Grateful Tree & Leaves Layout

Hi friends! I have a new layout with an accompanying process video to share with you today featuring a tree & leaves made with my Horizon collection and the Project Pad found exclusively at JoAnn stores!

Here is the process video so you can see how this page came together:

I started by having my Silhouette Cameo 3 cut the holes for stitching a tree on this lovely salmon colored paper found in the Project Pad so it coordinates with Horizon flawlessly. You can find the free cut file here. I used all six strands of white DMC embroidery floss and back stitched the tree which took a few hours.

To jazz up the background I cut a tree slightly larger to use as a mask and then splashed watered down white acrylic paint and Prima - Pastel Dreams watercolors all over. I like to use a hair drier to speed up the drying process between layers. I removed the mask and was left with a fun and colorful background which emphasized the shape of the stitched tree.

Next I cut apart the petals from the quilt-like circles of Paper 12. I didn't cut all of them, but a bunch of them, because I wanted allll the colors and allll the patterns. I placed the leaves all around the page to figure out the placement I liked best and then lightly adhered them in place because I knew I was going to machine stitch over them which I did with white thread. If you're not going to machine stitch make sure to use super sticky adhesive to keep those leaves in place forever.

I added my photo (always with a white border to help with contrast) over the tree and then only added a few more embellishments at the top of the picture since the layout already has so much going on. I placed a few flower Stickers and a few sentiments.

To finish I wrote journaling in a gap on the right edge. I always like to write my journaling with a pencil first to make sure I like the placement because many times I have changed my mind about where to put it.

I hope you are inspired by this layout in some way and want to check out my Horizon collection - everything I used here can be found at JoAnn stores, including the exclusive Project Pad!

SUPPLIES: HORIZON: Paper 12, Stickers, Project Pad; white acrylic paint; watercolors: Prima; Die cut machine: Silhouette Cameo 3; Cut file: Stitching Tree by Paige Evans