Every year at this time, when my kids are just days away from starting school, I find myself thinking less and less about summer and more and more about fall.  There is something about fall that is magical for me – the colors, the tastes, the textures…  As I was admiring my collection of May Arts Ribbons, trying to decide which of the gorgeous colors and patterns I wanted to use, I was drawn towards the yellows, oranges and reds because they remind me of fall.  Of course polka dots just happen to be one of my favorite patterns as well, which is why I ended up choosing the 5/8″ Grosgrain/Dots (DD14D, DD28 and DD57D). From there, every other element for my card was chosen because they tied in with the fall theme.

With fall comes Thanksgiving, a time of year when we reflect on all that we are grateful for, which is why I chose a Thank You greeting. I let the colors of the ribbon set the tone for the card, creating a gradient of color in the background.  I chose complementary colors of ink to stamp my leaves and acorns, and a dry embossed wood grain pattern to give the feel of a tree.

You can see a full supply list below:

• Stamps: Day of Gratitude, From My Heart (Stampin’ Up!), Leaf Prints (Papertrey Ink)
• Ink: Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Starfruit Classic inks, Soft Suede Stampin’ Write Marker (Stampin’ Up!)
• Paper:  Kraft Card Stock, Java Card Stock (Bazzill)
• Accessories: 5/8″ Grosgrain/Dots Ribbon (DD14D, DD28, DD57D – May Arts), 3D Foam Squares (Thermoweb), Big Shot (Sizzix), Woodgrain Embossing Folder (Stampin’ Up!)