Hark, what is this? Can it really be? Yes, dear friends, after many long months of patience, September has finally returned.
The month that ushers in fall – sweet, enchanting, utterly gorgeous fall time – is upon us again and I know that I am far from alone in jumping with enthusiastic joy over this fact! 🎉🎃🙌🧡
Naturally, to get the ball rolling on the seasonal crafting front, I couldn’t help but share a handmade Thanksgiving Day card here with you today.
While it is not as widely known internationally as its US counterpoint, Canada has its own Thanksgiving Day as well.
Our nationwide harvest season celebration shares many traditional foods in common with the US day of thanks, and both take place in the autumn, but beyond that, the two have fairly different origin stories.
Interestingly, and quite logically given that we’re two different nations, Canadian Thanksgiving has nothing to do with Plymouth Rock or the early American pilgrims.
While various harvest and fall celebrations had previously been observed by various groups of both First Nations Peoples and early settlers alike, the first official Canadian Thanksgiving did take place until November 6, 1879.
It would take the better part of another century though until, in 1957, a date (the second Monday in October) was set and Canadian Thanksgiving was officially declared a national holiday.
If you’re keen to learn more about this subject, I highly suggest checking out Canadian Encyclopedia’s in depth post on The History of Canadian Thanksgiving.
Canadian Thanksgiving is still about six weeks away, falling as it does on Monday October 12th this year.
That doesn’t mean though – in true paper crafter fashion – that I’m not already whipping up cards and other projects pertaining to the first non-Pagan holiday of the season.
You can bet your last slice of pumpkin pie that I am! 😄
To get the ball rolling on what I plan to be an autumn chocked full of festive seasonal project share posts, I’m kicking off September with this charming greeting that is most likely going to wing its way across BC to some of my relatives.
🍁 Rustic woodland inspired “Thanks” maple leaf Thanksgiving Card 🍁
Canada Post has a rather low height (thickness) cap on what they consider lettermail. Anything above two tiny centimeters (not inches, centimeters) is viewed to be a parcel, not a letter, and one is charged exorbitantly for it.
This can make sending a thicker (dimensional) card, even a national level, cost prohibitive. As such, I try to be very mindful of keeping the depth of the cards I plan to mail out on the flattish side.
(One exception there would be if I was mailing a card as part of a larger package for which the card itself would have little to no impact on the dimensions and shipping costs of said parcel.)
I’ve talked about this issue with Canada Post’s lettermail size cap before, but as someone whose cards are often teeming with depth and dimension, I cannot help but feel the need to touch on it when I share flatter cards here. 😄
The starting point for this card design was the beautiful stitched maple leaf die from Pretty Pink Posh that leaps out at you from the center of this design.
I’d been itching to create with it since the moment it landed in my stash last year (if memory serves me right).
What better time than fall, with its magnificent rainbow of crunchy leaves and sense of gratitude that this season stirs in many of us, to do just that.
While Thanksgiving itself is a rather North American tradition, celebrating and honoring the harvest season is something countless cultures have done in various ways since time immemorial.
Whether you do so in a Pagan/witchy context (such as via the fall sabbats of Lammas, Mabon and Samhain), that of another spiritual path, or secularly, fall is an awesome time to open our hearts fully to the season and to reflect on all that we have to be thankful for in our lives.
This year, perhaps more than ever for many of us, each blessing, gift and positive we’re fortunate to have has taken on even deeper significance.
I wanted to convey a sense of timeless with the design of this card. It isn’t the most embellished, thickest or fanciest card I’ve ever made, but it’s far from lackluster, if I may say so myself.
From the inked and embossed background to the stitched die cut “thanks” maple leaf, the real feathers to the cute owl charm, this card still manages to have a fair bit going on.
Yet, I think, it also has a serene, easygoing woodland inspired vibe to it that suits the tranquility of a peaceful autumn day to a tee.
Putting this woodgrain embossed Thanksgiving Day card together
Before sitting down to craft this Thanksgiving Day card, I had a pretty clear picture of how I wanted it to turn out in my head.
Happily, the end result was just as I’d hoped it would be and, I’ve got to say, I rather love this festive make.
To begin with, I made a base from cocoa brown cardstock. Next came a layer of tone-on-tone green printed paper, a layer of cream cardstock, a layer of plaid print paper, and the star layer – the embossed and die cut main panel.
To create this panel, I first die embossed a piece of earthy brown cardstock using a wood grain embossing folder.
This was followed by inking of the edges of the panel, inking lightly across the whole panel, and spraying some diluted brown paint splatters randomly across the whole thing to give it even more of an aged, rustic quality.
Once my panel was dry, I die cut out the “Thanks” maple leaf outline. For the body of the stitched “Thanks” die cut, I used cream cardstock to help it stand out against the darker browns of this card design.
I know I’m not alone in associating plaid with all things fall, nor in adoring using it on seasonal crafting projects, and adore seeing how others utilize plaid in this context, too.
With those layers in place, I attached a coordinating strip of plaid paper, topped that paper with a layer of two different trims, die cut some leaves in the same green paper and cream cardstock used already, created a stitched die cut sentiment label, layered a few pretty fall hued feathers, and finished by affixing a cute aged brass style metal owl charm to one side.
There’s just something about owls, much as with plaid, that sings out with the spirit of fall time to me. 🦉
A smattering of clear rhinestones arranged in a diagonal direction completed this fast, fun, and thoroughly festive Thanksgiving Day card.
Card making tips and ideas from this project
-Don’t hesitate to apply multiple techniques to the same panels/sections of your cards. Embossing, inking, paint splattering, and die cutting – plus the clear rhinestones that top it – all came out to play on my central panel here.
There are many other techniques that you could similarly utilize as well, such as watercolouring, chalking, stamping, hand colouring, stencilling, texture paste, rub-ons, border and shape punches, and much more!
-Brown toned paper and cardstock are both a great way to convey a sense of nature, as well as a nod to vintage items. This can be all the more true if you ink, distress, tear, or otherwise “age” your paper or cardstock.
Brown is also a very grounding, soothing colour and it is one that partners awesomely with a wide range of fall time hues.
-Combine bird embellishments with feathers. The pairing is a terrific, whimsical combo, with each one supporting the other wonderfully.
While real (found or bought) feathers work great in that respect, die cut feathers, feather stickers, stamped feathers and other alternatives to actual feathers can be every bit as fabulous as well.
–If you’re working with a large embossed area on a card that you’re making, consider keeping patterned papers on the lowkey side.
Subtle patterns and small to medium sized pieces/areas of them can help prevent the lovely qualities of the embossing from getting lost or overwhelmed on a given design.
-No metal bird charm? No problem! You could easily swap out the metal owl charm here for a wood, cork, plastic, felt, foam, die cut, or sticker bird shaped piece instead, if you’d like.
–When you’re aiming for a rustic look, turn to neutrals, earth and fall tones. Distressing, inking, splattering, and the use of nature-themed elements really help to convey this feel as well.
-Treat yourself to a woodgrain embossing folder. If you enjoy embossing and like (love!) the look of woodgrain, I highly recommend picking up at least one embossing folder in this classic pattern.
Numerous brands such as Sunny Studios, Creative Expressions, Sizzix, and Darice sell them, and most are fairly reasonably priced.
I find that my woodgrain embossing folder is amongst the folders that I reach for most often all throughout the year. It can work in the context of any season or holiday, as well as a myriad of other events and occasions – very much including when it comes to making cards for guys.
Products used to make this rustic woodland Thanksgiving Day card
-Cocoa brown, light brown (or kraft), and cream card stock
-Green tone-on-tone print paper
-Brown plaid paper – Cider Woods 6X6 inch paper pad from DCWV
–Stitched edge Maple Leaf Thanks Die from Pretty Pink Post
-Leaf dies
-Tag or banner die (used for the “gather together” sentiment area of this card)
-Woodgrain embossing folder – Birch embossing folder from Tim Holtz for Sizzix
-Thanksgiving Day sentiment – Gracious Elements from Authentique
-Cream crochet trim
-Rustic skinny natural coloured twin (it tops the crochet trim on this design)
-Brown ink pad – Rich Cocoa Dew Drop Ink from Memento
-Brown acrylic paint – Real Brown Satin Acrylic Paint from Folk Art
-Small clear acrylic rhinestones, dew drops, or enamel dots (you could also use sequins here as well)
-Metal owl or other bird charm (a crow, raven or turkey would all be fan here, too!)
-Small earth toned feathers
-Dimensional foam, pop dots, or similar to elevate some of your layers
-Adhesive, such as a tape runner, of your choice (I often use my Scotch Tape Glider)
Gearing up for Thanksgiving
Card making and paper crafting in general aren’t the only areas of my life where I begin to prepare for Thanksgiving well in advance.
Come the start of August, from Lammas onward, everything from my seasonal home décor to the recipes I prepare for our daily meals to many of the spiritually focused activities I engage in becomes focused on the harvest season.
Autumn is, by a wide mile, my favourite and most beloved time of the year (just as I know it is for many of you as well).
Fall time is when my soul sings in ecstasy, and I feel most alive, most spiritually attuned, and happiest.
That said, paper crafting is definitely a bit part of this season for me and one that I have been known to get a jump on well before the first ear of corn or pumpkin has appeared in the local farmer’s fields.
I can’t help it – and why should I? 😃
When we adore something – especially something that only happens for 1/4th of the year – we owe it to ourselves and to that season to celebrate it every chance we get.
That is exactly what I plan to do again this year, both online and off. I’ve got a slew of diverse, thoroughly festive project shares and other types of posts planned for this fall and can scarcely wait to share them all with you.
May the coming autumn (and spring, for those south of the equator) months be a time of abundance, serenity, wellness, positivity, joy, and ample time to engage in all of our favourite seasonal activities! 🍂 🍁 🍂
Project share
Pin the image below – or any other in this post – to Pinterest, pop it into your Instagram Stories, post in on Twitter or Facebook, or share it anywhere else you wish to help yourself find it again and to inspire others at the same time.
If you make a project based on or inspired by this card – or want to share any of your other handmade crafts with me – please use the hashtags #WitchcraftedLife and #WitchcraftedLifeMakes on social media so that I see can your beautiful creations.
First off, no surprise “autumn” is your favourite season, Autumn!!!… your parents must have been psychics when they named you. 😉
And oh my gosh… even your not-so-overly-embellished card is oozing with incredible dimensions. This is such a fabulous card celebrating the season to come. Love the wood grain and the plaid. Perfect colour palette… I’ve always loved brown and gold together. You are always a wealth of information. Awesome card and post as always.
Aww, what a wonderfully sweet comment, dear Trina. Thank you very much!
As much as I wish “Autumn” was my birth name, it is in fact my (long-standing) self-given Pagan name. I vastly prefer it to my birth/legal name, however, and have been using it in every area of my life that I possibly can for a while now. My husband even addresses me by it, which I wholeheartedly appreciate.
You really are making me blush! Thank you for the awesomely kind compliments about this festive fall time make. I adore brown and gold together as well. So elegant, classic, and warm. I love carrying that palette over into my winter holiday season makes sometimes, too.
Your comment made my day and then some. Big thanks again!
Wishing you a truly fantastic start (and whole) of fall!
♥ Autumn
Beautiful autumn card! I enjoyed reading about the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday, very informative and enjoyable post!
You’re such a lovely soul, Donna. Thank you very much for your sweet comment.
I’m delighted to know that you enjoyed reading more about Cnd Thanksgiving. It’s considerably lesser-known (in my experience) globally than its US counterpart and I just adore spreading the good word about it whenever possible. 😊
I hope that your month is going terrifically and that you have a sunny, beautiful beginning of fall!
♥ Autumn
You know how much I love this season also! And, thankfully, it’s finally starting to arrive. Your card is a beautiful and stunning tribute to this season and all it has to offer. Debi
Thank you very much, my dear friend + fellow autumn adoring soul.
I am rejoicing in unison with you over fall’s return this week. Up until 2 – 3 days ago, the temps (and weather) here had been properly summery still. They’ve since taken a dramatic nosedive, with the temperature being slashed in half. I suspect it will inch back up again for a little while, but it’s almost funny to go from bare sleeves to multiple layers in the span of less than a week. That’s Cnd weather in a nutshell for you though. 😄
With all my might, I hope that – even in the face of all we are collectively experiencing in the world this year – you have an incredible, positive, and very joy-filled fall. May it be everything and more you’ve been yearning for through the past three seasons.
Huge hugs,
♥ Autumn
I didn’t know you guys have a Thanksgiving! Thanks for the education. Celebrating the event, as you do here, is nice.
Thank you very much, Ally. I’m tickled pink (err, pumpkin orange 😃) to have introduced you to the celebration of Canadian Thanksgiving, my friend.
It’s quite interesting, I find, just how little known the fact Canada has an official day of thanks is outside of the country itself. We don’t tend to give our celebrations a lot of global PR to say the least, which no doubt is part of the reason why such is the case. I like to think that posts like this that discuss Cnd Thanksgiving help to change that, if only the tiniest bit.
Wishing you a stellar first week (and entirely) of fall! 🎃
♥ Autumn
I love Autumn too, and September is actually my favourite month. I love the juxtaposition of Summer and Autumn, and not only do I celebrate my own birthday this month, my husband’s has his as well. Plus, we met in September, in between our two birthdays. Love the spicy Autumnal colours of your card and it being for Canadian Thanksgiving, the maple leaf is almost a given! And how sweet is the addition of the little owl? xxx
Hello my fellow fall time adoring friend, thank you very much for your lovely comment.
You’re not alone in cherishing the brief days where summer and autumn comingle in a heady tapestry of some of the best and most enjoyable elements of both seasons. I am a massive fan of this exceedingly brief period, too, and look forward to it each year almost as much as I do fall time proper.
Happiest birthday month wishes to both you and your DH! I wish we lived nearby (or even on the same side of the Atlantic) and could celebrate your special day in persona, gabbing up a storm about vintage, blogging, travel, and life in general in the process.
Alas, that isn’t possible, but thankfully I can send my love, cheer and heartfelt wishes for a safe, terrific year ahead your way (and am doing just that).
Immense hugs & abundant fall time blessings from my heart to yours! 🧡
♥ Autumn
A gorgeous card Autumn, lovely fall colours and lots of great details. Fall or Autumn as we call it in the UK is my favourite Season, I love the colours and the weather is usually dry and sunny but without the heat of the summer.
Pauline – Crafting with Cotnob
x
Thank you very much, dear Pauline.
With connections and ties aplenty to both the US and UK, we tend to use the words “fall” and “autumn” very interchangeably here in Canada. And as someone who favours this season most of all, I cannot help but adore that it has not one, but two names all its own.
I’m with you completely! A spot of heat is lovely, but the the sweltering intensity of summer is rarely my absolute favourite weather either. I love how it feels like we can breath (not to mention sleep!) more deeply and peacefully again as the mercury drops and fall returns again to the world. 🍁
May you have a splendidly lovely, peaceful and happiness filled season, sweet lady.
♥ Autumn
What a stunning card Autumn! I love the woodgrain background and all of the textures, very beautiful Thanksgiving card!!
Tammy x
You’re sweeter than a football field’s worth of candy corn, dear Tammy. Thank you very much!
You know, I’m more than a little smitten with how the woodgrain portion of this card turned out, too, and definitely foresee utilizing the techniques that I put to work here again for future makes (I suspect it would be fab for both men’s cards and those pertaining to summer/camping, too).
Thank you again, my sweet friend. May you have a sunny, fantastic start of fall!
♥ Autumn
Wow, this is so lovely. Love Dawn x
You’re splendidly sweet, Dawn. Thank you so much!
I hope that your September is going great and that you have a gorgeous, relaxing and very happy start (and entirety) of fall.
♥ Autumn
Pinned…love this. The design is gorgeous and love Thanksgiving cards!
Thank you SO much, dear Anita. I’m delighted to know that this design resonated with you, and hugely appreciate you pinning this card.
May you have a gorgeous, serenity and joy-filled fall! 🍁
♥ Autumn
Oh I am right there with you my friend! AUTUMN is my “jam”!! 🙂 LOVE that maple leaf die and your texture of the background is stunning! You’ve added so many brillaint textures,layers and beautiful Autumn colors in your design here! So beautifully done!! I just love it!!
You’re wonderfully kind, Vicki, thank you so much!
It’s awesome that you’re a fellow fall adoring soul as well – that’s another fab point that we share in common. 😊
Summer held its ground later than usual around these parts this year. However, in the past three days or so, the temps have shifted rapidly and even before (many of) the trees have begun to don their seasonal attire, one can feel the shift towards fall growing stronger with each passing moment. A point that brings me to small amount of happiness.
May the coming months that we cherish so dearly be ones of serenity, inspiration, great times, and countless reasons to smile for you and your family. 🎃
♥ Autumn
I LOVED finding out more about your beautiful country’s history and traditions, Autumn, thank you for sharing them!
How cute is this card? And I love the things you have included from your First Nations People. We have no such day of thanks here in Australia, which I think is a great shame!
I know you will be enjoying every minute of this your favourite season as you read this, Autumn!
Donna W
https://donnadoesdresses.com
Thank you deeply on every front, my very lovely friend.
It really does baffle the mind that there isn’t a universal day of thanks(giving). If ever there was a concept that could transcend borders, cultures, belief systems, etc, surely gratitude must be it.
Perhaps we should start a grassroots campaign to start a worldwide Thanksgiving. 😃
Your sweet for fall on this side of the globe wishes are wholeheartedly appreciated and I give you my word that I will be striving to enjoy, appreciate and celebrate fall around the clock (amply seasonal related blog and IG posts hopefully included).
Many, many hugs from my heart to yours!
♥ Autumn
I love this card! There’s something ever so appealing about the rustic nature of autumn and the way it translates into paper crafting and you’ve captured it so nicely. Seeing this also motivated me to get started on my own autumn card making!
Happy almost start of autumn!
How eloquently and beautifully stated, my dear friend. I concur completely. Fall has such a special ability to marry rustic and earthy with elegant and enchanting.
I’m delighted to know that this project has helped to stoke the fires of your own autumnal themed crafting. I wasn’t able to get near as many fall-related makes created this summer as I’d hoped for, but perhaps with a bit of luck, I can whip up a few more in the coming weeks of this gorgeous chapter of the year (fingers, toes, and scissors all crossed!).
Thinking of you, sweet Inky, and hoping that every moment of the fall abounds with serenity, safety, inspiration, and joy for you! 🍁
♥ Autumn
Such a gorgeous card, and a WONDERFUL peek into the history of one of my favorite Holidays! I do adore Fall, and it’s that much sweeter when it can be shared with family and friends, giving thanks. Though, this year will be mighty different, won’t it? I hope you have a wonderful holiday nonetheless, and thank you so much for all the beautiful inspiration!
Thank you very much, dearest Ivana. Your comments never fail to brighten my days with the intensity and beauty of fall’s most brilliant golden light.
So very true regarding the notable differences in many aspects of autumn this time around. Fundamentally (thankfully) the heart of the season itself, birthed from Mother Nature herself, remains much the same, but how we go about experiencing, celebrating, and connecting with others throughout the beautiful fall months is apt to be different for many of us.
For example, my family is not planning to gather for Thanksgiving. This is quite unusual for us, just as I’d imagine it is for a lot of folks as well. We *may* have a “with masks on” Halloween get-together, but even that remains up in the air for the time being.
There are many reasons and ways in which this fall will differ, but hopefully there will be even more that either remain much the same or feel no less special/important/meaningful as those we’re accustomed to.
Thinking of you, sweet soul, and sending a bevy of the loveliest and most cheerful fall time wishes your way. 🍁
♥ Autumn
This is beautifully crafted! The maple leaf looks fabulous with the woodgrain background. The plaid gives a warm and cozy feel to the seasonal card. The owl is such a great touch! Fabulous card!
You’re exceedingly kind, Angie. Thank you so much for the beautiful compliments on this festive fall themed make.
I’d hoped to craft up a slew of autumnal projects this summer, but alas, life (and moreover, my health) had other plans. I remain realistically optimistic that at least a few more will be possible as we head into fall itself. Fingers, toes, and maple leaves all tightly crossed!
Many thanks again. May you have a cozy, serene, safe, and endlessly happy fall time, my lovely friend.🍁
♥ Autumn
This is amazing! I like its simpler look, but everything is matching and you can see all the lovely details, from the lace to the feathers. We don’t have Thanksgiving here in Denmark, but we do have Saint Martin’s Eve on 10 November, where we gather our family and eat a lot of roasted duck and other goodies. Have a nice day, dear. 🙂
Thank you sweetly, dear Sanne – both for your wonderfully kind words about this festive fall card, and for sharing about St. Martain’s Eve.
It sounds like such a cozy, beautiful celebration (which, interestingly, transpires on the day immediately preceding the Canadian holiday, Remembrance Day – which honours those Cnds/allies who took part in WW1, WW2, and the Korean War).
I love the idea of having an autumn time celebration in November. As much as I enjoy our Thanksgiving in October, I have sometimes held a mini version of Thanksgiving again in tandem with the US holiday so as to have a festive fall feast + family gathering again between Halloween and Christmas. What a treat that you get to experience a day like that in Denmark care of St. Martin’s.
The chapter of the year that we wait patiently all through the other nine months has arrived again at long, long last. May this fall bring serenity, wellness, joy, inspiration, and countless reasons to smile your way around the clock. 🍁
♥ Autumn
Such a beautiful creation – i love Autumn. So many little details to admire on your card. Emmax
You’re going to make me blush, sweet soul. Thank you very much! I really appreciate your touching recent comments and am delighted to connect with you via our blogs (I’m following yours now via Bloglovin’).
May you have a fun-filled, wonderful Halloween weekend,
♥ Autumn