Leaves In an Autumn Wind Day 5

By Alan Scott

You will need the following Crafting Items:

SplodgeAway Blending Mat

SplodgeAway mask of choice
Selection of Tim Holtz Distressing Ink Pads- Autumnal colours
Speed Ball Brayer
A4 Blank Card made up.
A4 Sheet of Water Colour White paper.
A4 Basic brown Backing Paper
Large Spellbinders die to cut out the base topper layer.
Leaf stamp with a Cranberry coloured Ink Pad.
Water Spray container.
Leaf cut out using the Cricut [if you don’t have the cricut then cut out odd numbers of leaves using a template and basic backing paper.]
6 Buttons.
Length of white Canvas Binding tape and string [These will be re-coloured using hot water and coffee]
Sentiment stamp.
Good Strong Clear Glue/Tape gun.
To make the dots l have used White and Orange Chalk Marker Pens
Paper Towel.

Using the SplodgeAway mat and your white water colour paper, start to lay down some colour. Build up the colour onto the brayer and slowly start to increase the colour across the paper in a slow method. Take your time as this is not a race. The aim is to lay down various colours across this paper covering it all in various tonal ranges.

When you are happy with the total look , next take the SplodgAway mask and lay it onto your paper. Using a water spray unit, spritz water onto the mask. We are doing this so that we can get a hint of the mask by reducing the depth of colour using water. Then quickly pick up the mask and lay it onto the lighter side of the paper and give it a good 'squish' down. We are using this as another way to introduce some water texture onto the paper. Using the paper towel just give the paper a quick dry,  but leave damp for the next step.

While the paper is still damp using a sponge and a dark distressing ink [here l used Aged Mahogany] using the same mask start to build up dots onto the paper . You will have to move the mask so that you can build up a nice range of dots. As the paper is still damp the dots will 'swell' and become blurred. I wanted this as these dots are to act as the wind to give the card movement.

When the paper is dry using your chosen metal die cut out the topper base. Now l know there are crafters out there who don’t have a single die so using a corner punch or just by simply ripping the paper will add interest.

Next step is to secure the newly made topper onto the card.

Over the years l have built up a collection of pens. There was a project that l wanted to write onto a plastic surface and l came across Chalk Pens. While they will rub off a surface using a damp cloth they are secure when it comes to paper and the white gives you a very, very good strong white something that is hard to find.

Using the same mask as we used for our topper what we want to do is take our pens and use the decorative design of the mask pattern to add more interest to the card.

Time to make yourselves a cuppa and while we are at it time to dye the binding tape and string.  Add a few teaspoons of coffee grains to hot water and then dye the string/tape. Leave for 30 minutes or so.

When you have looked at the tape and happy with the overall colour remove and gently wring out some of the coffee water, not too much as you don’t want to loose the colour. I have also in my collection a pair of ULTRA CHEAP hair tongs. These are great for ironing out ribbon and also great at drying out things just like this.

Now then what you need to be careful about is that you don’t want to iron flat these freshly coloured items. You need them to be 'crinkled and aged'.

Place them onto the card and secure into place. Please remember to go uneven when your laying down items. You always go with odds. Secure into place with your good strong clear glue and add the buttons again in 3's to cover the glue splodges.

Cut out  leaves using a cricut or template. Take a deep breath and CRUMPLE UP your carefully cut out items. The hardest part isn’t the crumpling...... it’s the unfolding. Just take your time DONT RUSH.

When all leaves have been unfolded and allowed to rest secure into place and then the last thing we need to do is make your sentiment and secure into place.

If you want to know anything about this project please leave a  message and l will do my best to help you.

Happy Crafting

Alan Scott