Welcome Autumn

Hi there! Can you believe it is already Autumn here in the Northern Hemisphere. Boy has this year really flown by and  at least for me been a busy year.

 My new apartment entrance is an indoor entrance and the management will allow us to hang a wreath using a wreath hanger for Christmas but otherwise there is to be no personalizing outside our front door. I do have a patio which people see in passing but I wanted a way to welcome people who may come to visit. So I decided to make a welcome banner.

First off though I want to share with you that a good friend bought and brought over an Ikea shelving unit and desk for me. He even put it together while he was visiting. I'm a loving my new desk and slowly I'm beginning to get things unpacked and organized. I doubt if it will stay this clean for long. LOL! On the desk is the banner in process.

Originally I had planned to hang the banner between the living room and kitchen. However,a pushpin would not go into the overhang and for some reason tape was not holding it up. So I decided to hang it on my screen divider with tape. I found this screen divider recently at a second hand store and could not pass it up. The panels are covered with fabric.This is the view from the front door as you enter.

I don't think I'm done with the banner yet.  I have been thinking of adding some fabric leaves if I can ever find them. LOL! They are packed in one of the many boxes stacked in my craft room. I also may add some leaves I cut out which were filled with the leaves background. Otherwise they will be find their way for another project.

I decided to use the tag shape from the Silhouette Studio library. I did an internal offset and filled in with a leaf background pattern I created years ago from a photo of a pile of leaves I took. 

The leaf was a free shape from the Silhouette store and had a wood-grain heart which I deleted. I filled it in with a gradient color. I don't remember what font I used for the letters.

Like most projects this one evolved the longer I worked on it. First for the letters I brushed gold and red glitter glue on them. Then I decided to edge the letters with glitter glue. I wasn't sure I had enough of the gold so I alternated the colors.

The leaf shape that I planned to put the letters on looked blah to me. I decided to stamp the leaf using my Stampendous Foliage cube stamp and Stazon Rusty Brown ink. I rotated the cube while stamping and in some places did some over stamping. 

The first time I saw this stamp I totally fell in love with it but didn't have the money to buy it. I went back when stamps were on sale and it was out of stock. Luckily the next time there was a sale not only was the stamp in stock but I was able to use a coupon. If you wish to add this stamp to your collection I've added a link. I'm sure you can also find it at other places. 

.http://www.stampendous.com/product/0/TC51-R/_/Foliate_Quad_Cube

I was just going to edge the vanilla mat with Brilliance Rocket Red Gold ink but was having so much fun with my foliage cube that I ended up stamping that shape also on the front and back. 

I decided to go with the orange ribbon as it really made the colors pop. I love how this little bit of color has made my apartment appear warm and inviting. I may decide to hang this banner with paneling nails in between the two rooms like I had planned or it may stay on the divider until time to replace with a Winter Welcome banner.

Next is to add some stamped leaves and pattern leaves to a lampshade with some removable double sided tape. May even trim the lampshade with some ribbon.

Do you decorate for the seasons?

Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again.