Birch and leaves - A masculine card

My brief for myself today was to use the Birch stamp and to make a quick, easy and masculine card.  Here's the result.

A masculine card - suitable for most occasions.
It features the Birch stamp and foliage cut with Seasonal Layers and Nature's Roots dies

The base card is Sahara Sand with a layer of Early Espresso.  The card front is Soft Suede, stamped with the Birch image using White Craft ink which I softened a little by applying more white ink with a sponge brayer.

The greeting is from the Colourful Seasons stamp set, stamped with Early Espresso ink onto Old Olive cardstock.  I used the Layering Ovals dies to cut out both the sentiment and the Mossy Meadow layer beneath it.

The foliage is cut from scraps of Old Olive, Mossy Meadow, Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze and Early Espresso cardstock using dies from the Seasonal Layers and Nature's Roots sets.

I only coloured the smallest leaf.  It's cut from Crushed Curry cardstock and sponged with Cajun Craze.  I drew on the veins with a Cajun Craze Stampin' Write Marker.

Thank you for visiting.
'Til next time!
Stephanie

Product List - All products used in the project are available for purchase in my online store

Birch Cling Stamp

$28.00

Colorful Seasons Photopolymer Stamp Set

$47.00

Seasonal Layers Thinlits Dies

$56.00

Nature's Roots Framelits Dies

$68.00

Whisper White Craft Stampin' Ink Refill

$8.00

Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad

$13.00

Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad

$13.00

Soft Suede A4 Card Stock

$15.25

Card Stock A4 Crushed Curry

$15.25

Sahara Sand A4 Card Stock

$15.25

Early Espresso A4 Card Stock

$15.25

Sponge Brayers

$14.00

Thanksgiving Turkey Table Favour

My American husband and his family like to celebrate Thanksgiving although it's Spring rather than Autumn here - so we celebrate on a convenient Sunday in November and call it a Gratitude Lunch.

A gang of turkey table favours ready for Thanksgiving

A little while ago I shared details of the table favours I've prepared that include a part to keep for recording reminders of things for which we're grateful.  So I had to come up with something for our little guests who have not yet learned to write!

Turkey Thanksgiving table favour

These turkeys are harbouring little chocolate treats in the boxes attached to their tails!

The back of the Thanksgiving turkey table favour

I neatened up the back of the turkey by adding a semi-circle of cardstock to the back of the tail before I adhered the little box.

Opening the box reveals the treat inside the Thanksgiving turkey table favour

Thank you for visiting today.
'Til next time!
Stephanie

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who will be celebrating.  Keep scrolling down to find the tutorial for the turkey and box.


Product List - Click on a product image below to visit my online store (Australian Residents only)

Foil Snowflakes

$10.00

Cajun Craze A4 Card Stock

$14.00

Crumb Cake A4 Card Stock

$14.00

Many Marvelous Markers

$190.00

1-1/2" Circle Punch

$28.00

Stampin' Trimmer

$50.00

Liquid Multipurpose Glue

$7.00

THANKSGIVING TURKEY TUTORIAL:

1.  Cut a piece of Cajun Craze cardstock to 1.75" x 7" and score every 1/2"

2.  Fan fold on the score lines.

3.  Cut a piece of Cajun Craze cardstock to 1/2" x 4"

The fan folded cardstock and half glued base strip

4.  Add glue to half of the small strip of cardstock and glue one end of the fanned strip to it.

Ready to attach the other half of the fan

5.  Add glue to the other half of the small strip of cardstock and stick the other end of the fanned strip to it.   (I find the easiest way to do this is to fold the fan up and then tip it to the side so that both ends are aligned side by side and butted up right next to each other).
Cut off any excess cardstock level with the fan.

The finished fan

Tip:  The base of the tail will not stay at 180 degrees but adding a strip of a strong board to the bottom will help keep it straighter if you wish.

Preparing the tail feathers using Foil Snowflakes

6.  Cut a gold Foil Snowflake in half.

7.  Cut individual "feathers" from a silver Foil Snowflake

8.  Placing a little glue on the front of the bottom end of the silver feathers, glue them between the gold feathers.

Ready to adhere the front tail feathers

9.  Place a little glue on the base and lower ends of the "spines" of the Cajun Craze fan and adhere the feathers, face up, to the front.

10.  Place a little glue on the top parts of the "spines" on the other side of the fan and adhere the remaining part of the silver snowflake, face down, so that it sticks up above the cardstock fan.

11.  Cut a Cajun Craze circle with a diameter smaller than the fan, cut it in half and adhere half to the back of the tail to hide all the joins.

Place turkey template on folded cardstock with beak and chest on fold

12.  Make a template for the turkey.  Fold a piece of 4.5" x 2.75" Crumb cake cardstock in half (to 2.25"x 2.75") and place the template on top so that the beak and chest are on the fold.

13.  Draw around the template and cut it out.  Add a score line about 1/2" from each side.

Cut around the turkey template and score 1/2" in from each side

14.  Colour the turkey as you wish (I used Real Red and Early Espresso Stampin' Write markers)

The coloured turkey.  The scored tabs are visible on each side.

15.  Add glue to one of the tabs and fold it to the inside of the other tab

Turkey table decoration

16.  Add glue to the back of the turkey body and adhere to the centre front of the tail.

I took this photo before I added the semi circle of Cajun Craze to the back of the tail.

This is the plan for the little lidded box that I attached to the back of the turkey
Cut on the blue lines and score the black lines

Start with a piece of Cajun Craze cardstock cut to 5.75" x 7.25"
With short side at top, score 1" from each side (at 1" and 4.75")
With long side a top, score at 1", 3.25", 4.25" and 6.5"
Returning the short side to the top again, score 1/4" in from each side from the 3.25" score line to the bottom.
Cut as shown by the blue lines in the diagram above
Use a small circle punch to punch a half circle in the centre of the edge of the lid  (the bottom of the piece that is 0.75" from edge to score line)
Fold
Adhere tabs to create lidded box

Thanksgiving Table Favours

The first batch of Painted Harvest Thanksgiving table favours is complete!

I do like to be organised and prepared and it'll be November before we know it!  

It's Spring time here in Australia but one of the traditions that my American husband likes to continue is Thanksgiving!  Other than the obvious seasonal conflict there's a slight challenge with timing since we don't have a public holiday for it here.  So one Sunday a year (just one in November that suits) we come together to celebrate our family, friends and everything else for which we're grateful.  I think of it as an annual Gratitude Lunch and always try to make something suitable as a little gift to take away.

One of these will complete each place setting at our Thanksgiving table

I don't yet know how many people will be attending this year but it's normally around 24 - so I've made a start!

Inside the pretty wrapper is a chocolate bar and an area to write some goals, affirmations or just reminders of things we're grateful for.  The idea is that this list can be cut off and stuck to a fridge or mirror  (I'll include a piece of blu-tack).

Chocolate for instant gratification and space to write affirmations for the long term

The box or wrapper is made from Always Artichoke cardstock - mainly because I have plenty of it!  After much measuring and calculating, I came up with the following:  (see below for revised, clearer dimensions)

• Trim a piece of A4 to 11" long (yes- I seem to combine Imperial and Metric measurements!)
• Score along the long side at 3", 3.5", 7.5" and 8"
• Turn 90 degrees and score the short side at 2.5", 3", 5.75" and 6.25"
• On the long sides, cut along the 3.5" and 7.5" score lines until you meet the second horizontal score line.
• On the short sides, cut along the 3" and 5.75" score lines until you meet the first horizontal score line.
• I chose to diagonally trim the corners of the "end flaps" but this is optional.

Diagram for cutting and scoring the wrapper/box

 

I used Peekaboo Peach (stamped twice), Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso inks for the flowers

The belly band is made from a piece of the Painted Autumn Designer Series Paper cut to 1.5" by about 8".  I wrapped it around the box and gently pressed around the corners to form fold marks, then placed it flat on my desk to stamp the greeting in Early Espresso ink.  After this, I replaced the belly band in position and adhered the ends.

The back of the belly band looks tidy because the ribbon is joined at the front under the flower

The belly band is decorated with pieces of Burlap and Copper Trim ribbons which I glued at the front of the band.  The join is covered with the foliage cut with the Leaf Punch and the Painted Harvest flower (stamp set and punch can be bought as a bundle for a saving of 10%).

The production line of  Painted Harvest Thanksgiving table favours

Thank you for visiting.
'Til next time!
Stephanie 

Addendum: 9 November 2022

My attention has been drawn (thank you Wendy) to the fact that the dimensions that I supplied are a bit confusing - please accept my apologies and see below for clearer dimensions in both Imperial/inches (written in red) and Metric/cm (written in blue).

Start with a piece of card that measures 11" x 8 1/4"  (28cm x 21cm)

• Score along the long side at 3", 3 1/2", 7 1/2" and 8" 
  (7.7 cm,9 cm,19 cm,20.4 cm)
• Turn 90 degrees and score the short side at 2 1/2", 3", 5 3/4" and 6 1/4"  
  (5.2 cm,6.4 cm,23.4 cm,24.7 cm) 
• On the long sides, cut along the 3 1/2" (9 cm) and 7 1/2" (19 cm) score lines until you meet the second horizontal score line.
• On the short sides, cut along the 3" (6.4 cm) and 5 3/4" (23.4 cm) score lines until you meet the first horizontal score line.
  
  

Product List - Click on a product image below to visit my online store (Australian Residents only)

Painted Harvest Photopolymer Bundle

[146021]

Painted Autumn Designer Series Paper

[144613]

Count My Blessings Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[144790]

5/8" (1.6 Cm) Burlap Ribbon

[141487]

1/4" Copper Trim

[144179]

Always Artichoke A4 Card Stock

[108610]

Whisper White A4 Card Stock

[106549]

Old Olive A4 Card Stock

[106576]

Peekaboo Peach Classic Stampin' Pad

[141398]

Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad

[126966]