My card is constructed of Neenah Solar White 110lb cardstock which I nearly always use for my regular card bases! I die cut everything twice to provide me with anything I could want. I just followed my heart as I created, there was no big plan. The panels for the flaps were ink blended using Distress Ink in Cracked Pistachio. I also ink blended in similar fashion the inside of what would be the box. This makes the card look more finished because remember the recipient will peer inside too!
The upper back panel of course was ink blended in Tumbled Glass Distress Ink. The die includes the picket fence (yay!), a cloud and a speech bubble as well as choices for different hills (grassy or otherwise), so this die is a great investment because you can use it year round or just use parts of it for scene building on any card you create. I chose grassy hills and ink blended them also.
On my favourite Strathmore Bristol Smooth cardstock I stamped out all the images I wanted for this card using waterproof Archival Ink. I die cut them and watercolour painted them using my Kuretake Zigs. I then set about applying them into the scene carefully checking heights and viewing it from different angles to make sure it was interesting from every vantage point and nothing was obscuring anything else. For height, the cloud and the mouse floating on a puff of wind hanging onto a little dandelion, I used a tiny strip of acetate to get them where they are. It is essential that you check your heights as you go and keep folding the pop up box card flat to determine before you glue, whether it will still fit in your A2 envelope!
I highlighted a few areas with my Uniball Signo White pen including applying dots to the dandelion heads to break them up a little, making them look fluffy and soft .... as they should be. The sentiment was stamped and applied with a little strip of Scotch foam tape ...... and there you have it! Like I said at the beginning, I went to town on this one and it was worth it I reckon!
Until the next time .....
Nicky x
All of these cards for the new Mama Elephant release are so very precious! I hope you keep designing for them, I am so inspired. I really love how soft and delicate your cards are, they have a very dreamy, ethereal feel. The coloring is so very sweet and just perfect for these images. I'm amazed at your coloring with the zig pens, wow! Do you dilute the ink a bit with water first on a craft mat then dip a brush pen into that before coloring the images? If you get the chance to reply, I would love to know what colors you used for the bunnies!
ReplyDeleteHello Kate, I'm sorry this response is a week after the fact but I didn't get a notification that there was a comment, as I should! Better late than never huh? First of all, thank you SO much for all your kind words and enthusiasm for my cards. It has been fun designing for Mama Elephant, they are taking the summer off and there's a chance I'll be back with them in September but nothing is confirm yet, so I won't hold my breath, it is important to manage my expectations because I love what they produce. I'm addicted to the Kuretake Zigs. The magic combination for me is using Bristol Smooth cardstock (I like Strathmore) together with the Zigs. I apply colour to my stamped images directly, placing the colour where I want the deepest shade, then using a waterbrush pen I 'pull' the colour out to a faded affect. After this has mostly dried I then go in and shade again usually with the same colour, but sometimes with a toning shade. For this card for the bunnies I have either used 'Beige' 072 or 'Oatmeal' 064. Feel free to ask any questions you have, generally I would expect to respond in a far more timely manner! Nicky x
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