Earth’s Song

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

Fall is the beginning of the time of rest for the plants and animals, yes even us humans. Some people think the plants have died….I think they are resting so that they will be ready to bloom again in the spring! This is the time of year that I want to curl up with a good book and a cup of hot tea and just “be”. Below are a few more of the November cards celebrating this quiet time.

Supplies

• Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits
• Blender, cello sponges and soft towels
• A sunny window
• Scraps of ivory and tan/brown paper (think junk mail, etc.)
• Scraps of white tissue paper
• Scrap of dark brown heavy weight handmade paper
• Onion skins
• Dies: Tattered Lace™ D667 Paradise Ferns and Spellbinders^TM  S1-001 World View
• Tonic Studios™ Tangerine die cutting and embossing machine
• Tonic Studios™ paper trimmer
• Impression Obsession^TM stamp D19117 "Be still and listen to the Earth's song"
• Scor-Pal™
• Tonic Studios™ Craft Tacky Glue, double sided foam tape
• ColorBox® Dark Brown Chalk ink pad, Stylus handle and tips

Instructions:

1.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create ivory slurry with onion skin inclusions and create one or more sheets of medium weight handmade paper.

2.     Make tan slurry and create one or more sheets of medium weigh handmade paper. (I always make extra sheets!)

3.     Allow the sheets of paper to dry.

4.     Tear, score and fold the ivory handmade paper to create a 4 ¼ x 5 ½” card.

5.     Tear, score and fold a 4 ¼ x 5 ½” card from the tan handmade paper.

6.     Tear a small piece of the tan to stamp on.

7.     Use the Stylus to lightly apply the dark brown Chalk ink to the edges of the tan card and the smaller piece of tan paper.

8.     Stamp the “Be still and listen to the Earth’s song” onto the smaller piece of tan paper and onto a scrap of tissue paper.

9.     Tear a slightly large piece of ivory handmade paper to layer under the stamped tan piece..

10.  Die cut and emboss the Earth from tan handmade paper. While the paper is still in the die, apply dark brown ink through the openings of the die.

11.  Remove the paper from the die and apply the ink around the edge of the Earth.

12.  Die cut one of the largest ferns from a scrap of heavy weight dark brown handmade paper.

13.  Attach the stamped tissue paper to the right bottom of the ivory card with Tonic Craft Tacky glue.

14.  Attach the Earth to the middle left of the ivory card with small pieces of double sided foam tape.

15.  Layer the stamped tan piece onto the ivory piece and attach to the tan card with small pieces of double sided foam tape.

16.  Attach the fern to the right side of the layered pieces.

Autumn Memories

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

This is such a glorious and colorful time of year! Lots of birthdays this month too; so lots of cards to be made! Keeping with the Autumn theme, but wanting to change it up a bit, I pulled out some ‘reactive” paints to use. Wow, what fun they are!

Supplies

·       Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits

·       Blender, cello sponges and soft towels

·       A sunny window

·       Scraps of off white paper (think junk mail, etc.)

·       Dried spice/herb for inclusion in paper

·       Scraps of off white and cinnamon heavy weight handmade paper to die cut

·       The PaperCut™ golden colored cardstock for layer and dark green for one card base

·       Die: Quiet Fire Designs™ ECD 1199 Four Seasons & ECD 1197 Memories

·       Spellbinders^TM Grand Calibur™ die cutting and embossing machine

·       Random pattern embossing folder

·       Westcott™ paper trimmer and scissors

·       Scor-Pal™

·       Beacon^TM ZipDryTM and QuickGrip™ adhesives, double sided foam tape

·       ColorBox® Stylus handle & tips, rust colored die ink pad

·       “Reactive” paints: Iron, Copper & Verdigris

·       Foam paint brush

·       Plaid® Mod Molds® #24891 Nature

·       Small amount of golden colored air dry polymer clay, Plaid® bee mold

·       Thin twine

·       Clear envelopes for cards

Instructions:

1.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create off-white slurry. Add a tiny bit of spice or herb to the slurry. Create one or more sheets of heavy weight handmade paper.

2.     Allow the paper to dry.

3.     Fold and tear the paper to create a 4 ¼ x 5 ½ card.

4.     From the other half sheet, hand cut two leaf shapes.

5.     Apply the reactive paints to the leaf shapes.

6.     Allow the leaves to dry.

7.     Apply the second part of the reactive paints to approx. half of each hand cut leaf.

8.     Create the bee with the Plaid® mold and air dry polymer clay. Allow the bee to dry.

9.     Cut a tiny slit in the top left of the handmade paper card.

10.  Inset and tie the twin in a knot.

11.  Die cut the words from scraps of heavy weight cinnamon and off white handmade paper. (Refer to samples.)

12.  Emboss one of the leaves in the random pattern embossing folder.

13.  Cut, score & fold the dark green cardstock to create a 4 ¼ x 5 ½” card. 

14.  Add a bit of rust colored ink around the edge of the golden colored layer piece. Layer onto dark green card.

15.  Attach the painted leaves to the fronts of the cards with small pieces of foam tape.

16.  Attach the die cut words across the leaves with ZipDry adhesive.

17.  Attach the bee with QuickGrip adhesive.

Fall Leaves

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

Leaves are turning to all the glorious colors of yellow, orange, rust and reds! There are no two alike, and they are all beautiful! Perfect time to get out those scraps of handmade paper that I am always telling you to save, along with some of the half sheets of handmade paper that were left from other projects, and start creating the many fall and Thanksgiving cards that I send out. I send about 50 cards a month – I’d better get busy! Even though I am using “planned overs” (not left overs), I included the full directions for making the paper.

Supplies

• Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits
• Blender, strainer, cello sponges and soft towels
• A sunny window
• Scraps of off white, tan, olive green, rust paper (think junk mail, etc.)
• Dies:  Sizzix™ Tim Holtz™  656927 Tattered Leaves die and embossing folder, Spellbinders^TM  S4011 Harvest Leaves and S4076 Assorted Leaves, CheeryLynn^TM B573 Fall, Quiet Fire Designs™ EC1197 “Four Seasons”, and Tattered Lace™ D667 Paradise Ferns
• Spellbinders^TM Grand Calibur™ die cutting and embossing machine
• Westcott™ paper trimmer
• Sizzix™
• Beacon ZipDry^TM adhesive, double sided foam tape
• ColorBox® Chalk™ Ink pads: rusts, browns, olive greens, alabaster, Stylus™ handle & white tips

Instructions:

1.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create off-white, tan, olive green and rust slurry, and create one or more sheets of med weight handmade paper. 

2.     Allow the papers to dry.

3.     Tear the sheets of tan or off white paper in half.

4.     Score and fold to create 4 ¼ x 5 ½” top or side fold cards.

5.     Die cut leaves, ferns and words from various scraps or sheets of different colored handmade paper.

6.     Emboss the leaves to bring out the textures.

7.     Apply Chalk inks to the leaves, acorns and ferns with the Stylus™ handle and tips.

8.     Attach the ferns with tiny pieces of foam tape to the side fold card.

9.     Attach the word “Autumn” to the bottom on the fern card.

10.  Layer and attach the leaves and acorns to the top fold card with tiny pieces of foam tape.

11.  Layer and attach with adhesive the word “Fall” onto one of the leaves.