Bubbly (Bear With Sparkler) - Purple Onion Designs

Do you love to create night skies and galaxy backgrounds as much as I do?  If you haven't tackled one I promise they are really easy and you can't go wrong with them, very forgiving.  Read along to find out how I made this fun firework display scene for Purple Onion Designs and featuring their Bubbly character by Stacey Yacula Studio together with Fireworks.



This is a slimline card with a finished size of 8 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches.  I also prepared a panel of the same size from Bristol Smooth and masked it off to create the white border.  I ink blended using Distress Oxides in Peacock Feathers, Festive Berries, Squeezed Lemonade, Chipped Sapphire and Black Soot.  I decided were the Bubbly Bear would stand and daubed yellow ink there and then randomly daubed the other colours elsewhere.  I then came in with Chipped Sapphire and ink blended everywhere including a certain amount directly over the colourful patches I'd created to bring the colour down.   Finally I came in with Black Soot and did the same.I wanted the colour splotches to look a little smokey since the sky is always filled with smoke and sparkles with real fireworks.  On more Bristol Smooth I ink blended two grass edged die cut panels adding Peacock Feathers and Festive Berries to the tips of the grass as if illuminated by the fireworks and again blending over the top with Chipped Sapphire and Black Soot.   These two panels were directly adhered to the panel.  The mask was removed.



Next step was the glitter heat embossing.  I stamped each firework and heat embossed using Wow! Embossing Glitters in Calypso, Pink Fizz and Salsa.  I dotted in some 'stars' with a white gel pen and set the panel to one side.



On more Bristol Smooth cardstock I stamped my bear and rocket images using Ranger Archival Ink in Potting Soil.  I watercolour painted these images using Kuretake Zigs in Beige, Mid Gray, Dark Gray, Cobalt Blue, Light Pink, Pink and Yellow.  Points were highlighted with a white gel pen.  I used gold Stickles to glitter up the bear's sparkler and before adhering him to the scene I also used the Stickles to do a burst of sparkles around his actual sparkler too.  All elements were applied with dimensional foam tape after being fussy cut.



I felt that the YIPPEE! sentiment was perfect and that the card could be a Congratulations, 4th July or Birthday card and an additional stamped sentiment could go inside to tailor it for the occasion.   YIPPEE! was stamped with Versamark Ink onto black cardstock and heat embossed in white and then backed with foam tape and applied at a playful angle above the bear's head.

Many thanks for stopping by my blog today to read about this project.  I will be back very soon with a new card.  You can sign up with your email to receive all blogposts in your inbox and never miss one if that is something you'd like.

Nicky x

Wish Upon A Star - Mama Elephant

It was true love at first sight when I clapped eyes on Wish Upon A Star by Mama Elephant.  I knew that I had to have it since my head suddenly flooded with design ideas for the set.



I wanted to play with the height of a slimline card for this stamp set.  This card's dimensions are 8 1/2 inches x 3 1/2 inches.  I also created a panel that was slightly smaller and masked off the edges and I ink blended using the following Distress Oxide Inks - Festive Berries, Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers, Chipped Sapphire and Black Soot.  I wanted the 'Aurora' colours in the greens and pinks to be super subtle so I used quite a bit of the Chipped Sapphire and Black Soot over the top of them to bring the colour down.



I mixed some white acrylic paint with a drop of water to loosen it.  Using an old toothbrush I splattered the white droplets all throughout the background colour.  Using a paintbrush I then used the same solution and splattered some larger blotches.  Once dry I added in some dots of pale gold gel pen for some wonderful subtle sparkle as the card is handled.  The mask was then removed and the panel was backed with white craft foam and applied to the sturdy 110lb white cardstock base.



On Strathmore Bristol Smooth cardstock I stamped my images using Ranger Archival Ink in Potting Soil.  I then watercolour painted my images using the following colours:-

Kuretake Zigs in Oatmeal, Mid Gray and Light Gray.  Tombow ABT's in 761 and 020.



The moon, clouds and stars were given a treatment of Spectrum Noir Glitter Pen for a gorgeous subtle shimmer and then each image was die cut and applied to the scene using dimensional foam tape.

The sentiment was stamped to a strip of cardstock and also backed with foam tape and applied.



The final touch was the application of a few flat, silver micro star 'sequins'.  This card is so much about the twinkle in the movement of it.  It was a lot of fun to create and I can't wait to use this stamp set in a completely different way next time.

Thanks for stopping by, happy crafting!

Nicky x

Farmyard Little Bits - Hello Bluebird

Hi guys!  I've reached back into my Hello Bluebird stash and decided to play with Farmyard Little Bits today.



For this fun card I created a galaxy background - they are just so much fun to make!   I created mine by using Distress Oxides in Tumbled Glass, Peacock Feathers, Chipped Sapphire and Black Soot.

Using a toothbrush I splattered white arcylic paint loosened with a little water.  I also dotted in some glistening dots which only really show when the card is handled, using a Sakura Gelly Roll pen.  This panel was left to dry and then was die cut with the wonky stitch decorative border and attached to a 110lb white cardstock base.



On Bristol Smooth cardstock I stamped the cows using Archival Ink in Jet Black.  I watercolour painted the images using the following:-  Tombow ABT 020 and Kuretake Zigs in Haze Blue 302, Gray 090, Oatmeal 064, Light Pink 026.  The moon was given a lick of Wink of Stella to make it shimmer a little.

All images were die cut and applied with foam tape.  The sentiments were stamped and applied the same way.  The little speech bubble with the word 'moo' in it is from Photo Stack.



I wanted my galaxy to twinkle like crazy, to that end I used Ranger Multi Medium Matte to adhere flat micro star sequins, some jewels from Pretty Pink Posh (picking up a little of the pink from the watercolour painting and repeating it) and then some drop dead gorgeous holographic sequins from The Ton.  

Card complete!  

Thanks for coming by to read today, I really appreciate it!

Nicky x

North Star - Hello Bluebird Stamps

Hi!  As promised a 4th Day of cards featuring the new Hello Bluebird Stamps release.  This is North Star.



For this card I ink blended Bristol Smooth cardstock using Distress Oxides in Tumbled Glass, Peacock Feathers, Broken China, Blueprint Sketch, Chipped Sapphire and Black Soot ..... yup, I pretty much used them all!  There's lots of overlapping of the blending and then coming back in with the lighter colours but this is, I believe, how to attain the best affect.



I stamped my 'stars' with Versamark Ink and heat embossed in white and then re-stamped just the Happy New Year portion with Versamark Ink and heat embossed in a twinkling embossing powder I have called 'Bridal'.  I wanted to build a real depth of 'stars' and to to that end I took a tiny pinch of white embossing powder and sprinkled it over the panel making sure none of it was too thick and then I heat set it by starting underneath the panel for a minute and then finishing with heat directly on top ....... otherwise you're going to blow the powder to the four walls!!!!!   I came back in with a Uniball Signo White Gel Pen and dotted in a few more stars again building depth.  I die cut my panel to provide the simple stitched edge.



On more Bristol Smooth I stamped my images with Ranger Archival Ink in Potting Soil.  I watercolour painted them using Kuretake Zigs then fussy cut the images and applied them with different depths of foam tape.  Just love those cute fluffy bums!  I adhered the panel to the card base.





Thanks for coming by to read my method today!  See you next time!

Nicky x