More Creatures!

There's still time to enter our July Challenge at Stamping Sensations, where the theme is "All Creatures Great And Small". Our lovely sponsors this month are Crafty Individuals and I've made another card using some of their products.

The background paper and the papers I used to paper piece the birds and butterflies are from various Crafty Individuals Background Paper Books.On the background sheet I toned down the area I wanted to stamp over with some diluted acrylic paint. I stamped the Three Birds ( CI-544) on the background and twice more on different sheets. I cut out their bodies and wings from the 2 extra sheets and and mixed and matched the different sheets when assembling the birds. The wings were popped up on foam pads.

I decided to give the birds some fashion accessories! The right hand bird's hat and middle bird's bag are from elements plate CI-335, The left hand bird's hat and the "Hats and Bonnets" sign were cut from the CI-285 "Hats and bonnets" stamp. The butterflies (from CI-231 elements plate) were also stamped on the patterned papers and cut out. All of these were also attached with foam pads. I added some colour to the birds' beaks and legs with Arteza brush pens.

There's a super prize on offer from Crafty Individuals, a £25 voucher to spend in their online shop, where you will most definitely be spoilt for choice! If you haven't entered already, why not have a go? All the information you need, along with our challenge rules, can be found on the Stamping Sensations Challenge Blog.

Creatures of all sizes!

July already, and time for a new challenge at Stamping Sensations! It's one of my favourite themes too!

* * * * * ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL * * * * *

We want to see any type of real creature on your projects - animals, wild or domestic, birds, bugs, butterflies - but no teddy bears or fantasy creatures such as unicorns or dragons! And please note our usual rules, that they must be the focal point of your entry, and they must be stamped and fit the theme. A small stamped element added to a mainly stencilled or die cut project will not be eligible. We prefer conventional hand stamping, but do allow digital images as long as they are hand coloured.

If you don't have any creature stamps, look no further than our wonderful July sponsor Crafty Individuals, who have the most amazing designs of all types of animals, birds and butterflies, as well as all sorts of other stunning stamps, papers and accessories. The have donated a fab £25 voucher for the winning entry, to be spent in their online shop.

Crafty Individuals have been one of my favourite companies ever since I first discovered them, many years ago now, not just for their fantastic products but also for their excellent customer service. All the stamps I have used on my card are by Crafty Individuals.

During my most recent craft room tidy up I rediscovered some old ink sprays. Many of them were dried up and had to be disposed of, but a few were still ok, so I decided to use them to make a background. A couple that I had were shimmery, the others were plain. My background is a mixture of both.

I stamped the Hare And Moon (CI-508) first on watercolour card, and masked it, before spraying the background. I did actually spray some of the shimmery ink through a stencil (by Bee Crafty) but it doesn't show up very well, though I rather like the effect. I grounded the hare by using another mask and sponging with pigment ink. I stamped the crow (from the Crow Plate CI-361), and the grasses from CI-495 Perching Pied Wagtail (masking off the bird before inking) and from CI-207 Ferns And Grasses set.

It just so happened, (quite unintentionally!) that where I stamped the crow was over some of the shimmery spray, and the shimmer showed through the ink. It gave the crow a sort of ethereal, dream-like quality, which tied in rather nicely with the sentiment, which is also from the Crow Plate. Serendipity!

My teamies  have come up with some superb samples once again, so do pop over to the Challenge Blog and have a look at them. I promise you will not be disappointed. I am really looking forward to seeing this month entries!