Leafy Thanksgiving Card

Thanksgiving is the time to gather with family and friends to celebrate just having each other to love. This is a big sized card for someone special. It can be adapted to a smaller format with less decorative elements. Check out the instructions below to make your very own Leafy Thanksgiving Card.

I started with stamping the leaf and focused the card around the leaf. If I were doing it again I might pass on the embossing since you can’t see it on the front, but it adds interest to paper when you open the card. Use what you have. If you step the process down it is fun and easy; make substitutions with what you have on hand. The final card is 5.5-inch x 8.25-inch and fits into the FAV Shimmer, Hinted Gold, A9 envelope. Keep referring to the photos.

Instructions:

1. Cut a sheet of Remake, Brown Autumn, 140lb cover. Cut the sheet to 8 3/8-inch wide by 11-inch long. Score it at 5.5-inch and score it again 1/8-inch of each side of the center fold. The heavier paper folds better with a more flexible spine. Emboss the front of the card using Teresa Collins Embossing Folder, Tiny Dots (A4). You need the Big Shot Pro to emboss something using as A4 folder. Skipping the embossing is fine since the front is mostly covered; it makes the inside more interesting.

2. Using the two circle dies, 3.75-inch and 5.25-inch, cut two circles. The smaller circle is cut using FAV Shimmer, Hinted Gold, 92lb cover, and the larger circle is cut using FAV Shimmer, Orange Gold Fusion, 107lb cover. On the smaller circle place strips of 1/2-inch ScorTape on the back; on the larger circle use Silhouette Double Sided Adhesive Tape. Put them on the front later.

3. Stamp the smaller Hinted Gold circle using the stamp Inkadinkado, Large Maple Leaf, Fall Autumn and inks. On a sheet of wax paper drop areas of the following inks: StazOn, Copper and Gold, along with Studio, Sable Brown and Yellow Pastel. Try to keep the Studio paints to just drops here and there. Don’t mix them so they are distinct colors. Using a brayer, cover the back of the large stamp and stamp it on the smaller Hinted Gold circle, centering it. Get the stamp to the sink and spray it with StazOn Stamp Cleaner. The Studio paint is acrylic and dries quickly. Clean the brayer too. I used a toothbrush and kept spraying the stamp, followed by soap and water; quite a few times. My brayer is acrylic and I used alcohol to clean it quickly, wiping it with paper towels.

4. Cut a sheet of Curious Metallics, Super Gold, 111lb cover. Cut it to 4.5-inch x 5.5-inch. Tape it to the stencil DecoArt, Jacobean Floral, 8.25-inch x 11-inch. Using an opaque marker, Permapaque, Copper, fill in the stencil. Cut the paper to 4-inch x 5-inch and tape it sideways on the bottom of the card, centering it. I could not decide if I should put it over the Orange Gold Fusion, or behind it. You choose.

5. Place the Orange Gold Fusion circle 1 1/8-inch, from the top, centered. Place the leaf stamp over it.

6. Place (3) Natural Embellishments, Natural Skelton Leaf, Turquoise. To keep them from breaking and hold them safely on the front, place them on a sheet of Silhouette Double Sided Adhesive. Using Tim Holtz scissors, cut around the edges. They broke in some place and I liked the distressed look. Place the bottom 2 first and the 3rd one on the top. The adhesive shines through the leaves and it is pretty.

7. Add “Happy Thanksgiving” to the bottom of the card using American Crafts Thickers, Happy, in gold.

8. I added some sparkle with Fab Lab gemstones in gold. They are 1/8-inch square. Referring to the photos, I added one to the leaf and 4 under the Orange Gold Fusion circle. I used a toothpick and Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue to hold them down. It has a slower drying time so you can adjust them.

9. On the inside, print the message on Crush, White Corn, 81lb text, and cut it to 3 11/16-inch x 7 1/2-inch. Add 1/2-inch ScorTape to the top of the message and center it, even with the top of the card.

10. Add 1/8-inch ScorTape to the back of pretty ribbon and place it at the top of the message. I used Offray, turquoise, 1/2-inch. I am not sure it is available anymore so use what you have.
11. Enjoy!

Materials:

• Remake
  • Brown Autumn, 140lb cover
• Curious Metallics (Check out Gold Paper)
  • Super Gold, 111lb cover
• FAV Shimmer
  • Hinted Gold, 92lb cover
  • Hinted Gold, A9 envelope
  • Orange Gold Fusion, 107lb cover
• Crush
  • White Corn, 81lb text

• Circle Die, 3 75″ & 5.25″
• Teresa Collins Embossing Folder, Tiny Dots (A4)
• Stamp: Inkadinkado, Large Maple Leaf, Fall Autumn (ebay)
• Inks for stamp: StazOn, Copper & Gold
• Inks for stamp: Studio, Sable Brown & Yellow Pastel
• Wax Paper
• Brayer
• StazOn Stamp Cleaner & alcohol
• Stencil, DecoArt, Jacobean Floral, 8.25″ x 11″
• Marker, Sakura Permapaque, Copper
• Natural Embellishments, Natural Skelton Leaf, Turquoise
• Silhouette Double Sided Adhesive Sheet
• Ribbon, Offray, Turquoise, 1/2″
• ScoreTape, 1/8″ & 1/2″
• Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue
• American Crafter Thickers, Happy
• Fab Lab Adhesive Gems, Gold, 1/8″ x 1/8″