HC Down By the Old Mill Stream...

For my Heartfelt Creations card this week, I decided to revisit a set released this past spring and give the image an autumnal feel.

I sponged the colour onto my image with nice, big sponges as I have done many times previously. It's a quick and easy technique that I really love for images like this one from Outside My Window.

 By using the sponges to apply colour, I feel that I get a softer, more vintage looking image.

I also wanted to give this lovely image a gilded frame. I stamped several images from Open Falling Leaves using versamark ink onto pattern paper and heat embossed them using African Gold embossing powder for a lot of gold shine! This is quick and easy to assemble by using the coordinating Falling Leaves dies. I am really loving the richness of this look!

I gently curved the larger leaves to give my gilded floral spray more depth and since I stamped the leaves on double sided pattern paper, even the curled portions have colour and look fabulous! The rolled blossoms I've made for the spray are from the same double sided paper collection.

In the upper corner of my card is one of my favourite flourishes ever! I used the largest flourish from Elegante Border and stamped it in the corner of my card using versamark ink and heat embossed it using pale gold embossing powder which is a perfect match with the pattern paper I used for the card base - DIVINE!!! I don't find that a perfect match happens often for me, so I'm quite content when my elements 'go' together but today is a day for the 'perfectly had to be'! *grin*

I would invite you to take a peek at the Heartfelt Creations blog for some stunning inspiration by the rest of the Heartfelt Creations design team! 

stamps; open falling leaves, outside my window, elegante border (heartfelt creations)
paper; ancestry (K&Co), maltball, lagoon, walnut creme (bazzill), kraft (american elements)
ink; espresso adirondack, antique linen, tea dye, vintage photo, peeled paint, barn door, rusty hinge, stormy sky, tumbled glass distress ink (ranger), versamark (tsukineko)
accessories; labels 18 nestabilities (spellbinders), pale gold embossing pearl, ancient gold african gold embossing powder (ranger), branch punch (martha stewart), brown satin ribbon (offray)

anything goes - vintage/shabby chic
cuddle buddly - vintage/distressed/flowers
creative card crew- anything goes
catch the bug - anything goes
ribbon carousel - anything goes
inspire me fridays - anything goes
craft your passion - anything goes with a twist (at least 1 flower) 
card mad fairy - flowers
craft your days away - make your own flowers
everybody art - autumn
flourishes timeless tuesday - use water
teapot tuesday - what would your glass house look like/ float your boat 
gingerloft - create a sky (I sponged mine)
sweet stampin'  - anything but a birthday
desert island crafts - pick 3+ (kraft paper, flowers, heat embossing, dimension, nature inspired)
by the cute and girly - bright and beautiful