Easy Foamie Fall Leaf Stamp

Fall pictures need a background that will accent the theme of your autumn fun and yet be simple to produce in your choice of colors!

This month's project will show you step by step how to create a wonderful fall leaves pattern with brush markers and flat craft foam!

The best part is that this fabulous looking paper technique will only cost you about 25 cents for endless copies!! (see figure 1)

 
(figure 1)

1) Gather together the following materials. You have almost all of them

in your scrapping bin already (See figure 2) and the flat craft foam can

be purchased for only about 60 cents for a 8x10 inch sheet.

(figure 2)

One sheet of white thin Foamies brand craft foam by Darice. This can be found in nearly any craft, hobby, or sewing store. I have seen it also at Target, Shopko, and Walmart!

Brush markers in gold, red, brown, green, orange, or any fall colors.

Leaf punch in medium or large size or a sharply pointed small scissors to cut your own leaf shape

Toothpick to 'draw' the vein detailing

small block of wood or an old film canister

super glue or other strong glue that will adhere plastics

2) Punching the leaf shape: Cut a one or two inch square out of the Foamie foam. Use this foam as if it were a piece of paper and punch out a leaf shape. It may take a little pressure to punch it out but it will not hurt your punch. If you do not have a leaf punch, use the scissors and cut a simple small leaf freehand. My stamp has an oak leaf on it but you can make birch, maple, or oak.

3) Draw the leaf veins. With the toothpick, draw some veins onto the foam leaf. Apply enough pressure to make an indentation but not so much as to tear the foam. (See figure 3)

(figure 3)

4)Mount the foam leaf onto the small block of wood or the film canister. Glue the smooth side of the leaf to the block and keep the veined side toward you. Mine is mounted onto an acrylic block but that is not necessary. The block or canister is for you to use as a handle when stamping. Be sure to use a super glue or other good plastics glue. Let the glue dry several hours or overnight.

5) Your leaf is ready to ink! Using acid free brush markers, brush a little bit of the lightest color first--probably yellow or gold. Apply it randomly onto the leaf. Do not cover the leaf with the first color. Next, apply the medium color--perhaps an orange or red. Again dot it on where there is no yellow but do not cover the whole leaf. Lastly, use your darkest color. This would be a green or a brown. With this last color, make sure that the whole leaf has some shade of color on it. Note: always start with the lightest color and proceed to the darkest to preserve your lighter marker tips. (See figure 4)

(figure 4)

6) Stamp the leaf onto a light colored paper. The image will be a mottled colored leaf very similar to the real thing! Now ink up another and stamp again! Place them at angles with each other as if they are falling randomly. Ink the stamp differently each time so no two leaves are identical. I placed mine in the corners of my paper but you could also use them to create a central frame or just a sideline border.

7) Make as many papers in as many ways as you like! You can just keep on going! Obviously, this technique would work for many other punched or cut shapes like balloons, curly swirls, hearts, and flowers. You could make them for other seasons and stamp lots of themed paper. Let your imagination go wild!