Exchange cards featuring stamped leaves with a watercolour wash and a leather leaf diecut

 I made these two large cards for my Card Exchange partners for this month.  I started by making brown cards that fit in the large envelopes from my stash.  I took two pieces of white cardstock and stamped the leaves on in brown permanent ink which I then watercoloured with yellow and two different oranges.  Once they were dry, I cut the outside edges with my Deckle decorative scissors and added brown watercolour to the edge to give them a defined edge.  I added a little strip of gold embossed mesh and the leather leaf die cuts with double sided tape and then tied copper cording to the stems of the leaves.  I used my wood burning iron to add definition to them which works really well.  Next, I used my Crop a dile to add three copper eyelets to each one changing the orientation for the second one.  I found some orange decorative paper in my stash and cut out two backgrounds from one sheet of 12 x 12.  The colour was a bit cool so I simply watercoloured a very light yellow watercolour wash over them to help the coordinate with my focal element.  Once they were dry I added copper ribbon to each of the backgrounds before adhering them to my card fronts.  One is horizontal with a short fold over piece accented with a copper brad and the other is vertical on the left had side.  I added my large focal elements using 3D foam tape.  I would have preferred the leaves had a bit more definition - darker ink or embossing would have been more effective.  They are off to my partners next week!!  Therese