Leafy impressions

 

Gill has chosen a very traditional colour combination for us to play with at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week:

I wanted to try a technique I'd seen online for this. It uses a die cutting machine to press leaves to imprint onto cardstock. I tried ivy first, as we have loads in our garden and it's Christmassy. Holly, as well as not growing in our garden, is too thick and waxy for the techinique. However, it turned out ivy is too! So I gathered other leaves from the garden and found the dogwood worked best. It also has a red stem, so is perfect for this challenge.

I arranged the leaves on watercolour card, and laid another sheet on top, and ran it through the machine to get two impressions. I didn't get the clear print of veins etc that I'd seen online, more experimentation may be needed. But it's pretty nonetheless.

I splattered old paper distress ink over for more detail around the leaves.

For the sentiment and base layer, I inked more watercolour card with aged mahogany and barn door distress oxide. I spritzed to soften the colour, to match the subtle leaf impresion better.

I die cut the sentiment (an old favourite from Tattered Lace) from the centre of the card, then used it for the base.

For variety, I made one portrait and one landscape.

 

Simple design and (relatively) simple to make.

To join in with this week's challenge, head over to the 52CCT blog. You have until Friday 20th November to play along.