Two Fall Cards

I'm still in full-swing making fall & Halloween cards to send to Send a Smile 4 Kids next month. I decided to focus on just general fall for this first one.

I used Sketch #SC593 from Splitcoaststampers.com for my design. I opened the "Sunflowers - Stain Glass" image from Bugaboo Stamps (discontinued) in Photoshop, as well as one of the greetings from Doodle Pantry's "Scarecrow Birdie" set. I created a blank "canvas" the size of my finished panel on the card, & moved the image & greeting onto that. After resizing & positioning each where I wanted it, I printed them onto a panel of Canson XL Mixed Media paper. I colored the image with my Inktense pencils, using a damp paintbrush to pick up the color from the pencils and apply it to my paper. Finally, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to just the sunflowers & leaves, for an added bit of sparkle.

To finish my card, I cut 4 patterned paper pieces (all from my scrap stash) to size. I adhered my focal panel to a piece of purple cardstock that I'd cut to 4.25x5.5", and then adhered the other pieces in place. Finally, I mounted my card front to a white A2 card base.

I suppose you could say my second card has a bit of a Halloween feel to it, mostly because of the patterned paper I used for the background. The paper is one that I've had--probably for years--in my scrap stash. I don't know why I got it (almost certainly for scrapbooking, though, since it was a 12x12" sheet); when I got it; and when I'd ever use it, since I don't really have Halloween photos to scrapbook. It seemed to be the perfect background for Doodle Pantry's "Candy Apple" image (apparently discontinued), though, so I used it here!

I chose Sketch #SC579 from Splitcoaststampers.com for this card design. After I sized the apple in Photoshop, I printed it on a piece of Canson XL Mixed Media paper. I colored it with my Inktense pencils & a damp paintbrush, and fussy cut it out. I "painted" the edges with a black brush-tip marker, just to camouflage the white core of the paper and make it blend in better with the black outline of the image.

After cutting my cardstock & patterned paper pieces to size, I printed the greeting, also from "Candy Apple," on the wider yellow strip. I used a 2" circle punch to create the "hole" for the apple to sit in. I assembled all my pieces, popped the apple up on foam tape, & coated the caramel with Glossy Accents.

I'm entering these cards in the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments Challenge #164: "Fall Colors & a Sentiment"
Doodle Pantry Ants in My Pants Digital Challenge: "Anything Goes" (second card only)
Pile It On #117: "Autumn Colors/Theme"
Send a Smile 4 Kids: "Fall Colors 4 Kids"
Through the Craft Room Door: "Anything Goes" (first card only)