Fall Forever Fern Card Challenge

I recently decided that there wasn't enough on my plate and took on the role of hosting a Project Challenge in one of my Facebook groups: All Canadian Stamperz - Buy, Sell, Inspire and Share. Honestly though, all that it requires me to do is find a graphic, add text, create an album, make a card, post to album, and comment on other entries. September is when we start seeing signs of FALL, hence why I chose that theme. I also extended the challenge onto my own Facebook Group called: Diane's Craft Space.

 Where do you get your inspirations from?? Sometimes I use a sketch or a colour combo, sometimes it's a picture or a scene, and sometimes it's a box of Kleenex. Yup!

 

While brushing my teeth one morning, I look around and my eyes catch the box of Kleenex. Now it's been sitting there for a couple of weeks, I grab a tissue everyday, I sit on the toilet more than once a day (keeping it real) and it's never once drawn me to really take a look at it. Instantly, I think I can make a card, Forever Fern stamp set, fall colours, I'm doing it! Grabbed my phone and took a pic. Run downstairs to my craft space.

I couldn't find a light enough striped DSP (Designer Series Paper) but I did find some already textured looking ones in my retired stash. But there was still some brightness to it and I wanted to fade it out more. As I've played with mixed media before, the gesso look is what I was going for and the Stampin' Up! version is White Craft ink and a sponge. Then I used my heat gun to dry it but it was still taking a while and decided to leave it overnight, I had to go to work soon anyway.

Next was to pick my colour palette. I'm picturing a maple leaf in my mind, so decide on Cherry Cobbler, Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, and Old Olive. Not sure if you've ever tried the Baby Wipe Technique but it's a simple way of getting a variegated palette. Simply squirt a few drops of each colour on the wipe, pounce your stamp onto palette moving it a little up, down, left and right. Not drastically moving it as you don't want to muddy the colours on your stamp but be sure it's all covered and a bit blended. Last step is to stamp it onto card stock.

I just repeated the process a few times on both DSP layers until I was happy with the look. Mounted it onto Cherry Cobbler and Pumpkin Pie card stock and that layer onto a Thick Basic White base. I stamped the sentiment directly onto the DSP. I goofed on the Pumpkin Pie card so I needed to mount a label to hide my little mishap. Simply white embossed the sentiment on the label, popped it up on dimensionals and you'd never know there was a boo-boo under there.

Supplies I used:

• Forever Fern stamp set: 152559
• VersaMark ink pad: 102283
• Cherry Cobbler ink pad: 147083
• Pumpkin Pie ink pad: 147086
• Cherry Cobbler ink refill: 119788
• Cajun Craze ink refill: 119790
• Pumpkin Pie ink refill: 105229
• Crushed Curry ink refill: 131158
• Old Olive ink refill: 100531
• White Craft ink refill: 101780
• Thick Basic White card stock: 159229
• Cherry Cobbler card stoc119685k: 
• Pumpkin Pie card stock: 105117
• Fine Art Floral DSP: retired
• Heat Tool: 129053
• White Embossing powder: 155554
• Sponge: retired, you can use sponge dauber (133773) but it might take longer
• Tasteful labels Dies: 152886
• Stampin' Dimensionals: 104430

As you all know, no card is complete without a simply decorated inside and envelope. I wasn't able to finish off this last part at the same time as the card so I put my "stamp pad" into a Ziploc bag with another clean wet baby wipe (to help keep it moist). And it was still usable after a 7 hour work shift. The colours had drifted closer together but hadn't muddied yet. I left it overnight just to see what it would look like, it didn't muddy but the colour was wider spread, thicker bands of colour and not the look I was going for but still moist enough to keep using if I wanted to.

And so that was fun! I hope you try the technique. You could also find many videos on YouTube that can teach the Baby Wipe Technique if I didn't explain it clearly. Also if you would like to join the September Fall Challenge in Diane's Craft Space, add your project to the Album.

Can't wait to see the amazing creations come pouring in!