Fall Note Cards Tutorial

​In today’s texting and emailing world, there’s nothing like receiving a “real” letter in the mail! I love to have handmade cards at the ready to send someone a quick note or a thank you. I especially love to match the season with my cards, and I needed some fall ones to add to my collection. 

​After recently taking a class with Wendy Brightbill, I wanted to continue exploring high flow acrylics and Yupo paper to create some cards with my Japan Watercrest stamp from ArtFomies. These cards were quick, easy, and so much fun to make.

Step One: I sprayed water on a translucent and a medium weight sheet of Yupo paper. I wanted to experiment with both types. This process can be a bit messy, so place the Yupo on some under paper, and make sure that it’s even so the paint flows and doesn’t puddle in one spot. Then, drip fluid acrylic on the wet Yupo paper. This is a completely intuitive process and a lot of fun to play with color. As the colors flow, drip different ones around the paper and inside the other colors. If a puddle forms, you can mop it up a bit with a paper towel or wait for it to dry. As the paint dries, add additional layers of acrylic, and if needed, spray additional water to spread out the paint. Allow these pages to dry several hours. If there are spots that don’t turn out as nice as others, layer more paint! When I was happy with my layers of fluid acrylic, I splattered a couple of the colors on top with my paint brush. I allowed my pages to dry overnight before moving on to step two.

As I was layering the color, I kept in mind that these sheets would be cut into four card fronts, so I made sure I was happy with each section of the paper for a card.

Step Two: I grabbed some metallic paint and stamped with my ArtFoamies!  I didn’t want the circle part to stamp, so I spread the paint with a brush on the ArtFoamies leaves and stamped it all over the paper. Once the leaves were dry, I cut the papers into my card fronts and cut fall-colored cardstock to layer with the card fronts.

Step Three: I layered my card fronts with the cardstock and assembled with adhesive. I decided to keep four of the cards plain, and on the other four cards I stamped a simple “thank you” on the bottom right corner. Since the Yupo paper is slick, I used an ink that works on a plastic/slick surface.

​And that’s it! A simple process to make some gorgeous cards for fall! As I was assembling them, I noticed they almost have a marbled look. I think this would be fun to make some winter cards with snowflakes or evergreen trees.

​Supplies Used:
• ArtFoamies Stamp: Japan Watercrest 
• 9x12 Yupo paper (translucent and medium weight)
• Spray bottle of water
• Golden High Flow Acrylics (transparent red iron oxide, naphthol red light, quinacridone red, transparent yellow iron oxide, transparent brown iron oxide, benzimidazolone yellow medium, quinacridone magenta, sepia)
• Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint (penny, gilt)
• Cardstock in fall colors
• Paper Trimmer
• Adhesive
• StazOn Ink Pad (timber brown)
• Stamp with “thank you”
• Paintbrushes

​Take some time to make some cards – and most importantly, mail them!

Happy Creating!
Nicole