If you have ever seen my demo at shows around the country you have probably seen me make this card. I have been creating the leaf lady for years. It is one of the simplest cards and one of the most impressive.
It is especially effective during this fall season.
I use the Large oak Leaf 2206-38 and the medium Venus face 4250-26. I also add “No Spring or Summer…” 9061-12.
The entire card is done using the Memories Autumn Rainbow pad and the Marvy Ochre ink pad. I think Ochre is a color that should be in every pad inventory. It is a good blending color, a tint for aging white paper and a great allover background color. I have tired other rainbow pads but the arrangement of colors on the Memories seems to work best for this card.
Of course you can also use assorted solid color pads direct to rubber to color the stamp.
I am working on our gloss postcard for this card. It also works on matte but the gloss really makes the colors vibrant and bright.
To begin ink the oak leaf with the rainbow. It is too big to be colored completely so I twist the pad and color the top. Don’t be afraid to move the pad around. It is better to avoid a striped look and you can always clean the pad surface to return it to true rainbow.
To get a good impression every time with this big stamp follow the Big Stamping Tips in our techniques section of the website.
Next ink the Venus face. Move the face across the pad from left to right keeping the lips on the second to the last section of the pad, the red stripe. Stamp the inked stamp over the center of the leaf. The result should give the face green eyes and red lips.
Use the leaf stamp again and ink the edge of the stamp with the rainbow pad. Stamp over the leaf, slightly overlapping, to create a frame around the Venus face.
At this point you can add words to the base of the card. I like the saying- “No spring or summer has such grace as I have found on autumn’s face.”
It is also a good saying for birthday cards.
Now for “ochre-izing”. Take the ochre pad and with a Color Duster, lightly color over the whole card, adding deepest color to the outside edges. Tap in bits of orange and red where you think it needs color.
I always like to give her cheeks some blush.
You can also use the leaf to create a border. Use it on the envelope to match the card. Very easy.
