Whiff of Joy GDT call

Katharina is hosting a Guest Design Team call on her blog.....Wow!! I am so excited at just the thought of it!! This is my first entry for the GDT call. You know when you get an idea and then it seems really difficult to put into fruition?? That is this card, but I'm so pleased with the end result! I was looking at the gorgeous Willow catching autumn leaves when the idea came to me that it would be great to have lots of leaves seemingly floating above her, which is how the whole card came into being. I also wanted to use as many of the autumn kit stamps as I could. I'm sorry there are lots of photos but I was so excited at how the card turned out!

I made a stairstep card and added a backing of acetate to give the impression that the leaves are floating on their own. I stamped Willow and then also stamped the leaves part of the stamp a few more times so that I could cut out the individual leaves.

I have also used the gorgeous stamp of Willow sitting with a loaf of bread and sat her on the middle step of the card.

I just love the large mushroom so had to use it, although it changed position many times and is now on the back step of the card with punched leaves around the base.

A view of the pumpkins on the front step. I have stamped a Stempelglede swirl stamp from the Grunge Hearts collection in various places on the backing paper. You can see some of it behind the pumpkins. I have also added some hand stitching in a zigzag and following the line of the stamped swirl and added a pearl to the end of one of the swirls. The lace has been distressed with antique linen distress ink as have all the edges of the backing paper which were torn instead of cut. On the back of each step I had added lengths of paper punched with my doiley lace punch.

On the front I have added a large flower made with retro punches. This has been made following Rach's fantastic tutorial here. I also made two smaller versions for elsewhere on the card.

Tucked in front of the mushroom is a removable tag to add a message on, which is shown removed and standing next to the card on this picture. The paper on the tag is the reverse of the orange backing paper. To give the card the autumnal forest feel I was after I made a large wire swirl and wound tiny white roses onto it and branches so that it looked like a rambling rose vine. I have also added a butterfly charm to it so that it. The wire ensemble has then been attached to the middle step.

A close up of the tag.....

The paper is the reverse of the orange paper. I added a little torn piece of doiley lace edged paper between the front and back papers of the tag and a couple of punched leaves and a rose.

....and the reverse of the tag ready for a message. I have stamped a Stempelglede grunge stamp around the edges with tea dye distress ink and the swirl in antique linen.

A view from the top so that you can see the different layers and steps better.

and finally, this is the card folded up ready for its envelope. x

Images: Whiff of Joy Autumn kit, coloured with copics

Paper: K & Co Madelaine collection

Flowers: White roses from Tabbycrafts, EK success retro flower punches from The Hobby House

Pearls, wire and lace: from stash

Charms: The Hobby House

Other tools: Distress inks in Tea Dye, Antique linen and Brushed cordoruy, MS branch punch, Woodware leaf punch, acetate