Betta Half - AHSC #314

Hello and welcome to this week's card sketch using the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. 

This was a fun card to make because I just got this stamp set from Hero Arts and was really looking forward to using it for the first time! It's a multi layered stamp set that requires no coloring of the Betta fish body because the ink colors you choose do all the work for you. I have kept Betta fish as pets for quite a few years now and their natural beauty never ceases to capture my interest. 

The subtle bubble background paper was something that I made well over 10 years ago and had saved in my stash, so I was very happy to find the perfect way to put it to good use. You can't tell from the pictures, but I did color in the seaweed with a clear sparkle brush pen for some subtle shimmer.

EDIT UPDATE: Ok, so I knew when I finished this card 2 weeks ago that something felt "off" about it...I just felt like it needed a little something more! I looked through all my border stickers and couldn't find what I was looking for, so I took the blog pictures anyway and moved on to a different project. THEN, when I sat down to edit these photos and write this blog post, it hit me...skinny silver glitter washi tape... THAT is exactly what this card needs, lol. So I added it and guess what? I think I was right - It really draws the eye to the fish as the focal point and it's perfect now! What do you think??? Did you like it better with or without the last minute addition of the washi tape?

Until next time~

Hip-Hippo-Ray - AHSC #312

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge! Today's card is sweet and simple and will be sent to one of my nieces for her 9th birthday at the end of the month.

While it may be hard to see from the top photo, I did add some dimension to the card front by using adhesive foam dots on both the back of the hippo circle and the sentiment banner.

This sweet little hippo is from a set I got from Itsy Bitsy when I was on their design team and I colored her up very simply using watercolor pencils in gray and pink. I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but I also used a shimmer brush for the shadow under her feet.

The patterned papers are left over from a paper pack that my daughter left behind when she went to grad school several years ago...gotta use up that crafty stash, lol!

Until next time~

Cactus Hello - AHSC #310

Hello again and welcome to the month of April! Hopefully spring is now headed to your neck of the woods, but if not you can always try growing succulents indoors like the ones I feature here today on my AHSC design team card using this week's sketch from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. I will also be entering it in the following challenges @ The Paper Players for "Tic Tac Toe" (on the diagonal using diecut/embossing/floral), @ Dare2BArtzy for "Anything Goes" and @ Penny Black and More for "Going Round in Circles". 

I have admired succulents for a long time and successfully kept aloes and Thanksgiving Cactus alive over the last few years, but after the harsh Midwestern winter we are coming out of I decided to try my hand at acquiring a larger indoor succulent collection to help keep the feeling of spring alive all year long. (below, is a pic of the first 6 babies I just got a few weeks ago...all have been re-potted and are doing well) 

When I looked through my stamp collection, I was very happy to find that I already owned several nice sets that contained succulent or cactus images...the card today was made by combining plant stamps from a  Stampin' Up set with pot stamps from a Close to my Heart set. Turned out to be the perfect combination!

I fussy cut all the plant and pot images and then mounted them flat to the card front. I also used a diecut from Spellbinders for the "hello" edgecut and then carefully dry embossed selectively the area below with the tiny circle dots to tie it together with the blue pattern paper at the top of the card and add some dimensional interest.

That's it for me today, but I would love for you to join us in our sketch challenge and I am sure you will be seeing more succulents featured on cards here in the future too.