Thinking About Leaf Prints As The Season Changes

With fall just around the corner I can't help but think off all the fun things to do with leaves. I always get a kick out of making leaf prints and then using them for cards -- this is also a neat activity to do with kids. All you need are leaves that have fallen from the trees, some acrylic paint (washable paint if you're working with the kids), and paper.

Once you've found a leaf that you want to use to make your print, just paint the front of it and then press it down on your paper. The amount of paint that you use will determine how detailed your print will be -- play around with it until you find the look that you want. When I did this one I decided to use green and yellow paint on my leaf, and then I did a watercolor wash over it when it was dry.

Mini Abstract Art For Cards

Sometimes abstract pieces will add just the right amount of movement and color that you're looking for when you're working on a card. I created this mini abstract painting using water colors and acrylics. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it until I pulled out this fluorescent white card blank with the gold deckle edge -- then I knew exactly where it was going -- and 'Abstract Splash' ended up on a card and in my Etsy store.

Punched Water Color Flowers

I had some left over paper that I had done a water color wash on for another piece, and I couldn't bear to throw the paper away because I liked the way the colors had blended together. So I decided to salvage the scraps by using a flower punch to punch some flowers that I could use for a flower pot design that had been floating around in my head.

I used handmade paper for the background, some type of construction tape (I have no idea what it's called -- I just liked the way it looked) for the flower pot, and added the punched flowers above the pot to finish it off.

So I was happy... I was able to make a card and put the left over paper to some good use.

Color Washing on Coffee Filters - A Kid Friendly Project

Coffee filters make a great canvas for creating color washes that you can incorporate into collage and mixed media designs, and they are easy for kids to work with too. When my kids and I did these we just used markers and a spray bottle filled with water. We used the markers to color on the coffee filters (no specific pattern necessary and scribbles are allowed), and when we were done, we held the coffee filter on the outer edge and sprayed the water on it.

It does get a little messy as the colors start to run when you are spraying so it's a good idea to work over a sink.

I've experimented a lot with coffee filter designs even for grown up projects. It's always a lot of fun.