Amy Kingsford

Make Your Own Autumn Leaf Garland

What You'll Need:

• Autumn Leaf  Cut Files by Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs
• Patterned paper (digital or physical)
• A stick or small branch
• Sewing machine and thread.

1. Decide on a color scheme and print a selection of digital papers or gather physical papers from your stash that pull from this scheme. I printed 6 sheets of digital paper from Karla Dudley's Zephyr Woodgrain Pack onto 8.5 x 11 cardstock.

2. Open the different leaf cut files you wish to use from the set in your Silhouette Studio Software. Then duplicate/size them appropriately to fill your sheets of paper. I set up a different document for each style of leaf and positioned 9-12 leaves on each 8.5 x 11" document.

4. Then load and cut each sheet of leaves.

5. Decide on a color/shape sequence for your leaves so that you will have a good mix of colors and shapes throughout your garland. 

6. Create strands of leaves by stitching over a leaf with your sewing machine, pulling threads and then stitching over the next leaf. Remember to leave your threads long on one end so that you can tie your strands to your stick

7. How many leaves go on each strand and the spacing between is up to you but remember to consider the space you'll be hanging your garland in.  If you have high ceilings make longer strands if you are working with smaller spaces like I me, you may only want 4-5 per strand. 

8. Find a stick and tie your strands around it, spacing them evenly across the stick and so that the leaves/strands are staggered vertically.   

Note: Kelleigh's template + cut files offers you a lot of solutions, including layered templates, printable templates, cut files, etc. So determine whether you are planning to use digital papers or real papers a cutting machine or your trusty scissors and proceed with the method that will work best for you. The method listed above is the method I used, but it's definitely not your only option!

Yes, I'm referring to those labeled envelopes that your grandmother and maybe even you mother carried around with her in her purse and used to pay for groceries, gas and various other living expenses.

In fact this was a system many of our mothers and grandmothers used before credit cards and free checking were readily available and believe it or not its a method of finance that many people still use today to manage their family's budget.

I myself had never really seen a use for the system until I started to research ways for my husband and I to start eliminating our debt and I realized that one of our biggest obstacles was staying on budget--especially when it came to things like groceries, gas and extras. 

I started reading a few personal finance books and all of them referenced this system as an option to help us control our spending and maximize our savings.

So after a chat with my husband we decided to give it a shot.  

Of course no ordinary envelopes would do--no sir! Those of you who know me probably guessed that I would have to dress my "envelopes" up a bit ;) And so with the help of a few of my favorite Pixels & Company designers I made this stylin' cash envelope system that fits perfectly inside of my wallet and coordinates too!

 The template and cut files from Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs made this project so simple and easy to customize with these awesome digital papers by Gennifer Bursett and Sugarplum Paperie.

If you're interested in making your own I've included the steps and supplies below. 

Make Your Own Cash Envelope System

What You'll Need:

• Tabbed Envelope Cutting File + Template by Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs
• Patterned paper (digital or physical)
• Adhesive
• Hole punch
• Coordinating embroidery floss or ribbon
• Circle labels for tabs (optional) 

1. Open each of the envelope templates in your version of photoshop.

2. Clip your favorite digital papers to each of them and save them each as a .png.

3. Open the pngs in Silhouette Studio and size them appropriately for your wallet.

4. Open the cut files included and layer them over top of your png files, resizing if necessary.

-OR-

Use the trace feature in your Silhouette Software to create the cut line for each of your tabbed envelopes.

5. Apply registration marks to each of your envelopes, making sure that all of the cut lines fit within them.

6. Print your envelopes with registration marks.

7. Then load each of your printed envelopes into your Silhouette and cut them.

8. Fold and adhere each of your envelopes.

9. Stack all of your envelopes on top of one another and punch a series of holes just in from the bottom edge. Then use your embroidery floss or ribbon to bind them together.

10. Then label your tabs with 1.25 circle labels or with simple handwritten labels.  

Note: Kelleigh's template + cut files offers you a lot of solutions, including layered templates, printable templates, cut files, etc. So determine whether you are planning to use digital papers or real papers a cutting machine or your trusty scissors and proceed with the method that will work best for you. The method listed above is the method I used, but it's definitely not your only option!

• I find a 25-30 degree angle works great for letter-sized pages and square pages alike. And I've never personally been happy with a page that I've tipped more than 30 degrees in one direction or the other. But who am I to say it won't work for you ;)

• You can always eyeball your angle--whether you are a paper scrapbooker or a digital scrapbooker. I will often do this to make my digital pages look a bit more realistic. 

• However, if you like the angle of each object to be more precise there are simple tools available to both paper and digital scrapbookers to get things tipped just right.

• Digital Scrapbookers can use the Rotate feature in their version of Photoshop, which is housed with the Transform tool.  This will allow you to set the angle of an individual layer or a group of selected layers that you wish to rotate.  

• And paper scrapbookers can get out their trusty protractor to help them consistently place page elements at a particular angle.

{ Source }

• When using a large angled mat I sometimes like to use a fair amount of perpendicular strips to soften the edges of the angle.

• Also remember you DON'T HAVE TO place everything on an angle. Sometimes I like to keep journaling or other key elements as is to make them easier to read/see or simply because I like the visual contrast created.

Now its your turn...   

Try out a tipped design in your next page using the FREE sketches and templates available below, based on my "It's About Time" layout that I shared above. Both 12 x 12" and 8.5 x 11" formats are included so that fun can be had by all!

(available in pdf format for 12 x 12 and 8.5 x 11) 

Tip It No. 1 - Templates for Digital Scrapbookers

And for another chance to play with a free angled template, you can also join me over at Pixels and Company where I'm hosting the August Template Challenge.  There still a little over a week left, so come download this free template and play!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll enjoy playing around with the freebies!  I'd love to see what you create, so feel free to link me up to your pages in the comments below!

Have a great weekend!

Follow the links to the Pixels & Company CT blogs posted below to gather free journal cards, clusters, templates and quick pages that coordinate with the Bermuda Triangle Mega Collab.  No codes necessary--just download each CT member's contribution as you hop from blog to blog.

Pixels & Company
Lynnette
Amy
Jenn
Linda
Laura
Barbara
Anna
Kelly
Mandi
Jen H
Erin
Jennifer E.
Carey
Kat
Rachel
Nettie
Becca
P&Co Forum

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You can grab my coordinating journal cards here:

And now you're on your way to visit Jenn...happy hoppin'