He Leads me…….

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

Wild ferns grow in abundance in the White Mountains of Arizona. Picked and dried, they are wonderful to add to sheets of handmade paper. When I saw the small fern die that was the same as the wild ferns and the stamp from Impression Obsession™, I knew exactly what I wanted to create.

Supplies

·       Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits

·       Arnold Grummer® flower press kit

·       Blender, cello sponges and soft towels

·       A sunny window

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

·       Herbs, onion skins or dried grasses as inclusions

·       Scraps of Kraft card stock or chip board to die cut (I used the back side of a cereal box)

·       Scraps of tissue paper

·       Dies: Tattered Lace™: D667 Paradise Ferns, D466 Butterflies, and Unknown: Cross

·       CheeryLynn™ Big Sister™ die cutting and embossing machine

·       Westcott™ paper trimmer

·       Scor-Pal™

·       Beacon ZipDry^TM adhesive, double sided foam tape

·       ColorBox™ dark brown Chalk™ ink pad

·       Impression Obsession^TM stamp: C13489 “He leads me……..”

·       11 x 14” tan matboard, envelope for card, display easel

Instructions:

1.     Dry the ferns in the AG flower press kit

2.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create off white slurry with inclusions and create a sheet of heavy weight handmade paper with the dried ferns partially embedded into the sheet.

3.     Create more slurry with herbs or grasses and create one or more sheets of handmade paper.. 

4.     Allow the paper to dry..

5.     Die cut 4-5 of the ferns, 1 cross and 1 Monarch butterfly from Kraft cardstock scrap or tan chip board.

6.     Stamp the saying “He leads me beside the still waters…..he restores my soul” onto two pieces of scrap tissue paper.

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

8.     Clip the corners on a 2 ½ x 4 ¾ piece of handmade paper.

9.     Glue one piece of stamped tissue paper to the left side of this piece.

10.  Attach the die cut cross to the right hand side with tiny pieces of foam tape.

11.  Center and attach this piece to the card front with small pieces of foam tape.

12.  Arrange and attach the ferns to the sheet of fern paper as desired.

13.  Attach the stamped tissue paper with ZipDry™ adhesive.

14.  Attach the butterfly with a tiny piece of foam tape.

15.  Attach the fern paper to the matboard with small pieces of foam tape.

16.  Place it on an easel to display.

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.