How to Create Pumpkin Invitations for a Fall Party

Is it fall yet?

In Northern California, I'm afraid to say we are STILL in the 95+ degree weather. My sweaters are staring at me from the closet.  I so badly want to wear my pumpkin spice latte scarf.

Sigh.

In the  meantime, if I can't wear my orange and warm colored clothes, I will celebrate autumn with a pumpkin party!  I made these darling invites last week for a birthday party and they came out pumpkin-spice cute!

I'm currently taking Junelle's The Art of Holiday Goodness  class and her playful spirit is wearing off on me!  If you're looking for a holiday inspired painting and mixed media class, you must check it out.

If you in the mood for making invitations or just plain cute stationary to send out, here is how to make them.  I used pumpkins but think how autumn-ish a leaf or a twig leaf would be?

Supplies

• card stock cards (I bought this darling pack of orange designs at Michael's for less than $3 a pack!)
• pencil
• scissors
• watercolor paint in fall colors: orange, red, brown, dark green, yellow
• white cardstock or bits of watercolor people
• Fine line marker 03 or 05
• white gel pen
• bit of tape
• wine cork (optional)
• orange acrylic paint (or your fave red and yellow paint)

Instructions

1. On the blank card stock, sketch out a loose pumpkin. Look up an image on Pinterest or grab a pumpkin from the store. Pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes so don't try to make it perfectly round. I like the big, plump ones or the tall ones with a long stem the best.
2. Use watercolors to paint the insides. Don't be afraid to go over different parts of the pumpkin with different shades of yellow, orange and red. Let the pumpkin color dry before painting on the stem or the leaves. You may enjoy your pumpkin leafless, do whatever your autumn heart desires.
3. Let the watercolor dry completely. Then, overlay the sketches with the black mark. Christy Tomlinson does this in her Boot Girl Series art course and Junelle does an even more playful ink sketch that I'm loving. Sketch around the pumpkin -isn't this fun?
4. Do the same with the white gel pen- add a few highlights where the light is hitting your pumpkin.
5. Cut out the pumpkin square and tape it on to your card. I only had tape on hand but there's some nice "dots" and other sticking things on the market for a cleaner tape. If you don't have the scrap booking tape, use wrapping paper tape like I did. Use what you have.
6. Squirt some paint out on your palette and mix it up to make a beautiful orange. Rub your wine cork in it and stamp the edges of your paper.
7. Write an encouraging note to someone on the inside of your card. Who do you love or appreciate that you haven't told recently? Tell them on this pretty card.
8. If your aching to dip into holiday sketching and painting and mixed media projects, check out Junelle's class, "The Art of Holiday Goodness right here! (Plus, it's on a early bird special price- it's a great deal, do check it out. And no, I do not get a commission for recommending it. I love it and I think you will be very inspired by it!)

I like to make several cards at once.  It's pretty easy to do. I can fit about 6 pumpkin sketches on my cardstock paper pretty easily. Then I cut them out and wa-la! Each pumpkin goes on to the front of my card, I dab on some paint with the cork and it's done- six lovely cards.

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