Happy Autumn!

This card was made using this week's Mojo Monday sketch.

I couldn't let autumn go by without pulling out my favorite autumn stamp set. It wouldn't be right. SU Lovely Leaves is a classic and I was surprised and disappointed when Stampin' Up! retired it. Maybe they weren't aware of its versatility.

Real fall leaves don't have just one color in them. They're a symphony of colors. So when I use my Lovely Leaves set I generally stamp them in a main color (largely from the Earth Elements color group) and then sponge other colors, including black for a little character, right on the stamp. Then I huff warm air on them and stamp. It produces a lovely effect.

That's what I did on the white background of this card. Then I finished it off using a Basic Black marker in an Inkworx Air Art gun to get a splattered effect. Once that was done I ran it through the Cuttlebug with the Distressed Stripes embossing folder and then clipped the corners with the ticket corner punch and then sponged black ink around the edges using a sponge dauber. Then I sewed around the edges. I really did a number on that poor old white piece of cardstock, didn't I?

It's not easily visible, but I used the D'Vine Swirls embossing folder on that dark piece of paper in the center. The dark paper has the pattern of tree bark on it from the Basic Grey Granola collection. I sponged it with black ink after running it through the Cuttlebug. A lot of work for something you can barely see! lol

For the words, I stamped the "happy" stamp from SU So Very in Pumpkin Pie ink and then lightly sponged it with black ink to burnish its appearance. I stamped the "autumn" stamp from the Purple Onion Designs' 4 Seasons set in Pumpkin Pie and then stamped it in black ink very lightly. Unfortunately, you can't see the cool, subtle effect that it produced in this pic.

I pressed the Old Olive cardstock behind the white piece onto the SU Just Jeans background stamp which was inked up with Old Olive ink. It gave a nice patterned but not too distinct appearance. I did the same on the greenish piece under the jumbo brads before running it through the Cuttlebug.

I always enjoy making cards with Lovely Leaves. It's one of my favorite sets.

Thanks for coming by for a look! Have a blessed day!

Recipe

Stamps: SU Lovely Leaves, SU So Very, SU Just Jeans, Purple Onion Designs "4 Seasons"

CS: Black, Old Olive, white, Basic Grey Archaic, Basic Grey Granola

Inks: Ruby Red, Old Olive, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Versafine Onyx Black

Other: Nestabilities Standard Circle Large, Large Classic Inverted Scalloped Circles, Curved Rectangles, ticket corner punch, Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes, Tiny Bubbles and D'Vine Swirls embossing folders; sewing machine, paper piercing tool, sponge mat, sponges, sponge dauber, jumbo brads, 3D-Dots, Sticky Doos, Basic Black marker, Inkworx air art gun, Black gingham ribbon