Autumn is near !!

Fall is very close for those of you that lives in the US, with the leaves changing colors, weather getting cooler, and Thanksgiving right around the corner, and let's not say Christmas.  But let's dedicate this post to Autumn.

I have created a series of cards using the AUTUMN SENTIMENT CARD FRAMES PRINTABLE SET from The Cutting Cafe.  This is a great set, so if you are looking for something easy and beautiful to make to hand out to your love ones during this Season this is a go to file.  You can make them as simple or as dressed up as you want to, either way they will end up beautifully.

It comes with 8 printable cards each with a nice Autumn sentiment as you can see in the picture bellow.  So all you have to do is print and cut and decorate...literally !!!!

​There are times when it is not easy to find the inspiration to create, it sometimes happens to me whenever I find myself with a lot of office work, or during my daughter's dance presentation season.  At the end of the day, even though I am willing to go to my work area and create something beautiful my mind and body just refuses to.  But I still push myself at times, sometimes it works because I get all geared up and the inspiration starts to flow, other times it is a little harder.

Well, I was able to work some magic and created 6 cards using this file, and each one is very different.  Here they are:
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Let me do a little description of each one....

Autumn Blessing:  To create this card I just printed it on white cardstock and cut it out.  The file comes with the cutting and scoring line clearly identified.  After having it cut out  I applied some texture paste using a stencil to make the branches.  Once it was dried I carefully applied some distress ink with a blending tool over image and closely around it to create a hallow around it and finally applied a little shimmer over the paste image with my Spectrum Noir shimmer marker.​ 

​Happy Harvest:  I created this one as a shaker card.  After printing out the card and preparing it I cut out a couple of ovals, the one used for the base is bigger, than the one I used to create the window.  The chamber was made with foam tape that I placed around the window after attaching a piece or acetate or clear cardstock that you can find at The Cutting Cafe Shop.
I fill it with micro beads and some tiny star confetti.  After placing it on the card base I added a flower that a friend had given me for a swap.  Finally I colored the edges of the card with distress ink.

​Autumn Greetings:  This is the only card I used a Fall themed image on....pumpkins.  These I created using a Martha Stewart Punch All Over the Page tool, and I topped them with a swirl stamp. For the frame on the card I decided to apply foil, and for this I just added some thin double sided tape around the outer edges of the card, put a trip of foil over it and burnished it with my bone folder.

​Happy Thanksgiving:  For this one I heat embossed a stamp flower image from Hero Arts on a craft decorated piece of cardstock.  The edges of the card and the cardstock are inked up with distress ink.  I mounted the stamped piece on some fun foam to give it dimension and added some ribbon to the flowers and embellished with some sequence.

Give Thanks:​  We should always give thanks for the many blessing we receive daily, don't you think?.
This card was created with some die cut leaves, some of which had words on them, like the one I used that says "family".  The leaves I arrange on the card to create a flower, and the center of it is created with a glittered flatback pearl.
In this opportunity I used only the front of the printed template, inked up around the edges and then brush with my shimmer marker using strokes as if I was using a painters brush,  just so that you can see the lines of shimmer across the front of the card.  This gives it a very interesting look.
For the base I used beige cardstock which I layerd with some printed polka dot cardstock creating a nice balance on the front.  The Give Thanks panel was mounted on some fun foam to give the card some dimension.

Wishing you a bright and beautiful Autum! :   This is the last of the cards I made, and maybe the easiest, but soooo beautiful.
Just as the previous card, I used only the front panel of the printed version.  I used two distress inks to create the background each one coming in diagonally to the center then used the shipper marker to slightly blend them both. Then, when it was dry I added a handmade flower. This panel was mounted also on craft foam and then to the card base.

Well, this post ended up being a little too long but I hope I have inspired you somehow to make some beautiful cards for this Fall Season using this wonderful and very versatile file, the ​AUTUMN SENTIMENT CARD FRAMES PRINTABLE SET.

Thanks for stopping by and remember to go over to The Cutting Cafe's Blog to this weeks post and see the creations of my fellow team members.  Also leave a comment on the blog and you will be entered into the drawing of 3 cutting files.  Winner will be announced on September 21st post.

See you soon,

Clancy