A Strange and Wonderful Place, Tim Holtz

We have had the most beautiful fall here in New England, and especially here on Cape Cod. Every walk in the bogs behind my house lately has been a feast of reds, oranges, golds and deep rusty browns, and I find so much inspiration in all that fall foliage and color.

Confession time: I actually created this background a while ago. I shared it in my social media stories, admitting I loved it so much I didn’t want to cover it up! So it sat on my desk for a good long while, just so I could admire it, before I finally turned it into a card. Today I’m sharing how it all came together.

A Strange and Wonderful Place, Tim Holtz

Coloring the Leaves with Distress Watercolor Pencils

I started with Tim Holtz’s Leaf Prints stamps. Instead of inking them, I colored Distress Watercolor Pencils directly onto the stamp, using multiple colors at once so the shades blend right on the rubber.

After stamping onto Distress watercolor paper, the key is patience: let the leaves air dry. No heat tool! As the water slowly evaporates, the pigment from the pencils pools and settles, leaving the most gorgeous veins and texture behind. Every leaf turns out a little different, which is exactly what I love about this technique. It looks just like real leaves that have weathered the season.

Die Cutting and Building the Card

Once the leaves were completely dry, I die cut them out with the coordinating dies from Simon Says Stamp. I love how the die leaves a thin white border around each leaf, making them pop against the moody teal and brown background.

I arranged the leaves across the background and adhered them with foam squares for some lovely dimension. Then I added a touch of clear Distress Rock Candy to the edges of some of the leaves, giving them a glossy, glassy finish that catches the light.

Garden Poetry with Clippings Stickers

For the sentiment, I reached for my Tim Holtz Clippings stickers. I love creating little bits of poetry with them! Mixing and matching the words is like a puzzle, and this time it came together as: “a strange and a wonderful place, simplified… the most beautiful thing to keep in the garden.” It felt like the perfect fit for these autumn leaves.

To finish, I added some dabs of Fossilized Amber Distress Spritz across the background for a bit more shimmer. Those little golden dots echo the warm leaf colors and add just the right amount of sparkle.

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Cardmaking Supplies Used

Supplies I used are linked throughout the post. Click on the picture and you will be taken to the product. I use affiliate links when available which means if you make a purchase I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!