Fussy Cut Distress

For this week's Freshly Made Sketches #401, I wanted to create a repeated stamped leaf wreath as my focal point.

I realized very early on in this fussy cutting that a leaf die would have made this process much easier, so now I'm on the lookout for a set of leaf dies. 

I needed a simple circle as a guide for my leaf wreath, so I decided to use the Simon Says Stamp Solar Burst stencil and Perfect Pearl Mist in Biscotti to create a pattern on the background of the card. Part of the stencil has a circle, which was perfect as a guide for my leaves. 

The leaves were created using an older Cocoa Daisy leaf stamp and Distress Inks in Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick, Crushed Olive, and Seedless Preserves. Each leaf was covered with a lighter Distress ink and then edged with a darker Distress ink. That gave each leaf a two-tone look. I stamped all the leaf images onto a piece of watercolor cardstock and then sprayed the whole piece with Perfect Pearls Heirloom Gold Mist. Once completely dry, each leaf was fussy cut and adhered to the base with a mini glue dot. 

I used a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp Thanks and Leaves Stamp Set. To add interest, I added hand stitching to match the mat. Clear sequins and red gems complete the card.  

Off to ice my scissor and search for leaf dies!! :)