Sharing Fall Hop
Sweater Weather
Good day, fellow crafters. Today I am sharing with you my entry into this week’s Sharing Fall Challenge! This challenge is being hosted by @thatcraftygolden and you can find their page on Instagram, and is running from September 18th - November 19th. This week's theme is Sweater Weather and as the temperatures cool and nature undergoes its autumn transformation, our Sweater Weather theme captures the essence of this cozy season. If this theme sparks your creativity, join us in the fun! Don't forget to use the hashtag #sharingfallcards, as we can't wait to admire your creations. I hope you enjoy my submission to this challenge.
My design intent for this crafting challenge was to produce a card that reminds the recipient of a nice cozy sweater, in particular, that favorite cuddly one that you hold onto no matter the condition it’s in. You all know the one I am talking about. So to help me accomplish that for my submission I turned to the Sunny Studio Cable Knit embossing folder, featured left.
I began with a piece of Hammermill white cardstock and then the leftover inks on my orange, yellow, and red ink blending brushes to create the hue for the background panel. Once I was satisfied with it, I misted the back of the cardstock with water to moisten the paper fibers and placed the cardstock into the embossing folder. This step I have found to be very beneficial in reducing tearing. I next ran the embossing folder through my die-cutting machine a couple of times to ensure I got a crisp transfer. Some materials I have found, especially heavier-weight papers, often require multiple passes. I then removed the newly embossed cardstock and set it aside to dry.
The next step was to create my focal element. I chose to use the Simon Says Stamp Pumpkin Spice Season stamp and die set, featured right, that was part of the Stamptember 2020 set. I once again used Hammermill white cardstock and Gina K’s Amalgam ink to stamp my figure, added the color using PrismaColor colored pencils, and finally cut the image out with the corresponding die. I set this aside as well.
For the sentiment I decided to use a sentiment from the same stamp set so I would need to cut a label for it. To keep my design theme as coordinating as possible I chose a kraft-colored cardstock as a mat for the background panel to reinforce the earth tones I think of when I imagine this time of year. I then used a method that I often employ to reduce waste. I aligned the mat with my Misti stamping tool and stamped the sentiment with white ink into the center of the mat. I then cut out the label around the sentiment, utilizing a label die from my stash as this will be hidden in a future step.
The last stage was assembly. I trimmed the background panel and mat to their final dimensions and adhered them together with double-sided tape. I then repeated the process by adhering the composite to the pre-cut and folded A2 card base. The focal point and the sentiment were then adhered to the background panel with a bit of liquid glue. For a final bit of visual appeal, I colored in the heart within the sentiment but decided to go one step further and added a flat-backed heart from Kat Scrappiness. With that, I called this card complete.
