The Splendor of Autumn Leaves


Certain things are better late than never, and I hope that this is true about my Mojo Monday on a Tuesday card! I am still loving the Autumn Meadows Designer Series Paper and the Autumn Splendor stamp set, both of which are available from the Holiday Mini Catalog. In addition, I added the oak leaf cluster from Lovely As a Tree to complete the Mojo layout. As I have mentioned several times, fall is my favorite season, and this card reminds me why! The colors, the leaves, the crisp morning air…Let’s take a walk through the forest and enjoy the Splendor of Autumn Leaves!
  • Prepare a standard card base from textured Really Rust.
  • Ink the Oak Leaf and Acorns from Autumn Splendor, and the Oak Cluster from Lovely As a Tree with Basic Brown and stamp onto Very Vanilla. (Note: You will need to stamp two sets of the acorns.) Color using Blender Pens and the following inks: Really Rust, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Pumpkin Pie, and More Mustard. Spritz using the Color Spritzer and a Taken with Teal Stampin’ Write Marker. (The Stampin’ Schach Tip: The Circle Scissors Plus is a must for cutting perfect circles easily!)
  • Punch the corners of one of the Acorn images and the Oak Cluster image with the Ticket Corner Punch, and distress using a Sponge Dauber and Chocolate Chip ink. Mat onto Taken with Teal, and once again use the Ticket Corner Punch.
  • Snip out the second Acorn image using Paper Snips. Distress the edges with Chocolate Chip.
  • Distress the edges of the Oak Leaf circle and mat onto a Taken with Teal circle. (Once again, the Circle Scissors Plus comes to the rescue!) Add the snipped Acorns to the top of the leaf using Mini Glue Dots.
  • Using a paper punch, punch out textured Taken with Teal “brads” and distress with Chocolate Chip. Pop onto the Oak Leaf circle with Mini Glue Dots.
  • Punch a corner from textured Taken with Teal using the Photo Corners Punch. Distress with Chocolate Chip. Add a Yellow Square Fire Brad.
  • Layer the Oak Leaves pattern from Autumn Meadows Designer Series Paper onto Taken with Teal. Distress the edges with Chocolate Chip ink.
  • Add a snippet of Dusty Durango Ribbon (solid side up).
  • Position and adhere all of the elements to the card base, popping the image mats on with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
A Note about Perfect Chemistry: Oh my gosh! I loved reading your comments and emails about this little card! Many of you shared stories about your favorite teachers. Mine was Miss Smith, my third grade teacher. She was an avid horsewoman, and I wanted to be just like her. Almost half a century later, I can still remember the name of her horse…Taffy Twist! She was the reason why I became a teacher. Although she has long since passed, I just want to say, “Thank you, Miss Smith. You were my inspiration.”
Love a challenge? Don’t forget that the Pals Paper Arts hosts a challenge every Thursday. Mr. Linky closes on Tuesdays, and the Pals “Picks of the Week” are announced every Wednesday. Join me and the other members of the Pals Design Team and view our inspiration projects!
As always, leave me a comment or drop me an email! I do appreciate reading what you have to say. Whether it’s a question about a technique or just to say “Hi!”, I adore hearing from you! Until next time…

Click Here to Order Your Stampin’ Up! 24/7!

Perfect Chemistry

Sometimes as a teacher, you never fully recognize the impact that you have on the lives of your students. And thus we have the story behind this card! Thomas was a foreign exchange student from Germany. Every day that I had him in class was a delight! Bright and engaging, he was definitely a student that you would not soon forget. While studying in the States, he met another of my students, the vivacious and personable Catherine. Needless to say, love blossomed between these two. Although Thomas eventually returned home, their romance withstood the test of time and distance. When selecting a college, Thomas enrolled at the University of Iowa, where Catherine attends medical school, and the two married.

I recently received a letter from the happy couple. Thomas is a PhD candidate and plans on teaching computer sciences at the college level. Catherine is in her fourth year of medical school and is seeking a family practice residency. The reason they wrote was to simply thank me for the impact that I had on their education. Knowing the state of the economy and that many schools are making cuts, they enclosed a check with their letter to be used by me for the science department of my high school. However, their letter held more wealth than just the monetary value of their donation. It was a reaffirmation to me as a teacher that we really do make an impact on our students in ways that we may never know…

When it came time to design their thank-you card, there was no doubt in my mind what set I would reach for…Perfect Chemistry! Ready to make an all-occasion Periodic Table? Put on your safety goggles, and step into my card making laboratory!
  • Prepare a 5-1/2″ x 5-1/2″ card base from textured Basic Black.
  • Layer with the “Houndstooth“ pattern from Night & Day Specialty Designer Series Paper.
  • Ink all of the stamps from Perfect Chemistry with Basic Black and stamp onto Whisper White. Snip out and mat onto Basic Black.
  • Arrange the “elements” onto the Houndstooth paper as illustrated.
  • Select the appropriate symbols for the sentiment that you wish to convey. Ink these with Real Red and stamp onto Whisper White. Snip out and pop onto the same symbols using Stampin‘ Dimensionals. In this case, I selected Thank You, Surprise, Hi & Hello and Happy.
  • Using a printer and Whisper White card stock, print out “Periodic Table” in Ariel Rounded MT Bold 24 point font, and mat onto Real Red. Adhere to the card base as illustrated.
  • Add a snippet of Real Red 5/8″ Grosgrain Ribbon. Position and adhere everything to the card base.
What a fun card to make! It will be winging its way to Iowa City tomorrow morning. I know that Thomas and Catherine will get a kick out of the design. Plus, I have always wanted to create my own Periodic Table!
Although deadlines are drawing near, there is still time to join “The Schach Pack” as my newest recruit. I would love to serve as your mentor. Click here for details and to see the incentive which I am offering. Plus, there is still time to play the latest Pals Paper Arts challenge. This week it is a Halloween challenge! Mr. Linky does not close until Noon CST Tuesday, so dust off the witches, goblins and ghouls and “treat” us to a Halloween project.
As always, please feel free to leave me a comment or drop me an email! Your comments are important to me, and I do read each and every one of them. And if you are in need of any Stampin‘ Up! supplies, you can always order from me 24/7!
Click Here to Order Your Stampin‘ Up! Supplies 24/7!
Stamp Set: Perfect Chemistry (114383)
Inks: Basic Black (101179), Real Red (103133)
Designer Series Paper: Night & Day (116768)
Card Stock: Real Red (102482), Basic Black textured (108693—Assorted Neutrals), Whisper White (100730)
Embellishments: Real Red 5/8″ Grosgrain Ribbon (109052)

Trim the Tree at OCC

This card has it all…embossing, bling, and 3-D! The Tree Trimmings stamp set and the nostalgic Merry Moments Designer Series Paper are paired to create a seasonal card with 1950’s flair! This week’s Our Creative Corner sketch was perfect for showcasing the Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Folder, which debuts this Tuesday when the Holiday Mini Catalog goes live. Join me for our own little Merry Moment as I outline the steps used in creating this card!

  • Create a 5-1/2″ x 5-1/2″ card base from Old Olive.
  • Ink the Ornaments from Tree Trimmings with Old Olive, Real Red, and Chocolate Chip and stamp onto Very Vanilla. (Stampin‘ Schach Tip: The Chocolate Chip ornament was stamped onto a separate piece of Very Vanilla and heat embossed with Clear Embossing Powder. This adds a shine that makes this ornament “pop” when you see it in person. In addition, this ornament was snipped out with Paper Snips, embellished with a Yellow Circle Fire Brad and popped onto the image mat with Stampin‘ Dimensionals to give the card depth.)
  • Using the Stamp-a-ma-jig for perfect placement, stamp the Ornament Hangers with VersaMark ink and heat emboss with Gold Embossing Powder. Once again, the hanger for the Chocolate Chip ornament was stamped on another piece of Very Vanilla, and snipped out. A Mini Glue Dot firmly affixes it to the ornament.
  • Lightly distress the edges of the image mat using a Sponge Dauber and Chocolate Chip ink. Mat onto Old Olive, followed by Real Red.
  • Ink the sentiment “Christmas Greetings” from Grateful Greetings (available September 1) with Chocolate Chip and stamp onto Very Vanilla. (Stampin‘ Schach Tip: Select a sentiment that compliments the size of your card base and the style of the card. Your card will look more balanced this way!) Mat onto Old Olive and back with a Real Red Designer Label. (The label has been cut in half horizontally. Each half is then adhered to the Old Olive mat. ) A Yellow Circle Fire Brad adds just the right amount of bling.
  • Select the “Ornaments” pattern from Merry Moments Designer Series Paper and mat onto Real Red. Add a snippet of Sleigh Bells ribbon and adhere to the card base.
  • Position and adhere the image and sentiment blocks.
  • Zip a piece of Real Red card stock through the Big Shot, using the Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Folder. Burnish using a Sponge Dauber and Gold Encore Ink! (Stampin‘ Schach Tip: Accentuate any Textured Impressions embossing with Sponge Daubers and ink of your choice. To keep with the festive feel of this card, Gold was the perfect choice!) Adhere to the card base.
  • Ink a Snowflake image from Serene Snowflakes with Chocolate Chip and stamp onto Very Vanilla. Punch out with the 1″ Circle Punch, add a medium Yellow Circle Fire Brad and mat onto a 1-1/4″ Real Red Circle which has been embossed with Petals-a-Plenty. Layer onto an Old Olive small Nestabilities Scalloped Circle.
Stampin‘ Schach Design Tip of the Day: Think odd! Design elements usually look better when present in “threes”, a little trick I learned while moonlighting at an interior design store! Here we have three rhinestone brads, three ornaments, three matted elements, and even the layout is in thirds with the ribbon dividing the large designer paper block!
Looking for a challenge? One of the highlights of my summer was being selected as a member of the Pals Paper Arts Design Team. If you have never visited the PPA Challenge Blog yet, please make it a point to do so! This week’s challenge is a theme challenge…Halloween! Along with my Design Team Pals, we have created a variety of cards to spook and inspire you!
Have you subscribed to the Stampin‘ Schach yet? I would love to share my work with you on a regular basis. Just visit my sidebar to sign up. Of course, I always appreciate your comments. I read each and every one of them. And, please feel free to email me with your questions! Until next time…

Please Click Here to Order Stampin‘ Up! 24/7!
Stamp Sets: Tree Trimmings (116722), Grateful Greetings (116511), Serene Snowflakes (115438)
Designer Series Paper: Merry Moments (115672)
Card Stock: Old Olive (100702), Real Red (102482), Very Vanilla (101650)
Inks: Chocolate Chip (100908), Real Red (103133), Old Olive (102277), VersaMark (102283), Gold Encore (101017)
Tools: Big Shot (113439), Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Folder (116824), 1” Circle Punch (109046), 1-1/4” Circle Punch (104403), Designer Label Punch (107590), Sponge Dauber (102892), Heat Tool (100005), Stamp-a-ma-jig (101049), Mini Glue Dots (103683), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430), Nestabilities
Embellishments: Sleigh Bells Ribbon (116795), Circle Fire Brads (109110), Gold Embossing Powder (109129), Clear Embossing Powder (109130)