Falling Leaves Card

The South is lovely in the fall, but the ratio of evergreens to deciduous trees is skewed in favor of the pines, so for me, falling leaves are a big deal.

I saw a great tutorial for this card (which I'll post here after my 2 events this month--I have to incent you to come somehow!), and she made it look so easy that I decided to give it a whirl. I'm considering using this as one of the cards for my Stamp-A-Stack and another monthly group I host (hi, Dunwoody Stamper Gals!), but I was concerned it might take too long to assemble. It's really quick and easy, once you get the pieces cut. Since I'll have that part done already, this makes this a "go" for the events.

This card features moving parts, which are made using a strip of 2" x 9" card stock scored at 2", 2.75", 3.5" and 4.25". I used Season of Friendship, Woodgrain background stamp, Soft Suede card stock, Very Vanilla card stock, and Early Espresso classic ink and .25" grosgrain ribbon. It's really fun to make. Here's a little video that shows how the card moves:



If you'd like to attend the Stamp-A-Stack that will feature this card, it will be held Sat., Sept. 26, from 10a-1p, at my home in Cumming. Just leave a comment indicating your interest and a way to get in touch with you, and I'll add you to my guest list!

Find the Birdie

I'm always on the lookout for unique cards, and I saw this technique on a gallery at SCS over the weekend. It's called a tunnel card, and it's a fun card to experiment with!

I have wanted to pair the new Woodgrain background stamp with the 2-Step Bird Punch since I purchased the stamp in my first order from the new catalog. This technique gave me the perfect excuse! I inked my stamp with Crumb Cake (aka Kraft) and stamped it twice on a 5.5"x 8.5" piece of CC card stock. Then I scored it as the directions indicate.

Since I needed an opening for this portion of the card and I wanted to simulate a knothole in a tree, I pulled out my Ovals original die for the Big Shot. I wanted to use the biggest oval, which measures 2.25" across. But since I was positioning it on the center fold, I only needed half of it.

I measured and marked the halfway point on my die, lined up the card stock, and ran it through the machine. Perfect! Now I was ready to fill my tunnel and knothole with a bird in a nest.

My punch made quick work of that. I used Always Artichoke for the branches and Real Red for the bird.

With that accomplished, I needed to create the card front. I chose Season of Friendship to continue the tree and bird theme and made the main focus the sentiment. This was stamped using my color scheme of AA for the leaves, RR for the bird, and Soft Suede, my card base, for the wording. I hope the front isn't too plain. I just didn't want to do too much and have it compete with the interior.

If you'd like to learn how to make this card, consider hosting a group of friends at your house (or mine) for a private class! Contact me to find out more details. There's a hostess special going on through the end of the month, and there are extra hostess dollars up for grabs. You don't want to miss out on FREE money, do you? Get in touch with me and let's set a date!