Autumn Leaves Home Decor Project

Hi everyone, today I'm sharing a home decor project I've made for the Tim Holtz Media Team.  I'm featuring some of the new Tim Holtz Sizzix dies that were released this fall.

Autumn is a favourite time of year for me, I love the warm and vibrant colours of all the leaves.  I wanted to use this quote by Humbert Wolfe on my layout and the thinlit letter die-cuts were perfect.  You never run out of vowels!

My project started out as a layout, but I decided to turn it into a wall decoration using a 12 x 12 wood panel.

For my layout, I've used papers from the Tim Holtz Resist Stash Motif Paper Stack (TH93112). This paper pack is white and kraft papers with different resist patterns.  I chose this one with writing as my background paper.  I started off with my lightest colour of ink, Antique Linen and using a mini ink blending tool, applied the colour with circular motions. I worked my way to the darkest colour using,  Scattered Straw, Rusty Hinge, Dried Marigold, Brushed Corduroy, and Dusty Concord.  

Love using these papers!  It's amazing how different they can look, just by the colours or mediums that are chosen.

I used the same resist paper, but Kraft and smaller sized squares for my letters.  I cut off a section and applied different colours of ink.  I used Ripe Persimmon, Wild Honey, Dried Marigold and a small amount of Crushed Olive.

My letters were die-cut from Sizzix's Tim Holtz Alphanumeric Thinlit set.  This set is amazing!  There are 125 dies in this set.  I love the idea that there are enough letters so you could die-cut words and use the negative space.  The Sizzix Magnetic Plate comes in handy die-cuting these small dies too, they don't fall off the plate.

They even come in a handy plastic envelope!

Before adhering my letters, I flicked water droplets onto my background paper in random areas and heat dried. I also applied a fine dusting of Distress Walnut Marker with the Ranger Distress Marker Spritzer. I then applied Ranger's Matte Medium (also acts as an adhesive) to the backs of my letters and adhered to my background paper.  

Now onto the leaves!  I die-cut these using Sizzix's Tim Holtz Layered Leaf with Texture Fade(660039) and the Mini Tattered Leaves Movers & Shapers set(657460).  I used one piece of Wallflower Vellum.  

After they were all die-cut, I highlighted the embossed areas and edges with Ranger's Alcohol Inks and a touch of  Ripe Persimmon Distress Paint.  Arrange your leaves and adhere to the background paper 

To cut out the Sizzix Tim Holtz Hanging Lantern Bigz die(660030), I used Vintaj Copper adhesive metal sheets, and black Sizzix Little Sizzles Mat Board (656490) or chipboard.  I applied a piece of the copper metal to the mat board and then ran it through my Vagabond machine.  

Before painting my hanging lanterns, I scratched up the surface with my Tim Holtz Tonic Craft Scratcher which is a wire brush.  I also drew lines on them with Sizzix's Flower tool.  To colour the lanterns, I first painted with Black Distress paint, and wiped off all the excess.  This leaves just he colour in the cracks.  I added in touches of Wild Honey and Evergreen Bough.

To finish off my lanterns, I cut out a piece of Tim Holtz Frosted Film that I also tinted with light coloured alcohol ink, applied this to a piece of thin acrylic, and adhered to the back of the lantern.

I then attached the candle to the back of this with a glue dot.  

 I coloured  a piece of crinkle ribbon with Dusty Concord, Rusty Hinge and Wild Honey Distress ink, misted the ribbon with water and let dry. I then made a bow and tied the two lanterns to the ends.  Adhere this to your page amongst the leaves.

To finish off the layout, I applied very small dots of Liquid Pearls Buttercup pearlized paint underneath the letters and a few dots from a Distressed Walnut Marker.  This makes it look like the letters are floating in the wind.

After everything was completed, I adhered my layout to a 12 x 12 wood panel with deep sides.  I had painted the sides of the panel first with Ranger's White Gesso and after it dried, applied a combination of Riper Persimmon, Rusty Hinge, and Dusty Concord Distress paint.  After the paint was dry, I painted on a layer of Rock Candy Crackle Paint.  Once that dried, I inked the sides with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink and rubbed off the excess, leaving the ink mostly in the cracks.  

You could still use this as a layout by just adding in a photo amongst the leaves.  

Hope you enjoyed my tutorial and thanks for stopping by!

Jan