Summer Time Chillin'

Cool Cat. What more can I say...what more do I need to say?
Not much beats sipping a cool drink while floating on the water on a hot summer's day.

I found this delightful digital stamp image over at Hambo Stamps - 'Cool Cat' . I filled the shaker portion of the card with a variety of sequins. When you shake the card the cool 'water' splashes all around the reclining feline...aaaah that's the life! 

A warm sun, sponged in with pigment inks on the background layer, reminds us that it is indeed a hot day.

I added a lot of details on the card front - Tropical flowers from the SVG Cuts - Summer Holiday collection (affiliate link) and Plumeria (frangipani) blossoms from Miss Kate Cuttables . I also added paper castings of a shell and a pair of flip-flops. The sandals were coloured to match the ones the cat is wearing, down to the daisy on the straps.

Here they are closer-  I used a Polymer clay mold to make the shoes and the daisy is a tiny punch. The daisy center is a single foamy polystyrene ball. Tweezers are so very handy in the craft room I find! 

I coloured everything using Momento Dye Inks. I really like the beautiful water colour results it gives me.

After I had finished the card I decided to change it up to my original idea of an easel card. It simply displays better that way. On this image you can also see the shimmer platters and embossing added to the blue frame. I sincerely hope our friends enjoyed their much needed vacation!

Until next time...have a great crafting week!

Getting Back In The Swing Of It!

Well I'm at least hoping to get back into the swing of it! I have been occupied with other important matters there for a few weeks, but hope to get back to 'business' here now.

Kicking off with a card for a relative who has had major surgery, and is now (also) getting back into the swing of things! I made the card the way I think he would like it (clean and simple, resisting adding all the little extras I kept thinking of doing - such as sequins on the front!) I will also add a personalized sentiment on the inside.

I used a kraft cardbase for my standard A2 size card. Some patterned paper scraps were perfect for the grassy background and the soil for our golfer to stand on. I recycled Styrofoam packaging for the shaker. It is nice and deep, allowing the 'balls' to move freely inside the shaker, but is super lightweight for mailing.

The expression on this fellas face makes me smile every time I see him...

I didn't want to over do the balls in the shaker, but standing the card up...I think a couple dozen more would have been good! After all, one could never have too many golf balls now, can one?

I used the Gordon Golfer Set for this card (just one of the great selection of stamps I got as a prize for that top spot win in an Ai Challenge a while back!) Edited to add : I am delighted that this card won an Honourable Mention in the challenge! Stoked!!!

I'm entering the card into the 'Anything Goes' Challenge over at Art Impressions

As well as for the Sketch Challenge over at 'Your Next Stamp'

Go check out this neat Canadian stamp company! I'm always so pleased to find a local company. And to think they've been around for 6 years....I must have been under a rock somewhere....sigh...