with the Falling For You stencil.
For my next card I used the girl and sentiment from Ellen Hutson’s stamp set Leading Ladies – Woodsy Lady by Brandi Kincaid for Essentials By Ellen. The lady is colored using a Tombow blending pen and ink from the same ink pad colors I used I used to stencil the background. Skin was colored with Copic markers. I used the lady die to cut out a lady sized hole from the stenciled background. I popped the panel up on foam tape and inset the woodsy lady down into the hole. I finished off the front of the card with sequins from Catherine Pooler and Picket Fence Studio.
I didn’t have room for the squirrel I had already cut and colored so I used it to decorate the inside of the card. The sentiment I wanted to use was very small so I clustered die-cut leaves and acorns from the Fall Flurry Die Set on a round scalloped circle from Queen And Company Foundation Dies #7 and added the squirrel image.
As you may know the long anticipated Hocus Pocus II film is premiering at last today September 30 2022. I knew I needed to make a Hocus Pocus themed card. The stamps are Sassy Pocus and Squad Ghouls by The Sassy Club if you have not seen this brand I recommend you check out her website. This is a mommy artist (skilled illustrator) who produces stamps and ships out of her home. She does a lot of pop culture inspired images. On her facebook group I requested a Rankin & Bass Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer set and she created THREE sets – oh my keep watching for those (Xmas Toys, Santa N Friends, and Yeti N Friends) to get used in the near future.
The main image was stamped in Gina K Obsidian Amalgam Ink and colored with a blending pen and ink picked up from the ink pads used in the background. The Coffee Cup is from Catherine Pooler Pumpkin Season stamp set. The sentiment is heat embossed in gold and I used my blending brushes to color the leaf die cuts which were layered with foam tape. I also ink blended to edges of the stenciled panel to make it feel dark.
I couldn’t resist decorating the inside of the card. Sentiment is in The Sassy Club set, the cauldron is from Ellen Hutson Bear Ware 2 by Julie Ebersole for Essentials By Ellen. The cauldron steam was heat embossed with Halo Embossing Glitter by WOW with a stamp from Close To My Heart Coffee Shop D1159 (retired). I used sequins to create the bubbles in the cauldron. If you’re wondering how I can remember which of my stamp sets have steam in them, I don’t. Once again I searched my Color My Life cataloging app – it showed me the sets that had steam elements in them & told me where they were filed. I pulled 3 and chose the one that fit best in the space on my card. I have created a page on my blog where I list blog posts where I have talked about how I use the Color My Life App. You can find that post here.
I really love this stencil. Check out the other layered stencils Taylored Expressions has to offer. They have additional triple mini-slimline stencils as well as Create In Quad stencils which make 4 a2 panels on an 8.5×11 sheet. Are you as ready for Fall as I am? What are you most looking forward to?
Just a little reminder that is probably almost time to sign up for the NEXT Crop & Create round of events which will take place in spring of 2023