Feeling Grateful

and Inspired by Autumn

Ever have one of those days when inspiration just doesn’t come easily? That was me today. I sat down at my craft table ready to create, but nothing was clicking. So I decided to step away for a bit and go outside to play ball with our sweet Milo. The air was crisp, the trees were glowing in gold and orange, and there was the crunch of brown leaves underfoot while we played.

When I came back inside, I had a conversation with a dear friend about some of her family members who had been in a very serious car accident last week. Thankfully, they survived, though they’re in the hospital with serious injuries. We both expressed such deep gratitude, and that moment of reflection was exactly what I needed. Suddenly, I knew where my creativity was leading me.

I reached for the Amber Autumn stamp set and stamped the pumpkins, gourd, and corn image in Early Espresso ink on a large scrap of Basic White cardstock. I colored the image with Stampin’ Blends in Pecan Pie, Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie, Calypso Coral, and Timid Tiger—rich, cozy tones that capture the beauty of fall perfectly. For the sentiment, I chose “Blessed to Have You in My Life” from the same set, stamped it in Early Espresso as well. The colored image and sentiment were both die-cut, the main image with the coordinating die and the sentiment with a circle from the Stylish Shapes die set.

To build the background, I stamped the leaves and acorns stamp toward the left side and upper area of a Basic White panel, then matted it with Early Espresso cardstock. I pulled out the Autumn Toile Designer Series Paper and added the Early Espresso plaid pattern, placing it slightly below the middle of the panel, then adhered the dotted geometric pattern just beneath, leaving a narrow strip of white between them for contrast.

A panel of the Crumb Cake and Espresso stripe pattern was layered on an Early Espresso card base, and then I adhered the stamped and matted panel with Stampin’ Dimensionals for a touch of lift. The sentiment circle found its place to the lower right of the stamped leaves, overlapping the patterned DSP below, and the die-cut pumpkins were tucked onto the lower left, overlapping the sentiment slightly. I finished the card front with three Streaked Dots. Inside, I added a Basic White panel with a narrow strip of the plaid DSP along the right side to tie everything together beautifully.

It’s a simple card, and yet it isn’t. There’s restful space for the eye, but also texture, warmth, and lots of small details that invite a second look. More than anything, it carries a message of gratitude, which makes it especially meaningful to me today.

This card is being entered into several challenges that truly fit the heart behind it: Cut It Up! #342 with the theme of Thankful, Grateful, Blessed; Time Out Challenges #320 for Favorite Holiday to Celebrate, which for me is Thanksgiving; Color Hues #121 for the warm combination of orange and brown hues; and As You See It #360 with their theme of Happy Harvest. Each one celebrates the joy of gathering, the beauty of the season, and the simple blessing of being surrounded by those we love.

There’s a video showing exactly how I created this card, and you can watch it on YouTube.

I’ve also included a free downloadable PDF tutorial so you can recreate your own version.

It’s amazing how creativity often flows best when we pause to notice the blessings already around us—sometimes all it takes is a quiet walk, a wagging tail, and a grateful heart.

Supplies Used (also listed in the tutorial):