'Fall' In Love with Papercrafting in Autumn

As autumn rolls around the corner, it's that time of year again for us to 'fall' back in love with the cozy season. Today, we're playing with different color palettes and floral elements to embrace the beauty of fall! 

Hey everyone, welcome back to another Perfect Pairings with Jaycee

As the "ber" months of September, October, November, and December roll in, I get so excited to start crafting with a cozy, autumn vibe. In today's post, I'll walk you through how I designed a card that perfectly captures the spirit of the season. Let's get crafting!

One of the most important decisions I make when starting a card is choosing the color palette. It's the first step in telling your color story and sets the entire mood for the project. For autumn, I love to stick to warm colors and jewel tones. I find myself looking at the top half of the color wheel, focusing on yellow-greens, yellows, oranges, bright reds, and even some pinks. I save the cooler colors for my winter projects.

A favorite palette of mine from the beginning of Altenew's history is the Four Scoops palette, which features Dark Chocolate, Peach Perfect, Cotton Candy, and Mango Smoothie. These warm shades served as the foundation for this card, and I played with different variations and tones of these inks.

The flowers for this project are a perfect pairing of two beautiful die sets: the Craft-A-Flower Japanese Anemone layering die set and the new Craft-A-Flower Gladiolus set. The anemone is a flower that's currently blooming in my garden, and the gladiolus holds a special place in my heart since they bloomed so beautifully in my garden this year.

To create the Japanese anemones, I used white cardstock for the petals and olive cardstock for the foliage. For a warm, red hue, I used the Blushberry Bliss family of inks, gently applying Strawberry, Dusty Pink, Blush Rose, and Raspberry Sunset to the petal centers with a mini ink blending tool. This created a beautiful, soft glow that deepens toward the center.

For the gladiolus, I started with buttercream cardstock for the petals. I used Lemonade Stand as a base for depth and then used Amber Blaze on the outer edges to create a gentle glow. I then used a detail blending brush and Raspberry Sunset to add directional strokes, giving the petals a realistic, vibrant finish. For the foliage and stems, I used the Tropical Forest family of inks with a light layer of Moss.

I find that laying out all my die-cut pieces on a sticky mat grid makes assembly so much easier. You can arrange them in the order they'll be glued, which eliminates confusion and helps you quickly build all your layers.

To complement the rich colors and detailed flowers, I kept the background simple but full of texture. Using my BetterPress System, I added the Rustic Burlap Essential Textures Press Plate onto a panel of milk chocolate cardstock. This gave a subtle, beautiful texture that grounds the entire design. I also distressed the bottom edges of the panel for a little extra variation.

Once my flower layers were dry, I began arranging them on the card. I love the upward growth of the gladiolus paired with the beautiful, cascading shape of the Japanese anemones. I then added the sentiment "Friendship blossoms in every season" from the Build-A-Garden Rose Reverie set, which I felt was a perfect fit for an autumn-themed card.

To finish, I added a variety of splatter to the background with Iridescent Shimmer Ink Spray to create a dreamy, shiny halo around the bouquet. I also added Clear Iridescent Altenew Stellar Sequins to fill in the empty spaces and add a touch of sparkle.

Remember, as the "ber" months begin their cozy embrace, each season brings new possibilities, beautiful color palettes, perfect floral pairings, and gorgeous textures. I hope this autumn-inspired card sparks your own creative journey!