Feeling Autumnal

This is a card I made back in October, when the trees were turning red and we were having glorious warm autumnal days. It was for my parents' wedding anniversary, so didn't need to be blogged for a deadline - hence the delay in posting it here! I did send them the original on time.

I was thinking about stencils as that was the theme for the ClarityStamp challenge for the month. So I got out the abstract squares Clarity stencil.

I inked all over it with yellow, orange and red pigment inks. I did this over a sheet of stencil card, so I got this gorgeous waste, which I can use in another project.

I then taped the inky stencil to another sheet of card and ran it through the Grand Calibur to transfer the ink. I didn't remember to get a photo at this stage!

I blended antique linen distress ink through the stencil into the squares, leaving one big square white. I then stamped leaves in the same autumnal colours as I'd used for the frame, in a cascade across the card.

Turning to the empty square, I masked it off and added a yellow "sky" and orange hills, then stamped a bird image sitting on the frame, in walnut stain distress ink. This is from a hobby art stamp, birds on a wire; I just used one of the birds and masked the wire.

I used vintage photo distress ink as a paint to colour it in.

At this point I realised I should have started with the bird and masked it, as the frame is going through its tail. And the pigment ink doesn't lift off with water. I ended up using a white pen to go over the tail, then repainted the lines in. I think I got away with it!

Looks fine from this distance!

Next for the sentiment banner. I blended antique linen onto a piece of card, then stamped in red using an alphabet stamp set I got at my local arts and crafts shop.

Then I realised the card was't wide enough and had to do it again along the length!

I cut the sentiment into a banner shape, and edged it with vintage photo ink. I mounted it across the corner on foam pads.

I finished it off with a brown frame and card base, and a few gems on the top corner.

A warm autumnal card, although with different colours this could be adapted for any season - add a red chest and you've got a Christmas robin!