Stamping Sensations Blog Challenge - sketch and Summer colours

I am so excited, I can't wait to tell you my news! I've been sitting here like a cat on a hot tin plate trying to keep a secret and it's not easy let me tell you lol! Anyway, I've joined the Stamping Sensations Design Team, and I'm so honoured to be joining such a talented group of designers!

This month, the design team at Stamping Sensations would like you to follow this wonderful sketch that the talented Tracy has provided,
and also to use Summer Colours, since the challenge will run from today right through until the end of July. We hope that you will all join in and I can't wait to see what you come up with!

We have a fabulous prize from our sponsor Little Claire for the winning entry:

So, here's my first ever Design Team card and I hope you all like it *bites fingernails nervously* :-)

"Fish"

Years ago, Tom and I were on holiday somewhere in the deepest darkest regions of Scotland. We heard rumours of a brilliant fish and chip shop in the harbour area, and soon came across a queue of people outside waiting for it to open. That seemed like a good omen. We joined the back of the queue...
...eventually a boat turned up, took a crate (presumably fish!) inside the shop, and the smells of fish frying began. People were served, the smell was enticing, and we finally got to the front of the queue. A big sign read "Fish and chips £2" (I told you it was a long time ago!). Now. I've got a thing about dogfish - I really hate it! So I tentatively asked in my VERY English accent "What sort of fish is it?". The reply, spoken slowly and loudly to the stupid English person in a very Scottish accent, was "it's FASH, FASH FRAM THE SEA". It still makes me laugh to this day. So I just had the chips, and I had to drool at my husband eating the best bit of haddock, fresh straight from the boat!! There must be a moral to this story somewhere, but I'm buggered if I know what it is :-)

Anyway, back to my card. Yes, well, I had to make a book card, but this one is a little different to normal. As soon as I saw the circle in Tracy's sketch, I thought "fish tank" and had the idea to set an aperture into a book card and fill the book with fish.

The painting on the front of the card is done mostly with distress inks. Tumbled Glass ink is sponged over some watercolour paper, then lines are drawn in the sea area using Broken China, Tumbled Glass, Stormy Sky and Weathered Wood Distress markers. A water brush is then used to blend the blue colours together and give a watery look. A line of Broken China ink is added and smudged on the horizon. The sailing boat and birds are painted with watercolour paints.

After the painting is dry, a circle is diecut into the picture. A matching circle is diecut into the front of the bookcard. The painting is stuck onto the front of the card with PVA, lining up the two circles and gluing a length of baker twine in between the layers to tie the card together once finished.

A circular frame is diecut from dark brown card and decorated with gilding wax before gluing around the aperture with glossy accents.

The octopus charm is glued over the top with Pinflair, and three little drops of glossy accents are used to stick the teardrop gems to the bottom right corner.

"Inside"

Another circle is diecut into wood patterned paper and a piece of acetate sandwiched between it and the front cover of the book card using PVA glue. This provides the "window" of the fish tank. Another frame is diecut from brown card and decorated with gilding wax before gluing in place around the aperture. Brass buttons are glued around the frame to look like a porthole.

"Fash Fram the Sea"

The background sea started out as two pieces of brown card embossed with twigs and decorated with different gilding waxes. A large circular aperture is cut into one piece and this is glued on top of the book "pages". The other piece is glued behind.

"Fash"

The individual fish are stamped with versamark on watercolour paper and heat-embossed in gold before colouring with distress markers and a water brush, and cutting out. After shaping, the fish are attached to small strips of acetate and glued into the book card so the fish appear to float in the water.

"Fronds"

The fronds are diecut from brown card, decorated with gilding waxes, and stuck into the book "pages" with glossy accents.

Finally, charms are glued inside the book card with glossy accents, and more are strung together with beads, chain and jump rings and attached to the side of the card via an eyelet to look like buried treasure rising up from the depths of the sea :-)

I hope you find some buried treasure this week, and have a go at our challenge. Can't wait to see what you come up with! Maddy x

Ingredients:

Kars fish stamps

Versamark ink

Stampendous embossing powder, pirate gold

Spellbinders foliage

M-Bossabilities Tweets and Twigs

Sizzix framelits: circles

Creative Expressions Gilding Waxes: patina, enchanted gold

cardstock: brown 300gsm, white 220gsm, watercolour paper, wood pattern

acetate

distress ink pads: Tumbled Glass, Broken China

distress markers: Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Weathered Wood, Pine Needles, Spun Sugar, Dusty Concord

watercolour paints: black, white, brown

adhesives: Glossy Accents, Pinflair, PVA

brass charms, jump rings, beads, chain

brass eyelet

brass buttons

teardrop gems

bakers' twine