Autumn in New England - Flying Unicorns and 2Crafty ( with leaf making tutorial)

Autumn In New England

(You can find this post on 2Crafty's blog here)

This is a layout I created based on a photo I took in Vermont, US, a few years ago.   My father-in-law lived in Vermont and each time I visited, I was enchanted with this church that everyone must pass upon entering into town from a certain direction.   It appears like a welcoming beacon for travelers and a symbol of home for residents. 

One Autumn day as we were driving into Bennington,  Vermont, the sky was perfect and the trees were at near peak in Autumn glory.  I asked my husband to pull over and I jumped out to snap a few shots.  In order to get the best shot, you have to stand in the middle of the road.  Thank heaven it was early morning before church got started. 

 This page was created using the Nov.  Kit for the Flying Unicorns - 7Dots papers, along with a fun set of chipboard from 2Crafty:

2Crafty Chipboard "Autumn Leaves " m00018

2Crafty Words "Nothing Beats a Father's Love"

2Crafty "Winter Twig Branches"

Available in my ETSY shop while it lasts. Right here

Chipboard Instructions:

2Crafty's chipboard leaves were absolutely perfect for my project.  I'll show you how I altered them.   

 First I painted the leaves with gesso to prime them.  After dying, I misted with 13Arts Ayeeda mist in Yellow.  I sprayed them a few times to darken in spots as needed. I did not blot them dry - I used the heat gun to dry them. 

Next step,  I added some embossing powder to give them some crinkled texture.

Below is a page that shows the "Autumn Leaves " and  "Winter Twig Branches" nicely inserted into a cluster of  paper leaves, floral berries and flowers.  The  "Winter Twig Branches" were simply stained with orange ink.  

Paper Leaf Instructions:

Next I want to show you how I created some paper leaves to be used along with the chipboard leaves.  I didn't have enough chippies so I had to make some paper leaves. 

Step 1. I used a fun Darice leaf die ( Assorted Leaves) that came with the Flying Unicorn Oct kit and punched a bunch of leaves from Studio75 "Splash It" paper collection . I enhanced the colors using some inks. 

Step 2. Step 2 is leaf crunching and inking. 

OK let's break  the leaf process down even further:
 fold the leaf in half.  Lightly touch or dab the fold onto the ink pad.  

Next - crunch the leaf and gently roll the leaf on the ink pad so that the crunched folds get slightly inked.  When you unfold the leaf and open it up, you have a cool looking "old leaf" effect. 

I decided to leave the  title, Nothing Beats a Father's Love ", as a natural chipboard piece with no finishing.   

The chipboard on the left matches nicely with the paper leaf I made.  

I love showing dimension in my photos if I can get a decent shot.  It really shows the depth of the page ands how wonderfully the chipboard is on the page up close adding nice pops of texture, dimension and interest.   

Thanks for stopping here.  I value your time. 

 If you missed the Flying Unicorns Oct kit, consider pre-ordering your kit each month.  Pre- orders start the 20th of each month, you get the best selection, you get to see a preview to determine if you like the colors and style of the particular month, AND it ships early.   Bonus all the way around.   Details here. 

Grab this layout on my ETSY while it lasts. 


Products:
2Crafty Chipboard "Autumn Leaves " m00018
2Crafty Words "Nothing Beats a Father's Love"
2Crafty "Winter Twig Branches"
Flying Unicorn Kit of the Month - Nov -Your Passion Your Art
Studio 75 papers Splash It collection
13Arts Ayeeda Mists
Darice Assorted Leaves thin metal dies
DieNamics Royal Leaf Dies
Tim Holtz Distress Powders - Scattered Straw and Marigold
Clearsnap - Donna Salazar Mixed Media Inx - Mossy, Vintage, Patina, Butternut,
Floral Berries
Hemp Twine
Petaloo Flowers