Anything But Cute-October Challenge #18-An Autumn Day

Welcome, crafty friends and visitors! Well, it's here! My favorite time of the year! I love fall for it's cooler weather, lower humidity (when's that going to happen?), the beautiful colors painted in nature, soup, sweaters and of course--Halloween! Our new challenge at Anything But Cute  starts today, and our lovely and extremely talented Autumn has chosen for her theme 'An Autumn Day'.  I'll give you the details on the challenge, but first I'd like to share my Autumn Day wall hanging with you. 

Autumn says "I could not help but choose October as my month to hostess here at Anything But Cute. This month, we want to see your creations inspired by An Autumn Day. Anything goes mixed media with a fall color palette, or Autumnal elements. Be inspired by nature with the sights, smells, and sounds of this beautiful season. We cannot wait to see the amazing artwork you turn out!"

I must warn you, this is a photo heavy post. I'll be sharing my step by step instructions for the metallic panel below.

I used lots of mixed media techniques on my panels and foliage, but I had a little old fashioned coloring fun on this, too!  The bottom "wooden" panel that serves as my frame was made using the technique I used here, except my colors used this time were DecoArt Burnt Umber followed by Titan Buff Media paints. I also did some random stamping with a Prima crackle stamp in areas where the Crackle Medium didn't do it's magic. I laid the crackle medium on real thick in some areas because I was going for a chipped paint look.

I did the crackle technique on the Tim Holtz Ideaology Alpha Parts, too. The rust colored leaves were done using a Perfect Pearls technique I demonstrated in my tutorial 'Playing With Perfect Pearls' at Anything But Cute. I simply added some stamping using a variety of foliage stamps from my stash, and on some leaves I've added Ranger Crazing Medium.

The pumpkin and vines are from an unnamed stamp set I've had in my stash. I love this set, and I'm surprised I haven't used it before (that I remember). I colored the pumpkin with Distress inks and markers and Twinkling H2O's, and I gave it a coat of Crazing here and there to give it some depth. Distress inks, markers and more Crazing on the vine panel. I love this vintage look!

If you recognize these stamps, please let me know the name and maker.

Although this is not a good shot, it gives a hint of the glimmer on the pumpkin from the Twinkling H2O's (frost perhaps?). You might be able to spot more of that "frost" on the die cut skeleton leaves --I sprayed them with Perfect Pearl spray before crinkling them up. This not only gives them some glimmer, it helps them hold their shape.

The embossed panel started as a manila file folder covered with contractor's foil tape. I've made a few of these, and you can see variations on this technique here and here. I will list variations within the tutorial. I hope this makes sense, but if you have any questions, please leave them in a comment below, and I will respond to them.

1. Use contractor's foil tape to cover manila folder cut to desired size. Burnish for good adhesion, especially over seams. ('Scuse me, Blogger: I'm trying to get this to the left margin!)

2. Emboss with Darice's Cracked embossing folder. ( I used Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves folder on Vintage Rustic Autumn Card and his Keyboard folder on One Lucky Day.)

3. Give panel a coat of black gesso and let dry.

4. Apply a coat of DecoArt Matte Medium and let dry. (On the other two panels I actually mixed the paints with the matte medium and applied them. For Vintage Rustic Autumn Card, I used Distress paints mixed with the medium and for One Lucky Day, I used Twinkling H2O's and Prima Alchemy paint mixed with the medium.)

5. Brush on various colors of Twinkling H2O's.

6. BEFORE THE PAINT LAYER DRIES completely, lay a clean paper towel over the partially dried paint and press down to absorb the wetter areas, and pull off quickly.

7. Wipe with a damp baby wipe to remove additional paint where desired.

8. Splatter with various colors of Twinkling H2O's. (I omitted with step in my other two project panels.)

9. Paint over entire panel with orange Twinkling H2O's. Heat dry. The color pools in certain areas and is resisted in others.

10. Edge panel with Versamark ink and apply Burnt Copper Leaves Embossing Powder. Heat 'til bubbly. (On Vintage Rustic Autumn Card I used Stampendous Frantage Antique Copper and on One Lucky Day,  I used brown Embossing Puffs.)

This is a very rewarding technique and you can get many looks just mixing up the paint colors and brands.

My product list is extremely long, so if you have questions about a specific die cut, paints, mediums or anything else, please let me know. I cannot tell you the names of my stamps-- I believe these were all purchased at yard sales and makers were not provided.

I hope you will be inspired to join us with your fall projects at Anything But Cute--you have an entire month. Please be sure to check out what each of my teamies has created for you! They really rocked this theme!

I am sharing my Autumn Day panel with the following challenges:

-A Vintage Journey - September Challenge - Create Within a Frame!
-Fashionable Stamping Challenges #115-Autumnal Colors My pumpkin, the vine panel behind it, and some of my leaves were stamped.
-Penny Black and More-October Challenge-Autumn
-Stamping Sensations October Challenge-Autumn
-Die Cut Divas-October is the Time to Emboss-I embossed with a Darice folder and heat embossed with Burnt Copper Leaves powder. Dies used are Bigz and Thinlits Tattered Leaves and Prima Leaves.
-Dies-R-Us Challenge #58-The Leaves on the Trees-Ok; mine are OFF the trees! Dies used listed above.
-Frilly and Funkie-Author, Author Henry David Thoreau-"Walden" I read this book as a child, and was greatly influenced by his life in the woods. As a kid, I would hike through our woods on our property and pretend that I was him, living off the land! Ha! Ha! I still have that sense of wonder when it comes to nature, and I love to study it's patterns. I like to think it has helped me to be a more observant individual. Great theme, Suzz!
-Scrapy Land Challenge #51-Anything Goes using a die that Scrapy Land sells I used a Prima die and two Sizzix dies for the leaves.
-Double "D" Challenges 'Pumpkin Time' Thank you for the invitation to join, Darlene!

Thank you for stopping by today and for leaving me your sweet comments! I read each one and appreciate them all!

Hugs and Blessings!

Sara Emily

UPDATE: Yippee!