Warm memories...

Hello!

I'm up on the Hello Bluebird Blog today and I’m so excited that the new September Card Kit and Halloween Card Kit are both available in the Hello Bluebird store. I've got a card to share today using the super cute Fall Clean Up Crew stamp set that you can get in either the Classic Kit or the Expanded Kit. This large 6x8 set is full of adorable woodland critters, dressed in their denim and cozy flannels, busily raking up all of the Fall leaves and bringing in the pumpkin harvest. With so many cuties to choose from in this set, I finally landed on two of the squirrels, one raking and the other carrying a pumpkin, along with the fox pushing a wheelbarrow full of leaves. To build this industrious scene I began by stamping the raking squirrel and smaller pumpkin first, using Memento Rich Cocoa ink. I then masked them before adding the larger pumpkin, which I actually borrowed from the Nuts For Fall set that can be found in the Expanded September kit. From there I continued to work my way back, stamping and masking until I added the last pile of leaves behind the squirrel with the pumpkin.

Once I removed all of the masks I was left with this cute layout of characters and I could begin coloring it all in using Copic markers. I started by sketching in some Birch tree trunks by hand so that all of those leaves had somewhere to come from. The choice of Birch trees also led me to color all of the leaves in golden yellow tones as well as matching the hedge line of distant trees in the same colors. This automatically gives the card a decidedly autumnal feel. With all of the warm oranges and yellows making up the background, I chose to give each of the critters an article of blue clothing to help them stand out through that natural contrast. Once the scene was all colored up I used the Nesting Deckle A2 die to cut it out before layering it onto dark brown card stock and finally the light yellow card base. The sentiment was stamped on the same brown card stock using white embossing powder, which I then trimmed into a simple pennant shape and popped up using foam adhesive.

All I can say is I wish I was this happy when doing yard work, LOL! Laters!

Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill, Simon Says Stamp and Catherine Pooler
stamps- Hello Bluebird (September Fall Expanded kit)
ink- Memento rich cocoa and Versamark watermark
Hero Arts detail white embossing powder
Hello Bluebird Nesting Deckle A2 die
Copic markers:
tree trunks- E40, E81, E42, W7, W8
grass- YG01, YG03, G43, YG63, G94, G99
leaves/hedge- Y11, Y13, Y38, YR31, YR24
sky- B0000, B000, B00, C0, C1, 0
pumpkins- Y35, YR23, YR27, YG93, E84, E87/YR15, YR68, E19
wheelbarrow/rake- R14, R27, R89, W1, W4, T5, T7, T9, C3, C5/E43, E44, C3, C5
squirrels- E40, E42, R000, R30, W3, W4, W5, W6, T7
squirrel clothes- B93, B95, B97, B99, E50, E81, BG10, BG53, BG57, YR04, YR18/E35, E57, E59, BG10, BG72, BG75, BG78
fox- E40, E42, W4, R000, R30, YR21, YR15, YR27, E18, E79, T9
clothes- B93, B95, B97, B99, W1, C2, BG45, BG49