Cards for Giving Thanks

Since Thanksgiving is almost upon us here in the USA, thought that I'd share a few cards I have made for various challenges over at Splitcoaststampers.  

All supplies are listed at the bottom of my post.

For my leaf card- I water colored a big leaf Sizzix die cut from watercolor paper.  I adhered it to the panel just along the center of the leaf so the edges would curl up a bit off the panel.

The panel behind the leaf is  monoprint stenciled using a beautiful succulent stencil from Stencil Girl but the leaf ended up covering most of it!  Monoprint stenciling is the November challenge over at CAS Stencil. Check out my blog post here to see the technique!

I splattered the next layer panel with a brown water color paint.  The stamp is from an older PTI set - Autumn Abundance.

My next card was inspired by a cardigan sweater - I thought this Orchard stencil from Stencil Girl looked rather like knit and pearl!  I sponged the wheat stencil from The Greetery in Frayed Burlap Distress and then stamped the sentiment from Give Thanks by PTI in Dark Chocolate. I added a little acrylic red heart to give a pop of color and to complement the sentiment. I sponged the edges of the panel with Scattered Straw and layered it to a Cocoa Bean panel and then to a Vintage Cream card base.

Same sweater inspiration for this card - but I used a Rib Knit Mini Stencil from Stencil Girl, the same wheat stencil from The Greetery and a sentiment from  Sentiment Staples Thanksgiving set from PTI.

For my final Thanksgiving card today - I used stamps and dies from Butterfly Kisses by Lawn Fawn, coloring the images with Copics.  The background is stenciled with Festive Flourish by Echo Park and sprayed with Perfect Pearls to add some shimmer. The sentiment is from an older Thanksgiving Wishes set by Lil Inker Designs.

I'm linking my leaf card to:

The Card Concept

Inspired by the orange and green colors - mixed media style (stenciling and watercoloring)

 Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge
Thank You/Thanksgiving

Autumn Blessings Card
Stamps:  Autumn Abundance - PTI 
Paper:  Watercolor paper - Canson, Rustic Cream, Vintage Cream - PTI 
Ink:   Cocoa Bean - PTI, Ranger Distress Bundled Sage 
Accessories:   leaf die - Sizzix, Succulent Stencil - Stencil Girl, Kuretake Water color paints Cadmium Scarlet, Yellow Ochre, Lemon Yellow, Burnt Sienna, water brushes, water  

Grateful Heart Card
Stamps: Give Thanks - PTI
Paper:   Rustic Cream, Vintage Cream, Cocoa Bean - PTI
Ink:  Ranger Distress Wild Honey, Scattered Straw, Frayed Burlap; Dark Chocolate - PTI 
Accessories: Orchard Stencil - Stencil Girl, Mason Jar Fillers Stencil - The Greetery, Red Hots Acrylic Heart - Honey Bee Stamps     

 Happy Thanksgiving Card
Stamps: Sentiment Staples: Thanksgiving Set - PTI
Paper:  Rustic Cream, Vintage Cream, Cocoa Bean - PTI
Ink: Ranger Distress Wild Honey, Scattered Straw, Frayed Burlap; Dark Chocolate - PTI
Accessories: Rib Knit Mini stencil - Stencil Girl, Mason Jar Fillers Stencil - The Greetery, Red Hots Acrylic Heart - Honey Bee Stamps    

Simple Pleasures Card
Stamps:  Butterfly Kisses - Lawn Fawn, Thanksgiving Wishes - Lil Inker Designs
Paper:  white, Terracotta Tile, DP First Fruits Collection - PTI, Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper.
Ink:  Hero Hues Black, Spring Rain - PTI
Accessories:  Butterfly Kisses Dies - Lawn Fawn, Sentiment Strips - Neat and Tangled, Pierced Feature Frames - PTI, Festive Flourish Stencil - Echo Park, Sunflower Sparkle Perfect Pearls Mist, foam dots.

Setting the Thanksgiving Table

Today I have 2 projects to share using some of  Eileen Hull's Sizzix Dies that will help you set a festive table for Thanksgiving!  These will also be posted over on Eileen's blog on Wed 11/13/19.

I've created a pocket to place the napkin and silverware in at each place setting using Eileen's Gift Card Folder Die and a little house treat box using her House Ornament Die, decorating it with leaves from her Journaling Cards Flowers and Leaves Die.

I folded a Thanksgiving paper napkin and slipped it inside the folder and then placed the utensils on top.

I stamped some Thanksgiving sentiments on the top of the folders.

Here are a couple of process photos. 

I die cut just the folder piece on the die out of water color paper.  I colored the inside top half by pressing it into Distress inks rubbed on my craft mat and spritzed with water, first with Fossilized Amber and then with Frayed Burlap, drying with my heat tool after each color.

I die cut the folder piece again out of a piece of DP from Abandoned Paper Stash and adhered it to the front of the die cut.  

Then I folded it on all the score lines and adhered the flaps where they overlapped.  Here's the front of one and the back of the other.

I stamped some Thanksgiving sentiments at the top and adhered die cut skeleton leaves on the bottom fronts.

 I made the treat boxes using Eileen's House Ornament Die.  Here are the four sides of the finished house.  I have a few process photos below as well.

I stamped 'for you' on the little house tag that is on the House Ornament die.

I put Hershey Kisses inside my treat box.

Because this is made from patterned paper, I cut a second piece just of the bottom flap and adhered it to the connected flap to give it a little more sturdiness.  I also adhered the bottom of the flap to a die cut coaster.  It made it a little easier to open the box - you put your finger on the coaster piece and lift the top of the house and the candies fall out!

I die cut the house piece twice - once without the bottom flap since you only need one flap.  (although in retrospect, if I had cut both with the flap, I could have used that second flap to reinforce the other one!) 

The thankful die was wider than one piece, so I connected the two pieces at the tab (see the ScorTape?) and then die cut the word.

Here it is laid out on my cutting pad.  Be sure the die is not laying over the tab on the left.

I adhered a piece of vellum on the inside - covering the windows and the cut out word.

There were a couple of little pieces from the die cut word I had to adhere to the vellum so you could see what the letter was.

A piece between the t and h, two pieces on the a, and a piece between the k and f.  Luckily I didn't lose any of those little bits!

  (If I had lost them I would have cut the word again from the same paper)

Then I die cut leaves using the Journaling Cards die out of the same patterned paper.  I adhered them to the sides of the house with foam dots after curving their edges a bit for more dimension.

I also colored the corners of the windows and some edges of the letters with a yellow Copic.

Some creative and festive additions to each guests place at the Thanksgiving table!

I hope you will visit Eileen's blog every Wednesday when members of her Creative Team will be posting inspiring projects using many of her fabulous Sizzix dies!

I'm linking my projects to:
Just Us Girls

Creative Artiste Mixed Media
Anything Goes

Die Cut Divas
Thanksgiving

 

Place Setting Pocket
Stamps:  First Fruits - PTI, Thanksgiving Wishes - Lil Inker Designs
Paper:  Water color paper - Canson, DP Abandoned Paper Stash - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.
Ink:  Ranger Distress Fossilized Amber, Frayerd Burlap, Cocoa Bean - PTI.
Accessories:  Gift Card Folder Die - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Skeleton Leaves - Sizzix, ScorTape, Tombow Glue.

House Ornament Treat Box
Stamps:  Happy Scripts - Penny Black
Paper:  Abandoned Paper Stash - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, Vellum - PTI
Ink:  Hero Arts Black
Accessories:  House Ornament Die, Journaling Cards Flowers and Leaves - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Cozy Cup Coaster Die - The Greetery, Thankful Die - Counting My Blessings set - PTI, ScorTape, Foam dots, twine, Yellow Copic.

CAS Mix Up - November Challenge - Embossing Folders

It's the first of the month and time for the November CAS Mix Up Challenge!   Bonnie is our hostess this month and she wants us to use embossing folders in new and different ways.

Who knew there were so many ways to use an embossing folder?

Dry embossing can add wonderful texture to a background or stamped design, 

but don't stop there.  Check out some or all of the videos over at CAS Mix Up to find 

new and exciting ways to use those folders. 

I was inspired by this embossing folder technique video for my cards today.   I made two similar cards as the technique I used involved sponging over either one or the other insides of the opened embossing folder.

I used an embossing folder, stamps, die cuts, washi tape, little flowers, and a puffy heart!

So this is what happened when I sponged Guacomole Acrylic Paint over the inside of the front panel of Tim Holtz/Sizzix Cracked Embossing Folder, spritzed it liberally with water and pressed a panel of watercolor paper over it, pressing for a bit to allow the watery paint to absorb into the watercolor paper.  

I'd call this one the positive print from the embossing folder.  The green has colored the actual cracks of the design.

Stamps are from Thanksgiving Wishes by Lil' Inker Designs, Die cut frame is Pierced Feature Frames from PTI.

And here is my 2nd card that I used the same technique on but sponged the paint over the inside back panel of the embossing folder - getting what I would call a negative print.  The green has colored the spaces between the cracks of the design.

Stamps are from PTI  Forest Floor: Autumn.  The die cut frame is Pierced Feature Frames from PTI.  

The outside frames are popped up on foam tape.  I added little white flowers to the first card and a puffy heart sticker to the 2nd.  I wrapped a piece of washi tape - Lena's Pattern by Alexandra Renke - around the middle of both cards before adhering the print.

You can also try to get a 2nd print off each side.  Be sure you have your watercolor panels ready to press it right on the folder  -  a 2nd print comes out a little less defined since there is less watery paint on the folder.  Be sure to wash off your folder immediately so the paint doesn't dry on the folder.

I took one photo from my worktable showing the embossing folder, the paint, sponge and the two designs I got - the one on the left resulted from sponging over the inside of the back panel (my 2nd card) and the one of the right resulted from sponging over the inside of the front panel (my first card).

So two rather different looks from one embossing folder - used in a different way -  by sponging acrylic ink over either the front or back, spritzing with water liberally, and pressing watercolor paper over the panel!   Remember to wash your folder immediately so the paint doesn't dry on it!

We hope you'll get out all of those embossing folders you have and try out some of the new ways to use them!

Hop on over to the CAS Mix Up Blog to see how all of the talented Design Team and our wonderful Guest Designer Cornelia (Stempel Spass) have used embossing folders in different ways!  You have until 11/24 to link up your creation!   Remember to keep it CAS!

I'm also linking my card to:
Less is More

Cupcake Inspirations
Theme - Fall

Stamps:  Forest Floor: Autumn - PTI, Thanksgiving Wishes - Lil' Inker Designs.
Paper:  Water color paper - Canson, Vintage Cream - PTI
Ink:  Cocoa Bean - PTI
Accessories:  Guacomole Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics - Paper Artsy, Pierced Feature Frame Dies - PTI, puffy heart sticker - Michaels, Vanilla flowers - Simon Says Stamp, foam tape, Washi Tape - Lena's Pattern/Alexandra Renke, sponge, water mister, Cracked Embossing Folder - Tim Holtz/Sizzix.

Mid Month November CAS Mix Up reminder!

I'm here today with a card for and a reminder of the November CAS Mix Up Challenge!  It's a fun one -   Glitter!   We could all use a little sparkle as winter approaches right?!

For my card I used stamping, clear glitter brush, markers, die cuts and Glossy Accents.

A birthday isn't complete without balloons right?!   I die cut the balloons out of Bristol Smoothe Surface paper.  I colored around the edges of one balloon at a time with a colored marker and blended the color over each balloon with my Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush.  I did the same with the strings.  I used foam dots to layer the balloons over the flat bottom circle die.  Then I added Glossy accents over the balloons for more sparkle and let it dry.  

Here's a close up so you can see the glitter better (so hard to photograph all that shine!) 

You have until 11/25 to link up your cards - check out all the details on the CAS Mix Up challenge blog here!

I'm also linking my card to:

Happy Little Stampers

I used 3 dies

Seize the Birthday

Stamps:  Paper Angel
Paper:  White Bristol Smooth Surface (for balloons),  White - PTI
Ink:  True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Balloon and flat bottom circle dies - Ali Express, Stitched Mat Rectangle die - Lil Inkers Design, Tombow Markers, Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush - Zig Glossy Accents, foam dots.

Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - Keep Calm and Put the Kettle On

Here's my second card for the Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! 

and here is my 2nd spring design coffee card!

First, I sponged over the background using Wendy Vecchi's Check Mate Stencil with Sky Blue Ink.  I used her Stripes stencil on the top and bottom edges with black ink. I used a fun Wendy Vecchi Cone Flower stamp/stencil set for the flowers, where you stamp the flower and then there are two stencils included with the stamp, the flower shape and the stem shape, so you lay the stencil over the stamping and sponge on the color!  So easy!!  

I die cut a strip of grass out of green tissue paper and adhered it over the bottom of the stem.  I stamped the sentiment from Stampendous on a panel cut with a Stitched Mat Rectangle die from Lil' Inker Designs.

You'll find lots of Spring Coffee lovers inspiration over at the hop here! 

I'm also linking my card to:

Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes

The Card Concept -  my style - clean and graphic 

Through the Purple Haze - Springtime

Color Throw Down 

Stamps:  Stamp it Stencil It - Cone Flower - Wendy Vecchi Stampers Anonymous,  Kettle On - Stampendous
Paper:  White - PTI, green tissue paper
Ink:  Wendy Vecchi Archival - Leaf Green, Sun Flower, Cactus Flower, Tiger Lily, Sky Blue,  Archival Jet Black.
Accessories:  Fringe Die - Memory Box, Stitched Mat Rectangle die - Lil Inker Designs, foam tape, Stencils - Check Mate, Dots and Stripes - Wendy Vecchi.