This is for Robin's (Stamperrobin) fun Free for All challenge...a love card with a moon. All the details can be found here .
These are Valentine cards are for a sweet little 6 year old girl and her lovely 10 year old brother. No prizes for guessing who loves fairies and who loves creepy spiders!!
The background was made with my usual smack and squirt technique (smack distress ink pad onto aluminium foil, squirt on some water, then slurp up the colourd water with a foam blending tool and swish it over the smooth cardstock).
I coloured a complete A4 sheet by rotating the cardstock and working on it in landscape. To get a good blend of colours I looked at a colour wheel and smacked and squirted in the following order - ensuring that each colour was well applied before moving on to the next colour (blend a very small portion of the new colour over the previous colour).
darkish green - Peeled paint
bright green - Mowed lawn
yellowy orange - Wild honey
orange - Ripe persimmon
red - Fired brick
hot pinkish red - Festive berries
purple - Seedless preserves
dark purple - Dusty concord
At this point I cut the A4 into 3 strips (one for the stash and two for these cards) I gave the fairy card a very light mist of water. Using the same colours, in the same order, I thump the foam blending tool directly into the ink pad (no water this time) and scrubbed extra colour here and there to get some contrast and depth of colour. These cards were almost identical after the initial smack and squirt, it is this step of adding more colour (undiluted) that each card can take on a different look. On the spider card I was heavy handed with the orange - blending it over the yellow orange and bright green.
This next step truly makes the world of difference....using a foam blending tool, lightly scrub on WALNUT STAIN distress ink (no water), scrub from the outside and move inward to a point where you want bright highlights.
I did not mask the moon as I have discovered that silver Versa colour and white Brilliance inks go over the top of distress inks beautifully. I used a round foam blending tool, inked in silver first, pushed it onto the cardstock and moved it around in a circular motion to give a blured and not so perfect edge. Reapeated process with white ink. Taking a baby wipe, I ever so gently wiped it across the moon.
Stamping was done next, using black Archival ink. I dabbed a little bit of silver ink on the mushroom border before attaching to card. The spider was die cut and I added some clear Wink of Stella to give him an even more revolting appearance!! The little fairy was coloured at the same time I was doing the smack and squirt (used an aqua pen dipped in the inky water). Clear Stella brush to her wings. I stamped and fussy cut a flower and attached 3D foam tape for the fairy to stand on. She comes with a wand...she is lucky I only cut off the wand and not aputated her hand!!
Thank you for looking, I had the lovliest time making these card. Have a great weekend ladies.
Date: Thursday, February 5, 2015 GMT Views: 3732
Favorited:34
Registered: January 8, 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 40323
Sat, Feb 07, 2015 @ 5:07 PM
Susie, you are a true artist - your work just keeps getting better and better. Both of these have the most amazing bgs - ok, I tried hard not to look too long at the card with the spider!!! Love how you have created the moon on these!!
------------------------------ Sue
Fan Club Member QFTD143 FS420
Wowzers! I just read every word! What you can do with smack and squirt is jaw dropping! How I wish I could sit beside you and watch you work for a day! In my faves it goes!
Registered: February 3, 2005 Location: Delray Beach, FL Posts: 34769
Sun, Feb 08, 2015 @ 8:56 AM
Oh, Susie!!! WOW! These are both totally amazing, and my mouth has dropped seeing the effect you've achieved with the background and amazing moon! You are the Queen of Technique, and what dramatic cards that have such "wow" to each one!! I love them -- hugs, sweet sis! (And keep cool!!)
------------------------------ Cheryl
Proverbs 3:5-6 My blog