Muse Challenge #236 - Autumnal Thank You

Hi there

We're at the start of another month which means I'm your designer over at Muse.  As autumn has now taken hold here in the UK I thought I would create a card with a seasonal feel.

My card designs are predominantly CAS but every now and then I want to stretch myself and play around with more in depth techniques which is what I've done here, although the layout is still pretty clean and simple.  The idea at Muse is to take the designer's project and use it as inspiration for your own design.  You can use the layout, theme, colours, technique, etc.  Hopefully with this one there are lots of elements to inspire you.

For my main background panel I created the leaf pattern using layered emboss resist.  So I started with a piece of cream cardstock and stamped the first four images (the lightest images) using VersaMark ink before heat embossing  in clear.  I then blended over the whole background with Scattered Straw Distress Ink, revealing the first leaves.  This is quite a lengthy process as you have to ensure every ink layer is dry before proceeding to the next.  So I zapped the panel with my heat gun and then used anti-static powder to ensure it was ready to go again.  I stamped and clear heat embossed the next few images, trapping the Scattered Straw Ink underneath, before blending the next layer with orange and green.  I then repeated the process again, preserving the orange and green, and then finished with the brown tone.  This technique does take some time but you can get some really interesting results. 

I added some water splats to the panel, cut it down and then mounted it onto some copper cardstock.  I used the same copper cardstock to die cut the 'thank you' which I intended to adhere directly to the panel but it was getting a little lost in the background so I wrapped a strip of vellum around the panel and adhered the die cuts on this, and the leaf design still shows through.  The panel was then adhered flat to a cream card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Altenew - Freeform Greenery
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade, Peeled Paint, Frayed Burlap
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Clear Gloss
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Twice the Thanks
• Vellum and copper cardstock from stash

Challenge entries:

Penny Black and More - October Challenge - Close to Nature

Stamping Sensations - October Challenge - Autumn Glory

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Autumn

Uniko - Challenge #43 - Autumn/Fall

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I'd love to see your creations in the Muse gallery this week. I'll be back this evening to share the next CAS challenge over at Happy Little Stampers.