It’s beginning to look like fall here in New Hampshire – and I apparently should get out of denial about it! I love the colors and the beauty of fall. But it also makes me sad to know that these beautiful leaves and trees are headed for a gray, cold winter. (And New Hampshire winters aren’t over until around the first of April!)
So, today’s card is to bring fall to us gently. The Stampin’ Up! Pretty Pumpkins stamp set is just the thing to make that happen…and the Detailed Pumpkin dies are just beautiful!
In fact, if I were making a list of the types of stamp and die sets that would be essential so that your collection covered anything that you might need, the Pretty Pumpkins Bundle would be on that list. There are lots of beautiful autumn sets out there. But this one would do it if you only wanted one for autumn in a limited craft space.
Here are the measurements for this card:
| # Pcs | Measurements | ||
| Card Base (I chose Soft Seafoam for one card and Blushing Bride for the other) | 1 | 7” x 10” | Score along the 10” edge at 5” |
| Mat | 2 | 4-3/4” x 6-3/4” | One is the front panel and the second is the inside message panel |
| Scrap pieces of the 3 colors | You will need enough to cut one pumpkin in each color and create strips that are least 6-3/4” long |
I created 2 cards using 2 of my favorite color schemes: Polished Pink/Blushing Bride/Fresh Freesia and Mint Macaron/Pool Party/Soft Seafoam.
Stamp one pumpkin on each of the cardstocks that you’ve selected. I used Versamark Ink and Stampin’ Up! White Embossing Powder for this. (You could also use Stampin’ Up! Whisper White Ink if you would prefer. I experimented to see what works best – and it was a draw.)
Use the Intricate Pumpkin die to cut all of the pumpkins. Then lightly brush Whisper White Ink on the edges of each pumpkin to soften the effect. (This is optional, and the effect is subtle. See what you think.)
Using the Stampin’ Up! Ruffled Border from the Penned Flowers die set, I created strips that measured approximately ½” and then lined them up to create the cornered border. Then I embossed them with the Timeworn Type embossing folder, along with the plain ½” strips. Then using a blending brush, I lightly brushed across the tops of all the strips to create a little more depth…and to soften the colors.
The pretty pumpkins were mounted on a 3-1/2” circle which I adhered to the face of the card with Stampin’ Dimensionals, after stamping the message. (Both the inside and outside messages are from the Pretty Pumpkins stamp set.)
Then I created the inside message panel with the border strips and the stamped message.
For the final touch, I used Stampin’ Up! Pearl Basic Jewels for the touch of bling! But here’s the secret: I used Stampin’ Blends that matched the cardstock colors used to customize them. The alcohol ink does a super job of coloring gems and ribbon so that you can still have the perfect match even if you don’t have every color in your stash of supplies!
I wanted to enter this card into this week’s challenge at Freshly Made Sketches.
I really enjoy these challenges as they make me think outside the box. This sketch is such a pretty layout but one that I don’t ordinarily think of. And as it turns out, I really like it and find it very appealing to the eye! Hope you agree!
The supplies that I’ve used include:
Oh these are gorgeous! I love the combination of colours you’ve given each of them! Thanks for joining us at FMS this week!
Thanks so much, Narelle! I love the untraditional colors and the pumpkin stamp is just beautiful, I think…in fact, I’ve become a bit obsessed with it! And thank you for the opportunity to enter my card in the challenge…they truly stretch us creatively!