Happy first of November to you all! The days are getting cooler and nights/mornings a bit nippy. I love Fall -- especially one of its iconic symbols: brilliantly colored falling leaves! So to celebrate the season, here's my November calendar:
These Copic leaves are easy to create, and will look fabulous on anything this month ... birthday cards, sympathy cards, thank you notes, Thanksgiving cards, dinner menus and/or place cards, and scrapbook pages!
Make your own brilliant colored background paper to die cut the leaves. I used two different methods:
1. Scribble/drop Various Ink Refill colors onto Non-Stick Craft Sheet. Here I used YR27, YR04, R24, YR21, and E35 (click on any photo for a larger view):
Spritz inks with an alcohol-filled Mini Mister to move the color around a little. Lay Glossy Cardstock (glossy side down) into the ink and lift the cardstock up (don't just smoosh/swirl the cardstock all over the inks, or you will end up with mud!).
Continue pressing the cardstock into the inks, to cover the entire surface with color. If there are still white areas left on your cardstock after you've used all the ink from the work surface, squeeze one small drop of color (I used my lightest YR21) to fill in any remaining white areas:
You could stop here and have a softer blended palette. I ended up adding a few drops of a little deeper color of E37 (Sepia):
2. The second method is to drop/scribble the Various Ink Refill colors directly on the Glossy Cardstock surface. By doing so, you will get a little deeper, more vibrant color (because you haven't diluted the color with alcohol). Here, I started with YR21 (Cream):
Then added YR04 (brighter Chrome Orange) and YR27 (darker Tuscan Orange):
Then YG95 (Pale Olive):
Keep adding color until the desired look is achieved. Finally, finish with more YR21 to fill in any remaining white areas. As you can see, this dropping method will cause the inks to move around on the surface of the glossy cardstock and create interesting ring patterns:
Here are the two different methods and color combos, side by side, with the Copic Various Ink Refill colors I used:
Next, die cut your custom background paper with Tim Holtz Bigz Tattered Leaves Die in Sizzix Big Shot machine.
For calendar front, cut a 5.50-inch piece of Ellen's Woodgrain Embossed Cardstock, then die cut with Impression Obsession Square Shaker Frame die to create a frame for the calendar. Accent the woodgrain embossing of the white cardstock with Antique Linen Distress Ink with an Ink Blending Tool. Pop woodgrain up with 1/2-inch Copic Foam Tape over a 6-inch brown cardstock base.
Print Ellen's 2013 Ring Binder Calendar at 85% (to yield a 3.25-inch calendar) onto Neenah Natural White Cardstock. Trim calendar closely and adhere to brown cardstock base below the woodgrain popped up piece.
Die cut brown cardstock with My Favorite Things' Jumbo Ric Rac Die and adhere to right side of calendar front. This will serve as an anchor/guide for arranging the leaves. Adhere leaves to ric rac with foam tape and/or Glue Dots.
Finish calendar by adhering Essentials by Ellen Satin Gold Sequins with Glossy Accents onto calendar front.
You could also use this same idea and layout for a greeting card (either birthday or Thanksgiving -- just circle the important date on the calendar!), or scrapbook page (just replace calendar with a photo). I hope you have fun with these leaves!
~ Sharon
{Supplies}
