Keep Your Dream Alive by Bev Hilton

Hello everyone. I'm sharing a nice and easy card today showcasing the fabulous Maple Leaf stencil which is my absolute favorite right now. Those who know me well will know how I love my stencils and I am sure having fun with this one.

Here's what I used... 

PaperArtsy Smooth White Cardstock

That's Crafty! Stencil - Maple Leaf

That's Crafty! Metallic Paint - Antique Gold 

That's Crafty! Surfaces Bits and Pieces Greyboard Sheet - Trees

That's Crafty! Stamp Set - Lynne's Affirmations Set 2

Katzelkraft Stamp Set - Dreamer KTZ169

Versafine Ink Pad - Onyx Black

Distress Inks - Barn Door, Mowed Lawn, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge and Walnut Stain

Shrink Plastic

Cosmic Shimmer Iced Snow Glitter Jewels

Microbeads

That's Crafty! Multi Purpose Adhesive

Glue Gel

Tim Holtz Stamp Platform

Hessian strip and rose flower from stash

Here's what I did...

I began by taping down the stencil and layering over the Distress inks until happy with the look and then removed the stencil. I took one of the trees from the greyboard sheet and gave it a coat of Antique Gold paint. To add some texture I drizzled on some of the Multi Purpose Adhesive and blasted with a heat tool to make it bubble. I then sponged on another coat of the Antique Gold paint and set aside to dry. Tape down the inner part of the Maple Leaf stencil onto the sheet of shrink plastic and blend through lightly with the same Distress inks used on the card. Carefully cut out and then shrink with a heat tool. Add some glue to the rose and sprinkle on the Iced Snow and set aside to dry. 

Take the card and place on the Stamping Platform and using Versafine ink, stamp the birds and top left verse from Lynne's Affirmations stamp set and do the same with the wording at the bottom from the Katzelkraft stamp set. At this point I decided to mount my card onto red card stock and then onto brown and then mount onto the card base. I felt this would be easier done before mounting all the pieces.

Using Multi Purpose Adhesive, glue the tree onto the card and place something heavy on top to ensure the tree sticks flat to the card. Cut a piece of hessian strip and glue to the bottom left of the card using glue gel. Take the shrink plastic leaf and place this on top of the hessian, again using glue gel. Do the same with the rose and place on top of the leaf. 

I felt I needed a little something down the sides of the card so using some Multi Purpose Adhesive, I dipped a cocktail stick into the glue and laid down lines of glue which I then covered with the microbeads. One nice and easy Autumn card which is just right for this time of year. 

Bev