BLOG HOP THANKSGIVING OR HALLOWEEN

Hello Fellow Stampers, Dear Friends, and My Much Appreciated Random Lurkers (although don't you really think it's time to start being an official follower),

Welcome! This month the Seashore Stampers Blog Hop is dedicated to all things Thanksgiving and Halloween.

For Canadians, Thanksgiving is just around the corner, with Halloween hot on its trail. I love Thanksgiving. It is a day for us to really embrace an attitude of gratitude. It is a time to gather with those we love, family and friends, and celebrate our appreciation for each other. It's easy to drown in the soup of negativity, especially when we are bombarded with news 24/7. In reality, despite life's hiccups, most of us have so very much to be thankful for.

At our home, Thanksgiving always involves a turkey. Although I don't eat much meat, I LOVE turkey and more importantly, turkey gravy. All the preparations for this holiday are a great reminder to enjoy the journey...creating a menu, finding the perfect free-range turkey, making a centrepiece, etc. Before our feast, we say grace. After our prayer, everyone goes around the table stating something they are thankful for. The thanks are given in age order, youngest to oldest. For those of us in the 2nd or 3rd generation (on the old side), this can prove to be challenging as no repeats are allowed. We are always thankful for friends, family, and food. Remembering to be grateful for the country we live in, the rain, coffee, free speech, and so much more, is something we now do at every family celebration.

Meet my card, "Leaving Thanks." (I'm so puny.)

This is your supply list. My shop is HERE.
Painted Harvest Stamp Set (144783)
Very Vanilla Cardstock (101650)
Early Espresso Cardstock (119686)
Reinkers in Old Olive (100531), Daffodil Delight (119672), Real Red (103287), and Pumpkin Pie (105229)
Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine (143263)
NEW Swirls & Curls Embossing Folder  (147923)
Seasonal Layers Thinlits Dies (143751)
Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755)
Snail Adhesive (104332)
Stampin' Dimensionals (optional) (104430)
and of course, a shaving cream of your choice, a pan or plate to mix in, and a mixing tool.

Dispense some shaving foam (not gel) into a pan slightly larger than the size of paper you are using. You don't need a ton, just make sure the area is covered. For ease of clean up, I use a sheet of foil in the bottom on an old baking sheet.

Add drops from your reinkers and using a fork or chopstick (or whatever) GENTLY mix. I usually do this sort of in a radio wave shape, up and down and then across. If you use too much ink or mix too much you'll get a muddy mess. This is a bit of trial and error process so don't feel discouraged. (My picture shows a bit too much ink. Do as I say, not as I do. Oops.)

Cut a piece of Very Vanilla bigger than what you need. I used several 5 1/2 x 8 1/2" pieces as I needed a lot of leaves. Place it on top of the inked shaving cream. Gently pat down. Remove it from the cream and CAREFULLY wipe off the excess with the side of  your tool. I used a chopstick. Allow it to dry. (Due my incredible lack of patience, I used a heat tool to speed up that process - just don't get too close or hold it too long in one area.)

(Top left worked okay, bottom left was too much, and the right was too little for what I wanted.)

While it's drying, cut your card base from Very Vanilla 5 1/2 x 8 1/2". Score at halfway 4 1/4" mark and fold along the scoreline. Cut your next layer at 3 3/4 x 5" from Early Espresso. Using your Big Shot, emboss your Early Espresso with the fabulous new Swirls & Curls. Resembling swirling snow, this embossing folder is from our Holiday Catalogue. I think it also looks like the wind, which is why I am using it for this card. (We get some amazing winds here on our island, especially in the autumn.)

Stamp your greeting on a scrap piece of Very Vanilla, 1/2 x 4". I used "Gather Together & Give Thanks" from the Painted Harvest set. Since I chose to attach my greeting at an angle, I attached it to the Early Espresso it with Multipurpose Glue BEFORE attaching the embossed piece to the card. This way I can trim the ends easier. Using Multipurpose Liquid Glue, attach the Early Espresso emobissed piece to your card front. 

One the shaving cream paper is dry, using the maple leaf die from the Seasonal Layers Thinlits, cut out 3 leaves for each card. If you're so inclined, it's always fun to decorate the inside of a card, so you could cut an extra leave for the inside. You can attach the exterior leaves using the Multipurpose Liquid Glue or Stampin' Dimensionals. If you put a leaf on the inside, I wold recommend the Snail Adhesive.

(Since my card was for a swap, I created a lot of leaves. No two leaves are alike and I love it!)

If you have any questions, feel free to contact ME.

Cheers,
Adrienne