Stamping with Leaves

There was a fun Ways to Use It challenge over at Splitcoaststampers last week -  Stamping with leaves - where you go out in your yard and find some leaves - press them into your ink pad and then press them onto your cardstock!  

I used plant leaves instead of tree leaves - and look how pretty they came out!

For my first try -  I used 3 leaves from my pink geranium and 3 different colors of Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink -  Orange Blossom, Cornflower Blue, Fern Green.

I stamped a sentiment from Simple Stems by PTI in the same colors of ink.  I used Tim Holtz Mini Scallop die - 3D Impresslits (it die cuts and embosses in one swoop!) with metallic green paper for the lovely border along the bottom.  The blue frame is cut with Scallop Stackers Small die from PTI and the green border is Noted: Scalloped A2 die also from PTI.   I also splattered some Yellow Oxide Acrylic Paint mixed with water over the panel.

The Process:  I laid a leaf onto the ink pad.   Then I placed a piece of computer paper over the leaf and ink pad so I could really press on the leaf without getting all inky!  Then I removed the leaf from the ink pad and laid it onto a watercolor paper panel. Again, I laid a clean sheet of computer paper over the  panel and rubbed over the leaf to get as good an impression as possible.  I repeated the process with other leaves in other colors.

My next try was with a leaf from a ground cover plant I have in my garden -  I had forgotten the name of it - it has bright yellow flowers in the spring early summer.  I looked it up in my Garden Flowers Book and I think it is Spring Cinquefoil.

The veins in the leaves are more prominent than the fleshy parts. I wasn't sure how the leaves would show up over the text stamping (a panel I had on my desk from a previous project) but I love how it came out!

I die cut the panel with Noted: Pinked A2 Vertical Die from PTI and layered it to a green panel and a die cut blue panel using the same Pinked die set. I added three black rhinestones. I didn't put a sentiment on it - I will probably either just use it for a note or stamp a sentiment inside for an appropriate occasion!

Here are the leaves of this ground cover - the yellow blooms long past but will return next spring!

So - give it a try!  Ink up some leaves and stamp them on your cards!

Geranium Card
Stamps: Simple Stems (sentiment) - PTI
Paper: watercolor paper - Canson, Enchanted Evening, Simply Chartreuse, white - PTI, Foiled Card Stack - DCWV
Inks: Wendy Vecchi Archival Cornflower Blue, Fern Green and Orange Blossom
Accessories:  Real geranium leaves from my garden, Yellow Oxide Acrylic Paint - Golden, paint brush, water, Scallop Stackers Small Die - PTI, Mini Scallop die - 3D Impresslits Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Noted: Scalloped A2 die  

Spring Cinquefoil  card
Stamps: Script Background Stamp - Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous
Paper: Vintage Cream, Enchanted Evening, Simply Chartreuse, white - PTI
Inks:  Wendy Vecchi Archival Cornflower Blue, Fern Green, Hero Hues Black
Accessories:  real Spring Cinquefoil leaves from my garden, Pinked A2 Dies - PTI, black rhinestones - Kaiser Craft