My Grateful Heart

Hello everyone!

As yet another week flies by, where does time go? But a new week does mean that it's time for a brand new challenge over on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog where this week, our theme is all about Thanks and Thanksgiving and we hope you will join us and play along with this fun challenge.

For my project, I decided to make a card and this is a very special card because I wanted to make this to thank all my friends, and followers who have supported me and loved my work over the years because I am so grateful to have you all!

So, without further ado, it's time for the new challenge to begin and here's how I created this very special piece...

 

As you can see, there are plenty of layers on this card and quite a bit of dimension, two things that I love to bring to my projects and to begin with I started by creating those leaves ready for arranging on the finished card.

I always use Tim Holtz's Mixed Media Heavystock as my go to favourite as I find this to be the best card on the market, it really does withstand anything I throw at it. To obtain that beautiful rich colour of autumn on the leaves, I used a combination of Distress Spray Stains in Peeled Paint and Rusty Hinge and a second colour combination of Fossilised Amber and Rusty Hinge. I also added a spritz of Tarnished Brass Mica Spray to each of these combinations to add a hint of shimmer.

Once I'd spritzed my card with the sprays and they were blended perfectly, I just heat dried the card with a heat tool and the used it as my base to die cut a selection of the gorgeous Skeleton Leaves from Tim Holtz.

After inking the edges of the leaves, I then set them to one side for later.

Now to move onto the background layers and for this I started with two pieces of watercolour card which I inked with a selection of Distress Oxide Inks ~ Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Iced Spruce and Walnut Stain. I applied each of the inks to my glass mat, spritzed with water and then dragged the card through, making the larger piece that will become the background layer, slightly darker in colour than the panel that is in the forefront.

I machine stitched in black thread around the outside of the larger panel and then matted it onto Metallic Kraft Stock, followed by a layer of corrugated card. I then mounted these layers onto the front of my card blank, which measures 20 x 16.5cm.

Setting the card blank to one side, I took the remaining inked panel and to create some more texture and layers onto the panel, I added some torn pieces of tissue tape to the centre. I then applied some gesso over the top before drying it thoroughly.

Once dry, I added some stamping using the Lace Background stamp from the Ornate and Lace stamp set and the text stamp from the Entomology set and just randomly stamped onto the panel.

After stitching a border around the outside using neutral coloured cotton thread, I matted the panel onto gold kraft card and a panel of brown kraft stash.

Next, I cut a strip of Tim Holtz's Mummy Cloth that I had left from Halloween and dyed it with Pumice Stone and Crushed Olive Distress Spray Stain. If you don't have this amazing cloth, then just use hessian ribbon as it will create the same effect. I then wrapped the strip around the centre of the panel and tied it with a knot on the left hand side. I mounted the completed panel onto the centre of my card blank using foam pads to add some dimension.

I then arranged all my leaves in a spray that covered the left hand side of the card and added some Spanish Moss into the arrangement by just tucking it underneath the leaves which also acts as support.

Once I'd done this, I then wanted to create some berries and for these, I used Tim's Bauble Findings which I coloured with Cranberry and Mushroom Alcohol Inks before attaching them into the centre of the leaves.

The final finishing touches to this piece was to add my sentiment, 'a grateful heart' which I took from the Clippings Stickers and placed in the bottom right hand corner.

I then added a Milogros Finding to the knot of the Mummy Cloth which I placed onto a Loop Pin...

...and added a Mini Hardware piece on the opposite side.

So, that completes this week's card and a very special project and once again, I just want to say thank you to everyone for all the lovely comments and the friendships I have made!

Don't forget, you can find more inspiration from my talented teamies over on the challenge blog and every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $50 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....

See you very soon, love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Stamps: Entomology, Ornate and Lace

Tim Holtz/Sizzix Dies: Skeleton Leaves
Distress Spray Stain: Fossilised Amber, Pumice Stone, Crushed Olive, Peeled Paint and Rusty Hinge
Distress Oxide Inks: Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Iced Spruce and Walnut Stain

Idea-ology: Baubles, Clippings Stickers, Milagros Findings, Loop Pins

Mediums: Gesso

Surfaces:  Classic Kraft Stash, Mixed Media Heavystock Card, Metallic Kraft Stash, Watercolour Card
Alcohol Ink: Cranberry, Mushroom
Prima Marketing Mini Hardware

Tim Holtz Media Glass Mat

Tim Holtz Guillotine

Heat Gun
Mummy Cloth, corrugated card and moss from my own stash