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.

Paper Cast Leaves

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

Did you know that almost anything that is convex can be used as a casting mold? The leaf castings on the two fall cards are a perfect example. One is cast from a Jello mold, and the other is cast from a drink coaster! They are both beautiful! Look around your home and see what objects you might have to use as casting molds.

  

 

Supplies:

·       Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits

·       Blender, strainer, cello sponges and soft towels

·       A sunny window

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

·       Scraps of white heavy weight handmade paper to die cut

·       The PaperCut™ various colored cardstock for card bases, envelopes

·       Die: Quiet Fire Designs™ ECD 1199 Four Seasons

·       Tonic Studios™ Tangerine die cutting and embossing machine

·       Random pattern embossing folder

·       Tonic Studios™ paper trimmer

·       Scor-Pal™

·       Beacon ZipDry^TM adhesive, double sided foam tape

·       ColorBox® Stylus handle & tips, dye based inks pads in olives, rust, browns, golden colors

Instructions:

1.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create white slurry and cast one or more of each of the leaves. 

2.     Allow the casting to dry.

3.     Use the Stylus handle and tip to lightly apply the various ink colors to the leaves. (See photo for placement.)

4.     Apply more ink toward the center of the leaves as shading.  

5.     Apply some ink around the edge of one of the castings.

6.     Die cut the word “Autumn” for each card from the scrap of heavy weight handmade paper.

7.     Cut, score and fold various cardstock to create4 ¼ x 5 ½” cards.

8.     Emboss the card fronts with the random pattern embossing folder.

9.     Attach the leaf castings to the card fronts with double sided foam tape.

10.  Attach the word above the paper casting with the adhesive.

11.   Mail in a padded envelope, or hand deliver.

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.

Fall Cards

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

The last day of summer has come and gone, the nights are cool, and fall is officially here. I enjoyed the blue leaf card so much that I had to make one in traditional autumn tones to finish out the cards needed for October birthdays.

Supplies

• Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits
• Blender, cello sponges and soft towels
• A sunny window
• Scraps of white paper (think junk mail, etc.)
• Scrap of matboard to die cut the leaf shape
• The PaperCut™ card bases dark green and black, envelopes
• Dies: Sizzix™ Tim Holtz  #660039 Layered Leaf and matching embossing folder
• Spellbinders^TM WIZARD™ die cutting and embossing machine (still the best machine to cut and emboss matboard!!!!)
• Westcott™ paper trimmer
• Scor-Pal™
• Beacon ZipDry^TM adhesive, double sided foam tape
• Ken Oliver Color Burst™ paints
• Fine mister bottle and water
• ColorBox®  Black pigment ink pad and ColorBox® Stylus and Tips 
• Stamps: JustRite® sets CR-02143 “Colorful Brush Strokes” & CR-02144 “Bokeh Time”
• Random pattern 5 x 7” embossing folder
• Several feet of ½” rayon seam binding ribbon
• Craft knife and cutting surface

Instructions 

1. Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create white slurry and make one or more sheets of medium weight handmade paper. (I always make extra sheets!) 
2. Allow the paper to dry.
3. Tear random pieces approx. 3 x 4”. (Always save the left over pieces for future projects.)
4. Water down tiny amounts of the Color Burst™ paints, oranges, yellows, greens, browns, blues (you want medium dark colors).
5. Use the Colorbox Stylus™ handle and tip to apply colors around the edge of each torn sheet of handmade paper and seam binding. Mist the paper and seam binding ribbon if needed. (Refer to photos for colors used.)
6. Allow the paper and seam binding ribbon to dry.
7. Stamp “You are so wonderful” onto one piece and “Go make something beautiful happen” on the second piece.
8. Die cut the leaf from the scrap of matboard.
9. Apply more intense colors to the matboard leaf die cut
10. Allow the matboard leaf to dry.
11. Emboss the matboard leaf with the embossing folder.
12. Cut, score and fold 5 x 7” cards.
13. Emboss the random pattern folder on the front of the folded cards.
14. Cut a small slit at the top left of the green card.
15. Insert the seam binding ribbon and tie into a bow.
16. Attach the stamped handmade paper piece to the right side of the card with adhesive.
17. Attach the leaf die cut to the left side of the black card with tiny pieces of foam tape.
18. Attach the stamped piece of handmade paper to the right side of the card.  

Autumn Blues

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

Each day the temperature gets a tiny bit lower. You can tell that the beginning of fall is just around the corner. Several close friends have birthdays this month and I wanted to make special cards for them. I have always done “fall” colors in creating their cards and wanted to do something different this year but still honor the fall season.

Supplies

·       Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits

·       Blender, cello sponges and soft towels

·       A sunny window

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

·       Scrap of white card stock to die cut

·       Scrap of thin plastic to die cut a leaf stencil

·       Scrap of matboard to die cut the leaf shape

·       The PaperCut™ card bases, envelopes

·       Dies: Quiet Fire Designs™ ECD#1158 “Dream”, and Sizzix™ Tim Holtz #660039 Layered Leaf and matching embossing folder

·       Spellbinders^TM WIZARD™ die cutting and embossing machine (still the best machine to cut and emboss matboard!!!!)

·       Westcott™ paper trimmer

·       Scor-Pal™

·       Beacon ZipDry^TM adhesive, double sided foam tape

·       Ken Oliver Color Burst™ paints

·       Fine mister bottle and water

·       White embossing paste (or light weight spackle)

·       Tonic Studios™ Mother of Pearl Nuvo Mousse™ #804N

·       ColorBox™ Stylus™ handle and white tips

·       Hand cut “Arabesque” stencil

·       Random pattern 5 x 7” embossing folder

Instructions:

1.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create white slurry, and make one or more sheets of medium weight handmade paper. (I always make extra sheets!) 

2.     Allow the paper to dry.

3.     Cut one piece for each card 3 ¾ x 5 ¾”. (Always save the left over pieces for future projects.)

4.     Water down tiny amounts of the Color Burst™ paints, blues, turquoise, greens, purple (you want very light colors).

5.     Use the Stylus™ handle and tip to apply colors around the edge of each cut sheet of handmade paper. Add a tiny bit of color to the center of one sheet. Mist the paper if needed.

6.     Allow the paper to dry.

7.     Die cut the word “Dream” from the scrap of white cardstock.

8.     Die cut the leaf stencil from the scrap of plastic.

9.     Die cut the leaf from the scrap of matboard.

10.  Apply more intense colors to the matboard leaf die cut.

11.  Allow the matboard leaf to dry.

12.  Emboss the matboard leaf with the embossing folder.

13.  Apply the Mother of Pearl Nuvo Mousse to the edges and veins of the matboard leaf.

14.  Lay the plastic stencil onto the sheet with no color in the center. Apply the watered down CB paints through the leaf stencil with the Stylus handle and tips.

15.  Apply tiny bits of matching CB colors to the die cut word.

16.  Allow the paper and die cut word to dry.

17.  Apply embossing paste (light weight spackle) through the “arabesque” stencil several places on the paper with some color in the center.

18.  Allow the paste to dry.

19.  Score cut and fold the colored cardstock to create 5 x 7” cards.

20.  Emboss the random design onto the card fronts.

21.  Center and attach the background papers to the front of the cards.

22.  Attach the leaf die cut to the middle of the card with tiny pieces of foam tape.

23.  Use adhesive to attach the word “Dream” to the lower portion of the water colored leaf card.