Penny Black - Right as Rain

Die-cut Autumn Scene

Hello! I created this fall-themed card with a variety of dies from Penny Black and Hello Bluebird. The focal point was cut with the Penny Black 51-275 Winter Lantern die set. The leaves and pumpkins were cut with dies in the Penny Black 51-360 Pumpkins & Leaves and Hello Bluebird Gallery Frame 3 sets. All of the dies, while released years ago, are available on their respective sites. Lanterns feel especially fitting for the autumnal equinox, as we start welcoming the warm glow of candlelight!

I cut the elements from solid cardstock (which gave me a chance to continue organizing my cardstock) and used the Penny Black All-In-One Oval frame to draw the eye to the lanterns.

The “Thinking of You” sentiment (Positivity) has its own coordinating die, which makes placement easy.

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Penny Black | Autumn Boots

Hello! One of my resolutions this year is to craft more seasonally and to watercolor more often. I’m trying to be intentional about both, using the seasons as a reason to reach for stamps and supplies I already own and giving myself more opportunities to practice watercoloring. This fall card brought those two goals together.

Today, I am sharing a fall-themed watercolored card. For this card, I used the Penny Black Autumn Boots stamp (introduced a few years ago). I stamped the image with Archival Watering Can ink and watercolored it with Tombow markers and Distress inks. After the image dried, I used an A2-size die to cut it. Next, I stamped the image onto masking paper, fussy-cut the masking paper, and covered the image with the mask before adding ink for the ground and sky. The detailed design made the masking more challenging than I expected, and the background was only partly successful. To complete the sky, I added ink with my paintbrush.

The process reminded me that I should first watercolor the background before I watercolor the image.

For the sentiment, I used a newer Penny Black stamp set with a coordinating die, which made adding the sentiment stress-free.

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Fall Quilt-Inspired Card

Hello! I’m really enjoying letting the season guide my cardmaking right now. For this card, I chose a palette of orange, navy, warm yellow, and off-white. To begin, I used the Taylored Expressions Quilted cutting plate die (now retired) to create a quilt frame from Lawn Fawn Speckled Eggshell cardstock. I love quilts, but I don’t quilt, except with paper!

- I heat-embossed the Penny Black 30-863 Autumn is Calling sentiment on Taylored Expressions Blue Corn cardstock, trimmed it to fit in the center square, and glued it to the back of the frame. I backed the frame with an A2-size panel of the Blue Corn cardstock and added the assembly to a card base.
- Next, I added texture to four cardstock panels (TE Blue Corn, TE Sweet Potato Pie, TE Pineapple, and Lawn Fawn Speckled Eggshell) with the Spellbinders Starshine Background cutting plate.
- Finally, I cut each pierced panel with the quilt die and inlaid the pieces into the frame.
- I finished the card with a die-cut needle and thread (TE Little Bits – Needle & Thread). It seemed like the perfect little detail for the quilt theme.

This is the kind of seasonal crafting I’m enjoying: choosing a few colors that feel like fall, working with the themes of the season, and finding new ways to use the supplies already in my collection. It’s satisfying to shop my craft room and discover that I already have everything I need.

Fall Card Made with What I Already Have

Hello! As you may have read in my recent posts, I’ve been trying to approach cardmaking a little differently. Instead of looking for something new to make, I’m looking at what I already have with fresh eyes. I’m also trying to craft for the season I’m in. Right now, that means pulling out the autumn stamps, dies, and cardstock I already own and letting them inspire me. This card is a good example. The formula includes a stamped background, a dry-embossed panel, an oval mat, and a focal watering-can image.

As I organize my supplies, I’m pulling fall stamps and dies forward in their storage boxes, so I see and use them. The shift is helping me rediscover supplies I already own rather than automatically adding something new to the collection. It also ties into some of my recent thoughts about cardmaking mojo.

Supply List
Penny Black 51-766 Watering Can, 51-754 Pumpkin Parade,
51-360 Pumpkins & Leaves, 51-653 Autumn Décor dies
Spellbinders Fancy Edge Ovals dies
MFT tag die
Penny Black 65-012 Allover Stitches embossing folder
Taylored Expressions Buffalo Plaid background stamp
Hero Arts Message Strips stamp set
Taylored Expressions Toffee cardstock; Lawn Fawn Vanilla Malt cardstock; Bazzill Candy Corn cardstock; Bristol colored with Distress Oxide inks
VersaFine ink; Archival Potting Soil ink
May Arts twine

You can see that I used quite a few different supplies to make this card. But before you decide you need something new, take a look at what you already own. When I went through my blog posts, searching by keyword, I discovered that I have four different sets of medium-sized watering-can dies. Four! Clearly, I have enough watering cans.

What about you? What background stamp do you already own? An oval die? An embossing folder? A few seasonal images or embellishments that could change the look of a familiar design?

Sometimes, when you look at a finished card, you don’t immediately see everything that went into it. The background stamp, embossing folder, die-cut shape, or small supporting elements can be easy to overlook. That’s part of why I’m trying to look at my supplies differently and craft with what I already have.

Penny Black | Thanks a Bunch

Hello! This card features one of the Penny Black Flower of the Month offerings, Dainty Daisies and Hand-Picked. A tag on the pitcher includes the “Thanks a Bunch” sentiment. I stamped and watercolored the floral elements and the pitcher. Once dry, I cut them with their coordinating die sets (Dainty Daisies cut-out and Hand-Picked cut-out). The elements were placed on a tone-on-tone background (Enlightened) cut with a shaped die (Graceful Stackers) to give the design extra interest without competing with the flowers. The result is a simple, fresh card that feels like a little bouquet of gratitude.

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