That's Life: Autumn Serenade

Hello everyone and Happy STAMPtember...

We have a brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge starting today and this week we want you to STAMP IT and join in with our fun theme and to celebrate the month of STAMPtember, the DT are showcasing the products of Simon Says Stamp within their makes!

So let's begin and here's how I created my autumnal/fall tag that is full of dimension that I created using dies by Sizzix layered onto a stamped background.

BACKGROUND TAG

We'll start with my background tag and I used a size 8 mixed media heavy stock tag which I spritzed with a combination of Vintage Photo, Crackling Campfire, Barn Door Antique Linen and Old Paper Distress Spray Stains and Frayed Burlap Oxide Spray.

To blend the colours, I misted water over the top and then heat dried the tag before stitching a border around the outside and inking the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

I adhered the tag to a Size 8 Etcetera tag because I'll be adding quite a bit of weight and wanted the base to be substantial.

STAMPED LAYER

The next layer uses the floral and script stamps from the Stampers Anonymous Exquisite stamp set by Tim Holtz. Using Black Soot Archival Ink, I stamped the floral pattern onto a panel of inked Mixed Media Heavystock Card ~ I used Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap and Old Paper Distress Spray Stains for this layer. To stamp different parts of the stamp onto this small panel, I just turned the floral stamp around.

After inking the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink, I machine stitched a border and then matted it onto a panel of gold kraft card before mounting the panel with foam pads onto the tag.

In the bottom right hand corner, I stamped my 'happy thanksgiving' sentiment, which is from the SSS Sassy Thankful stamp set. I stamped this in Barn Door Archival Ink.

AUTUMN FOLIAGE

To create my arrangement of Autumn foliage, I used one of my favourite seasonal dies from Tim Holtz and Sizzix, Fall Foliage. This is an older die but I LOVE it!

I used various sized dies to cut different sizes of leaves, and the twigs from Mixed Media Heavystock and then inked them with Simon Says Stamp Positively Saturated Ink Pads ~ Mocha, Citrine, Cherry, Good Luck Charm and Sherbet. I used SSS blending brushes to blend the inks over the die cuts to create the perfect fall colours, inking the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

Now to create that slightly darker, gnarled look to the leaves and for this, I placed them all in my splatter box and spritzed Decayed and Burning Embers Distress Mica Stain over the top, allowing the tiny splatters to fall onto the leaves.

To complete the leaves, I wanted some veins running through them and used the smallest stamp in Tim's Left Print 2 stamp set and stamped each leaf using the Mocha ink pad.

ASSEMBLING

We're now ready to assemble the tag and I arranged the leaves on the left hand side, attaching them with a hot glue gun, which will allow me to add height and dimension to the leaves which I've individually shaped.

Once, I was happy with the arrangement, I added some Spanish Moss from my stash and tucked this in behind the leaves.

In the centre, I placed a tiny clump of moss and then added some Baubles for berries. I used three and coloured them with Cranberry Alcohol Ink. I then adhered them into position with Matte Collage Medium.

Finally I added the finishing touches...

I dyed some seam binding ribbon from my stash with the Burning Embers and Harvest Moon Mica Stains and then threaded it through the hole reinforcer...

...and to complete the tag, I added a numbers snippet in the top right hand corner.

I hope you love today's make and it's given you some inspiration for all those autumnal fall projects.

As always, if you make anything, or if you've been inspired by anything that you've seen here on my blog ~ then please, let me know by tagging me on social media or leaving a comment here and I will be right over to take a look and if sometimes I miss it ~ just keep nudging me!

Don't forget that every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $25 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp and you can join in up to 5 times, which means you could have 5 chances to win. You have until next Monday at 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....