 
This issue I decided it was time I started playing with my leaves again!! Ive not indulged myself in such a long time! I had a perfectly good excuse however because the theme for this months issue just happens to be....AUTUMN SPLENDOUR!... How about that :) What better way to pay tribute to one of natures most beautiful creations than to use actual REAL LEAVES in your art? All the cards you see on this page were all created using REAL LEAVES for stamping with! Leaf Printing is easy...trust me! Its not rocket science and the best thing about it is that the stamps are FREE! Once you get started its very hard to stop!
Read on for more details
Getting Started With Leaf Printing First of all you need to go out and arm yourself with a stash of real leaves! Thats the easy part! But before you trot along theres a couple of things that may be helpful... First of all take care when your picking your leaves...you dont want to destroy protected plants! And remember your neighbour wont thank you if you shred their garden bare! Your best bet is to go off walking in the local park or nature trail and pick leaves from there! Another point to remember is make sure theres no hidden nasties on the leaves you pick...for example bugs and thorns! I find it best to go leaf picking early morning or just after its been raining as all the leaves are washed clean and ready for you! Take care when pulling leaves off the branches that you dont destroy the leaf or the branch/shrub you are taking it from...scissors are your best tool for this!
Remember some leaves MAY be POISONOUS!! So be very careful! Dont pick poison ivy leaves or leaves you KNOW to be dangerous. Wear plastic gloves if your not sure, and be careful not to touch your eyes, mouth and nose while handling the leaves... If your not going to use your leaves straight away they can be left overnight in a bowl of water, but do not leave any longer as the water will go slimy and start to smell. I find it best to leave the leaves soaked in the water right up until I am going to actually stamp them as it prevents them from drying out. Finally the most important point of all...not all leaves are made the same! Which means not all leaves will actually STAMP! Take care when you choose your leaves, you want leaves with defined veins and textures. Some leaves are hairy...they make the best stamps I find! Now you've got your leaves its....TIME TO STAMP!
Protect your work surface with scrap paper before you begin as it can get a little messy! 1. Take the sheet of acetate and place it on the work surface. 2. Place your leaf onto the acetate. 3. Turn the pigment inkpad upside down and ink the leaf all over the exposed side. 4. Carefully lift the leaf and place it onto a sheet of white card stock 5. Quickly place the acrylic block over the top of the leaf and press firmly and evenly. Do not rock. 6. Carefully remove both the block and leaf. Viola! Your first Leaf Print! Remember to allow to dry before handling the image!! A heat gun can speed the process along if your impatient!
Dont be dishearted when you stamp a leaf if it doesnt give a good stamped impression...simply turn it over and ink up the other side and try that...both sides of the leaf are NOT the same! You dont HAVE to use browns and greens to stamp your leaves...go wild and stamp leaves in every colour imaginable! I used an Eggplant coloured inkpad to stamp some of my leaves and I loved the effect! Repeat stamp the leaves all over the card to make fantastic leafy backgrounds! Create Shimmering Leaves Use DARK card stock and stamp your leaves with pigment inkpads, working quickly before the ink dries; lightly dust the images with Pearl Ex powder to give your images a gorgeous shimmering shine! I used gold pearl ex on the dark Shimmering Pearl Ex Leaves Card (second from top, right) shown above to do this and fell in love with the effect!
Once your armed with a stash of stamped leaves you can use them to make some lovely leafy cards!
Rubber Stamps Used
Art and Words By Trish Bayley 2004 |
Real Leaves
Take a plastic bag with you and put all your leaves in there to protect them and also it helps stop them drying out...
Lets STAMP Those Leaves!
More Nature Printing Tips