Elizabeth Craft Designs General Krista Schneider

Autumn Friends by Riikka

October 1, 2017

 

Hello and happy autumn! It’s Riikka here today sharing a couple of season-inspired projects with you. My first project, with the step by step tutorial, is a fall card, and my other project is a set of two ATCs. The ATCs are shown without instructions but they use the same techniques as the card.

I just love the warm, bright colors of autumn – the flaming orange and red and the golden yellow! When I saw the stamp set “Woodland Pals” I just knew it would be a perfect match to the autumn palette. So that’s how this pair of projects started.

These cards are special in a way, as I didn’t use as many mediums as I usually do in making them. Don’t get me wrong, I still managed to mix in several different mediums, but they are a bit different from my usual style. Somehow the cute animals led me in another direction, demanding as much attention as possible! If you want to know how I made the card at the start of this post, please follow the steps below:

Step 1. Start by stamping your images. Use the “Woodland Pals” set and waterproof ink (like Archival Ink from Ranger) to stamp the creatures and leaves onto smooth white cardstock or watercolor paper. Stamp the images repeatedly, leaving enough space between them for die cutting. Also stamp several branch-like trees, leaving plenty of space between the trunks for the next step.

Step 2. Use a circular die to make a stencil for the foliage on the trees. I used the smallest one of “Entwined Circles” for mine. Cut the shape from a piece of cardstock and use the “leftover” as the stencil. Ink through the opening. Use one color, applied with a sponge dauber as shown, or use several inks and make the trees in different colors. Shown: Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink. Using more ink or just a little ink, more hand pressure or less hand pressure, will provide different densities within a single hue.

Step 3. Use watercolor pencils to color the stamped images. First, color with the pencils and then spread the color using a water brush. Add also some pencil swirls around the trees and a hint of line work for texture.

Step 4. Make a background: Cut a 10x15cm piece from Dove Grey Soft Finish Cardstock. Use the “Dotty” stencil and add some color to the panel. First, use the ink and then layer some metallic acrylic paint on top for a lovely little shine. Also sketch a pale horizon line about two thirds of the way up, using a coordinating colored pencil or a watercolor pencil.

Step 5. Fussy cut around the trees, leaving a narrow white border and adhere them to the stenciled panel. Cut off the excess. Integrate the trees into the background by adding some stamping around the trunks and within the densest part of the stenciling as shown above. Tip for beginners: The lightest stamped flowers were done by stamping without re-inking (‘ghost’ or ‘second generation’ stamping).

Step 6. Cut out the animals (or die cut with the coordinating die set). Create a composition as shown. Turn the thick tree trunk sideways so it becomes a log for the bunny to sit on. Use foam dots for dimension. Trim at the edges of the panel. The rectangle is like a window to an autumn scene.

Step 7. Complete the card: Mount the scene to a slightly bigger piece of patterned paper and then again to a piece of dark brown cardstock from the “Victorian” sampler set. Use narrow Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape to adhere the layers.

Step 8. Stamp the greeting on a piece of cream cardstock and cut it using the “Stitched Fishtail Banners” die, making sure that the sentiment is positioned at the left end of the fishtail. Use an orange watercolor pencil and a water brush to color the edge of the banner. Adhere; trim off the excess.

Step 9. Add some hand drawn details. Use a black marker first to color the eyes of the creatures and let dry for a while. Then add white dots to the eyes for the more natural look, to give them life. Use a white opaque marker also to draw a stitched detail around the card – mimicking the stitched line in the banner. Add a trio of the stamped, colored and die cut (or hand cut) leaves here and there to create a look of floating, falling autumn leaves in a breeze.

Mount the panel onto a side-fold card base or leave it as a flat card to display on a Card Stand/Easel.

Here’s the card once again, all ready to be sent to a friend or a relative! Or you can give it to someone along with a little gift. Did you see the tiny pumpkin in the first picture or in the picture here below? It’s really easy to do! Just cut the “Bonbon Box” out of a sheet of orange cardstock, ink the edges and the inside. Then cut a couple of leaves from the green dotted cardstock using the Big Triple Leaf die and glue those to the top of the box, along with a piece of wire curled to look like a vine. You have a cute little pumpkin you can give to a friend together with the card!

As I mentioned at the start of this tutorial, I did two different projects for this post – the card and a pair of Artist Trading Cards, shown in the photo above. I used the same techniques and supplies.

The ATCs have the same stenciled background, stenciled and inked trees, and stamped and colored animals. Everything is just in a smaller format – 2.5″ x 3.5″!

Thank you for stopping by today! I hope my projects have inspired you and you’ll have a go with the step by step! Wishing you a lovely, colorful autumn and I’ll be seeing you again next month! Bye for now,

xoxo Riikka

Supplies:

Elizabeth Craft Designs:


 

 

Other:

Ranger – Archival Ink Jet Black
Ranger – Distress Ink Spiced Marmelade
Prima Marketing – Scenic Route and Spring and Autumn Watercolor Pencil Sets
Prima Marketing – Art Alchemy Metallique Acrylic Paint Fresh Orange
Cream cardstock
Pencil
White opaque marker, Black marker
Water brush
Foam dots

 

 

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  • Raquel Mason October 1, 2017 at 4:31 pm

    So very cool! Love all the layers and so many wonderful details to look at.

    • Riikka Kovasin October 2, 2017 at 10:13 am

      Thank you Raquel!

  • Marjorie Dumontier October 1, 2017 at 2:30 pm

    Thank you so much for these great explanations!! Your creations are gorgeous !

    • Riikka Kovasin October 2, 2017 at 10:14 am

      Thank you Marjorie!

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