Topsy-Turvy Autumn; Fall Leafing Up!

Hi Everybody!
Oh My! Lys at  Our Creative Corner has a challenge "Topsy Turvy" which is sure to scramble anyone's brains! If you read my title, you will see mine was a little scrambled by the time this went to post!  Here's my upside-down, inside-out, chaotic mess of an Autumn card.

One of my favorite memories as a kid was going up to the birch woods on the edge of our farm.  This was a magic place, especially in the fall, when the leaves would fall down like rain! The leaves always looked gold to me, against the bright blue sky.  My sister and I would lay on our backs for hours and let those tiny leaves drift over us. Unfortunately where I live now, we don't get that sort of autumn beauty, so I have to remember it through my artwork.

Let's start with the bottom layer.  I brushed Pitch Black Adirondack paint Dabber on white card, followed by my new DecoArt Weathered Wood Crackle Medium.  When dry, I brushed on Tumbled Glass and Faded Jeans Distress paints.

To do something totally topsy turvy, I decided to use the negative space of die cut leaves for my focal point.  I used a Tim Holtz Decorative strip die repeatedly on a piece of scrap paper.  I painted this lightly with  DecoArt gesso.  Once dry, I blended on Distress inks in Tumbled Glass, Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire and gave it a spritz of water and allowed this to dry naturally. Notice the darker blues are at the bottom.  I wanted this to be a dusky sky with the first stars coming out (upside down, of course).  I spritzed on my new DecoArt Media Shimmer Mister in white to the darker areas for stars.

Next, I wanted do do something out of order (Topysy Turvy) for the leaf backing.  I had a piece of leftover interfacing  (used for sewing) I had colored with various sprays last fall.  I ran it through my Big Kick with a Crackle embossing folder (Darice), which I had swiped Walnut Stain Distress ink over on the raised part to de-boss the crackle--just another topsy turvy element!

I made the frame using the negative space from a Spellbinder's die.  I used a TCW stencil and DecoArt Crackle paste to get the woodgrain, which when dry, I colored with Distress inks in Gathered Twigs and Walnut Stain. I added another negative "frame" cut from brown card left from a previous project. I heat embossed that with clear embossing powder and a Heidi Swapp wood grain image. I swiped on a little watered down DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylic in Titanium white to bring out the grain. To finish, I topped it with Frantage to look like a light frost.

I used Grunge Blocks to spell out Fall. Did you notice I turned one of the L's upside down? These were finished with Pitch Black paint Dabber and Tumbled Glass Distress paint. The word "leaves" was made from Tim Holtz  old Seasonal paper stash.  I cut letter blocks out and glued them on waste card board, cut them out, sanded the edges, swiped the edges with Tumbled Glass Distress paint and embossed randomly with Frantage. Typically I edge with a dark color, so this is one more Topsy Turvy thing on this card.

The leaves were a happy accident (more Topsy Turvy). My intent was to cover my negative leaves panel with clear UTEE.  I gave it a coat of gesso and while still wet, sprinkled on UTEE.  Duh, I left it to dry on a piece of copy paper, and then embossed with my heat tool, so it stuck to the copy paper. I tried pulling the leaf panel off, but it tore, and left these embossed leaves!  I blended over them with Distress ink--I think Wild Honey. I ended up having to fussy cut them out. Uggg! So much work went into them, I just had to use them!  To tie them into the project, I took a few die cut leaves, swiped them with Tumbled Glass Distress paint and embossed with Frantage.

There you have it! Fall Leafing Up! I'm sorry I had to explain myself, but I didn't want anyone to think I just made a bunch of mistakes--which I DID, of course.  But they all worked out in the end! The sun decided to go away before I could finish my photo shoot! The most carefully laid out plans sometimes go topsy turvy!

I hope you enjoyed this post and that you are not completely confused!  I would like to enter this into the following inspiring challenges:

Our Creative Corner Topsy Turvy

Country View Challenges November # 33 The Colour Blue
Frilly and Funkie Let There Be Light! I used gradients of blue color to represent a sky at dusk and added first stars of night.

Stamps and Stencils Remember, Remember
The Artistic Stamper Fabric My fabric is the interfacing. 
Try It On Tuesdays Lots of Layers
Sweet Stamps November Anything Goes
Sparkle and Sprinkle November Anything Goes I used embossing powder on the smaller frame, UTEE and Frantage on the loose leaves.
Use Your Stuff Challenge # 198 Use Old Stash Grunge Blocks??? I got those 4 years ago! The paper stash-old; Spellbinders die-old, TCW stencil--old.

Thank you for dropping by today and for leaving your lovely comments! Hugs and Blessings!
Sara Emily

UPDATE: I'm honored!!!