Cool Penguins - Mama Elephant

Hello!  I couldn't WAIT to use my new stamps and dies from the new  Mama Elephant release and I imagine many of you are in the same boat as me.  My first card using my purchases (which were numerous ..... I'll admit it) is with Cool Penguins.



To start out I ink blended a panel of Bristol Smooth cardstock using a combination of Distress Inks in Spun Sugar and Tattered Rose and using a Uniball Signo White gel pen, I hand drew in the snow.   I then die cut another panel of white cardstock using the Tri Window Cover - Creative Cuts and set that aside.   Using the word HUGS from the Creative Cuts die I die cut the word first out of my ink blended panel and then 3 or 4 more times from scrap white cardstock and I glued them in stacks to build depth then glued the stacks into position in the background.



I applied the ink blended panel to my prepared card base and using dimensional foam tape I adhered the white Tri Window Cover Creative Cut to the card also.  Separately on Bristol Smooth cardstock I stamped out all the images from the Cool Penguins stamp set using Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black.



I watercolour painted everything using Kuretake Zigs (colours used are:  Pale Pink, Light Violet, English Lavender, Light Pink, Dark Gray, Oatmeal and for their feet and beaks Bright Yellow) and I  highlighted cheeks and other points with the Uniball Signo White gel pen.  I decided on a layout and then used more foam tape to adhere them into place.

Not done yet though!!!!  I took some 80lb white paper which is a lovely quality weight and created a writing insert inside the card and on that I created a little scene using stamped and painted images not used on the front of the card, I also stamped the sentiment.



The final touch was to take a bottle of Stickles in 'Crystal' and add subtle (and not so subtle) twinkle to various points on the card.   In the image just above the penguin is surrounded by tiny dots of glitter ...... you know how glitter gets everywhere during the Christmas holidays!!!?  I also created a gloopy icicle affect on the word HUGS which is thick and dimensional.

Hmmm now .... which Mama Elephant set should I play with next?  Decisions ... decisions ...........

Happy crafting everybody!

Nicky x

Fishin' Hole by Hello Bluebird

Hello everybody, I'm back today with a brand new card using Fishin' Hole by Hello Bluebird Stamps.  This and some other stamp sets are set for release July 15th and I will have several more cards to share with you this month.



An A2 card panel was ink blended with Distress Inks in Tumbled Glass for the sky and Salty Ocean for the pond.  The panel was distressed with water splashes and then blotted dry with a kitchen towel.  I used one of the bullrush stamps from the stamp set and did some casual first and and second generation stamping using Shabby Shutters  to form an edge for the pond at the back of the scene.  I watercolour painted the pokers using a Kuretake Zig in Beige.  Using Distress Ink pens I dotted in a more defined water's edge top and bottom of the panel and then attached a white frame I already had in my stash with dimensional foam tape.



On Bristol Smooth cardstock I stamped my images using Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black.  I watercolour painted everything using Kuretake Zigs and highlighted some points with a Uniball Signo White Gel Pen.  The images were fussy cut and applied with more foam tape.  The sentiment was stamped on a strip of cardstock and also applied with foam tape.



I had some fun finishing this peaceful scene.  I applied several 'bubbles' above the fish in the form of the blue jewels from Pretty Pink Posh that you see in my photography.  I then used the Stickles glitter in Crystal that you also see in the photo to glitter up the dragonfly's wings and then I dotted tiny spots of the product through the bullrushes and water and tiny touches of it on the frame which gives the whole scene the prettiest twinkle when the card is handled.  Once dried the panel was attached to a 110lb Neenah cardstock base.

Thank you for stopping by to read about this card, hope to see you back here again soon!

Nicky x

Hippos On Holiday - Hello Bluebird Stamps

Hello Friends!

Initially I wasn't going to blog about this card, especially as I was in such a creative flow this week (it's been very productive) but I got some enquiries on Instagram about it so I thought I'd share here a little more detail including products and colours used.



I think the impact of this card is in the colour combination, the rest is just scene building and layering.  So I took a panel of A2 Bristol Smooth cardstock (I favour Strathmore).  I ink blended it with Distress Oxide Ink in Spiced Marmalade and splashed it with water and blotted it dry a few seconds later.   I die cut the panel with the stitched edge and applied it to the card base.  With another panel of Bristol Smooth I die cut it to match the stitched edge and then die cut 3 'waves' from Avery Elle.  I casually ink blended these from dark to light using Distress Oxide in Peacock Feathers and splashed them up with some paint splashes using  Peacock Feathers mixed with a little water.  Once dry I dotted in some Uniball Signo White gel pen.



I adhered my 3 wave die cuts to the card panel making sure to keep the tops of the waves glue free in order to tuck my hippos in later.  I took yet more Bristol Smooth cardstock and stamped up my images using Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black.  I watercolour painted them using my Kuretake Zigs.  The hippos and the gray points on the seagulls are done using Blue Gray 092.  Blushing cheeks and the pink on the beach balls courtesy of Light Pink 026.  The remaining 3 colours used are Yellow 050, Orange 070 and Light Blue 036.



I die cut all the characters etc and decided upon my layout and adhered everything with Scotch Foam Tape for dimension.  I selected my sentiment, stamped it with Archival Ink on to a little piece of scrap cardstock and once dry I took a blending tool with a little of the Spiced Marmalade Distress Oxide Ink on it and coloured it up so that it blended into the 'sky'.  The sentiment strip was applied with foam tape.

To add sequins or not to add sequins THAT is the question?!  I decided not to but instead I grabbed a bottle of Stickles in 'Crystal' which reflects blues and greens and I did tiny dots of it throughout the water and into the whiter part of the 'sky'.  Doesn't photograph but it does give a sweet twinkle when the card is handled and it catches the light.

Another card complete!

Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you next time!

Nicky x

Book Buddy - Bear & Dog - Mama Elephant

Hi everybody, thanks for coming by the blog today to look at Book Buddy - Bear & Dog by Mama Elephant which forms part of the new release available for purchase June 15th.  This post also features the new Bookmark It die and sentiments from Good Reads.



There are so many options for the Book Buddy which can be used alone as the cutest little page marker but here I made it in its simplest form and had it hang over the actual bookmark made with the Bookmark It die.  You could also make many of them and hang them over string for a bunting type affect to decorate a little girl's room - so cute!



I cut my Book Buddies from Bristol Smooth and I blushed their cheeks using Kuretake Zigs and highlighted with a Uniball Signo White Gel Pen.  Facial features were die cut from black cardstock and adhered.  I double die cut the bow layering one on top of the other, adhering directly in the centre and then in between underneath on each side I used a tiny piece of Kool Tak Clear Foam so that it was discretely dimensional.  I think the bow would also work as a bow tie!



The pretty embossed edge on the card is from Fine Trimmings which was part of a former release.  The Bookmark It die comes with several smaller dies which help you create very creative bookmarks which I hope to share with you in a future blogpost.

The sentiment is from the new sentiment set 'Good Reads' and it was stamped on more pink cardstock that I embossed with the same decorative edge and applied with foam tape.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today, I hope you feel like getting creative!

Nicky x