Guest Designing for Twofer

I was thrilled to win the February Twofer Challenge with this card, and was then invited to be their Guest Designer for the April challenge:

In case you're not familiar with the Twofer challenge, here are the basic rules:

I don't have any zoo animal stamps so my friend, Christine, kindly lent me some of hers.  I chose a very unusual elephant and came up with this Twofer:

First up is a Christmas card where the silly elephant has really overindulged in the Christmas festivities:

He looks pretty miserable, doesn't he?

First step was to create the sentiment on the computer and then print it off on a lightweight cs.  I then put it in my MISTI and laid a piece of scrap acetate over it so that I could get my elephant lined up perfectly between the sections of the sentiment - by stamping onto the acetate, I can see where the image is going to end up.  Then removed the acetate and stamped onto the cs.

I then coloured the elephant with coloured pencils and Gamsol.  The Santa hat from the Tim Holtz Crazy Birds' accesories stamps seemed about the right size so I stamped, coloured, and fussy cut it.  Bordered with red cs and it was done.

My second card is a get well card.  I have more sympathy for the elephant in this one as he really does look ill (whereas the Christmas elephant brought his misery upon himself!).

I had a scrap of coated cs that I'd sprinkled Bisters on (probably the green).  It had a perfect dark brown spot that fit the elephant's eye!  I stamped him with Staz-on and then fussy-cut him.

Using a chintz-patterned dp, I stamped and heat embossed the Poppy Stamps Hayward Sofa, then fussy cut it.  Poor elephant didn't quite fit so he needed a pile of cushions to rest his head on.  The sofa stamp has a cushion in one corner so I stamped, heat embossed, and fussy cut it three times, and stuck them on under his head.  I added a bit of "ground" with coloured pencils, and bordered the panel with the same dp as I used for the sofa.  The sentiment is stamped on a fussy cut label stamp.

I hope you are inspired to get out a zoo animal stamp, die, or stencil and create a Twofer for the challenge.  There's lots more inspiration from the Design Team here.  You have until March 24th to enter.

Supplies for the Christmas card:

Stamps - Katzelkraft elephant, Tim Holtz Crazy Birds' Santa hat

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper - white and red cs

Size - A2

Accessories -  computer-generated sentiment, coloured pencils, Gamsol

Supplies for the Get Well card:

Stamps - Katzelkraft elephant, Tim Holtz sentiment and sentiment label, Poppy Stamp Hayward Sofa stamp

Ink - Staz-on Black, Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper - coated cs, Gina K Pure Ivory cs, Graphic 45 dp

Size - 5.75x3.75"

Accessories - clear embossing powder, coloured pencils, Bisters

Spring Daffodils

When I saw this Paper Players challenge, I knew I had to do it, as Vancouver has had a very long snowy spell and I'm really looking forward to spring:

Here's my card:

I stamped the daffodils and painted with watercolours. I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment over the leaves. Trimmed the panel, bordered with a wonky stitched rectangle, and popped it up on fun foam. I added a drop of yellow liquid pearls to the centre of each daffodil.

Is everyone else as eager for spring as I am?

Supplies:

Stamps - Northwoods daffodils, TH sentiment

Ink - Versafine Onyx Black

Paper - watercolour paper, ivory cs

Size - A2

Accessories - clear embossing powder, Gansai Tambi watercolour paints, liquid yellow pearl drops, fun foam, MFT wonky stitched rectangle die

Dog Feeling Poorly

A card for the Less is More "Pets" challenge.

I need a get well card for a friend who is a dog lover so came up with this:

Simple stamping and watercolouring on mixed media cs, trimmed with a stitched rectangle, popped up on a black border, and then a kraft card base.

Supplies:

Stamps - Penny Black dog, Tim Holtz sentiment

Ink - Ranger Archival Jet Black

Paper - mixed media cs, black and kraft cs

Size - A2

Accessories - Gansai Tambi watercolours, Lil Inker stitched rectangle, fun foam

April Showers = Dandelions

I made a card today for two recent SCS challenges - the CAS challenge "April Showers" and the Ways to Use It challenge "That’s What the Doctor Ordered".

Because I'm using a stencil and two stamps that I've never used before (and I've had the sentiment stamp for many years!!), I'm also entering it in Darnell's NBUS challenge.

April showers is definitely what I'm experiencing today - very dreary and drizzling all day. So a good day to make a card!

 

I started by stamping the dandelion in black ink. Then I laid the raindrops stencil over it and sponged with two shades of blue ink. I added the sentiment once I removed the stencil so that I could think about its placement amongst the raindrops.

I trimmed the panel down and added a thin strip of black cs to the right side to balance the sentiment. The panel is popped up on fun foam and a bit of Wink of Stella added to the centres of the dandelion seeds and to the little sprigs at the bottom.

I know the showers help my flowers to grow but they seem even more successful at getting the dandelions to grow! I need to get out and weed the garden!

Supplies:

Stamps - Magenta dandelion, Gina K sentiment

Ink - MFT Black Licorice, Memento Summer Sky, Distress Tumbled Glass

Paper - white and black cs

Size - A2

Accessories - Simon Says Stamp raindrops stencil, Wink of Stella, fun foam