Well Good Day! I hope you are well and having a perfectly perfect day. I am writing this the afternoon after I posted videos for Stampin’ Up!’s Love of Leaves stamp set. I was up until 3am trying to post both of them, and so I didn’t wake up until after 12pm. I hate sleeping that late – that long. I feel so tired and out of it. Does that happen to you? Sleep too long that you wake up groggy and your head feels funny?
I would have recorded my videos the day before, but I had the most “wrong day” every. My Monday started out at 4am when I suddenly woke up and realized that I threw away my paper prescriptions. Unfortunately I take pain medication that is monitored by EVERYONE and so a missing script is not something that is “allowed.” I had to go through the garbage to get them out of the bag that my daughter asked me the week before if I needed. I was in the middle of something and just said “nope.” It was completely my fault. Let me tell you, That was a pleasant experience!!!! (high sarcasm – you’ll get that a lot from me )
Then as I was trying to craft to come up with a card to make, I lost the key die in the Love of Leaves stamp set that I wanted to use. I took over an hour to straighten up my area – I’m a really messy crafter – picked up the floor and organized other areas of my craft room while I was at it, and finally found it. It had slipped under my Ott lamp base – which is located less than 2 feet in front of me. I must have slid my lamp base and the die was caught under it. Grrrr!
Since I was already aggravated about the missing die, I decided to start on my Christmas card ideas. I was really into it and was making great progress, until I misplaced another die. A teeny tiny one, about the size of a nickel. My area was already cleaned up by this time, there was nothing to move around and still I could not find it. I looked everywhere 3 times and after a ridiculous amount of time, I decided I was not meant to craft that day and got up to leave my area. That’s when I noticed that my slipper felt a little odd. Yep, the die was stuck to the bottom of my slipper! If you are shaking your head right now and laughing . . . IT WASN’T FUNNY!!! I was so baffled at how I could be so “clumsy” with my tools. I was shaking my head all the way to bed – I went to bed at 8pm Obviously I was a danger to everything I needed and it was best to take myself away from it all.
I make this video “on the fly” which means that I really didn’t know what I was going to use to make this card until that very minute. I make this a process video to show my audience how I choose my colors, etc. I knew I wanted my leaves multicolored and always use this same combo: Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie and Cajun Craze. I added in BumbleeBee and Cinnamon Cider since those are new in-colors that went great with this fall card. After inking up my stamp in the lightest color, used ink daubers to add my other colors. I made sure I used my 3rd color ink daubers to go over the 2nd color’s edges – this allows everything to blend nicely. My video will show this better, if this is not clear.
I stamped these leaves on a sheet of Very Vanilla cardstock measuring 4 3/4 by 5 3/4 to allow a colored mat around the edges. I mounted this panel on a card base of Early Espresso cardstock measuring 10×7 and scored and folded in half at the 5″ mark. To give my panel something “extra,” I added some splatter with Early Espresso ink that I stamped on an acrylic block, added water to it with our misters, and used the perfect size paintbrush to drip over my panel. I have tried several different sizes of paintbrushes and now know which one makes the best size splatter. I suggest you spend some time finding the right size for you. If not, you’ll end up hating your card all because of ugly splatter.
I used a large circle die (framelit) of Cajun Craze cardstock. This circle die is an older Sizzix die and measures approximately 3 3/4. It came in a pack of 7 or 8 dies and there are 2 sets that complement each other. I embossed this circle with the Subtle Embossing folder – my favorite. It adds the perfect amount of texture, without distracting and “taking away” from the overal design. I used the Hippo & Friends label die for the sentiment “I thought of you today” and added some sparkle with 2 different sizes of our basic rhinestones. next I ink bended the several different die shapes of the leaves and chose one to add to the sentiment. I added a small linen thread bow and I was done with the front.
For the inside, I decided to leave the sentiment area blank for now, as I don’t need this card today, but I did add another stamped leaf on the lower right hand side. I love adding small touches to the inside of the card and feel as though it is not finished without a proper inside.
This card can be easily made in multiples. Yes, it takes a bit of time, but this is our hobby, who wants to make only simple, quick cards? Thanks for spending some time with me today. I appreciate you and every comment you share. Thanks Again! Amanda
A7 Size Girl -- In An A2 Size World 