Hello Bluebird Stamps - Apple Picking

Welcome to my blog and a new card for Hello Bluebird Stamps featuring the Apple Picking stamp set from their Fall Kits release.  I think everyone on the Design Team went for red apples and so I gave my card a different look by making my apples Golden Delicious!

I took a panel of white cardstock and ink blended sky and grass using Tumbled Glass and Twisted Citron Distress Oxide Inks. I die cut the panel with a die from my stash to give it the stitched edge.  I backed the panel with white craft foam and adhered it to an A6 panel of patterned cardstock in the ombré style since I knew it would pick up on the colours I was going to be focussing on.  I adhered this whole panel to my card base.

I stamped the images from Apple Picking using Eiffel Tower ink by MFT.   I coloured the images using the following Copic marker combinations:-

Apples - Y13, YG01, YG03

Leaves - YG13, YG25

Bark - W5, W4, W3, W1, E31, E41

Bears - E44, E43, E42, E41, E40

Papa Bear Pants - E49, E79, E77, E74

Papa Bear Shirt - YG67, BG72

Mama Bear Dress and Apron - BG72, BG70, C3, C1, C0

Baby Bear Shortalls  - G29, G28, YG67

Baby Bear Shirt - BG72, C3, C1

Blushes - R22, R21, R20, R00

Step Ladder and Barrel - W5, W4, W3, W1, E41

I did a little bit of highlighting with a white gel pen and emphasised noses and eyes with a black glaze pen then die cut the images using the companion dies.

I backed the die cut images with dimensional foam tape then adhered them to the background and using the W1 Copic marker I added just a little bit of shadow underneath some of the images and I used YG01 to dot in some subtle interest into the grass.

I stamped the sentiment on a strip and applied this with foam tape and with that this card was finished.

Thanks for coming by to read about my latest project, I'll be back before you know it with something new to share.  Happy crafting!

 

What DO Bears Do In The Woods?

Hi, I'm back again with a fairly involved birthday card using entirely Mama Elephant stamps and dies (with the exception of the sequins by Pretty Pink Posh).  This card answers the age old question about what bears get up to in the woods ...... well, they party!!!!!  I don't know what you all are thinking!!!

I'm such a fan of the Hillside Cover Die from Mama Elephant since you can use it to form so many fun backgrounds.  When I purchased it I had this basic design in my head, whereby I'd cut out portions with my craft knife and form a forest scene.  First of all I made two A2 panels of Strathmore Bristol Smooth cardstock.  The first was softly ink blended using distress inks to form ground and sky.  The second was ink blended in an ombré of green distress ink around the frame portion.   Then I watercolour painted the trunks of the trees and distressed everything with some water splashes that I left a minute then blotted dry with a paper towel.

For the bushy tree tops I made 3 die cuts of the smaller cloud die from Cloud Nine by Mama Elephant.  I ombré ink blended each piece then distressed it and attached them to the Hillside Cover die cut with Ranger Multi Medium Matte, layering one over the other and then I trimmed the top and side edges to align with the A2 form.  This whole piece was then attached to the background panel lifted up on Scotch dimensional foam tape.  Everything was then adhered to the 110lb Neenah cardstock base.

Next I tackled the family of bears which were stamped with Ranger Archival Black Ink then watercolour painted using my Zigs.  They were die cut and highlighted with Uniball Signo White and 3 bears were each given a party hat which I snipped off one of the little chick stamps from Party Pals (Mama Elephant).  (No animals were harmed in the making of this card).

At this point I stamped the sentiment and attached it with foam tape and then I love to add those final little touches that just elevate a card and take it to the next level.  With this card I attached a few crystal clear sequins as I previously mentioned but I also used a silver gel pen and added some tiny dots of glint into the background.

This is my favourite type of card to make, I love them to look like they were taken from a favourite children's storybook .  I do hope you like it and are inspired to go and create for yourself.  Enjoy your weekend.

Nicky x