SHC - Totally Tropical birthday ...

... Morning! It's time for my post for Seven Hills Craft blog. I've a bold, bright and very tropical birthday card to share with you today:

Stamps: Altenew - Parrot Paradise, Totally Tropical; MFT - Bitty Birthday Wishes, Sassy Pants Birthday Greetings 2
Inks: Gina K - Black Amalgam; Stampin' Up! - Blushing Bride, Flirty Flamingo, Granny Apple Green, Call Me Clover; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Altenew - Parrot Paradise, Totally Tropical
Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Flirty Flamingo; Clear Embossing Powder; Copic Markers; SU Vellum - Botanical Garden; Nuvo - Clear Aqua Shimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to Seize the Birthday - STB#191 where they want a Totally Tropical card, and to Fab Friday - FABF#190 where the colours are quite tropical!

I started by stamping the large parrot on white card, colouring with Copic markers, putting it back in the MISTI and restamping with Versafine and heat embossing with clear powder. I used the matching die to cut it out. I put some white card in my MISTI and did all the leaves at one go - so easy with this stamp positioner. I used a couple of shades of green ink and then cut out the leaves with the matching dies. I wanted a large tropical flower and used the layered hibiscus image. I cut a panel of peach card adhered it to the cardbase and added some matching tropical themed vellum over the top. I attached the leaves and flower directly to the card and used dimensional pads for the parrot. I did add some sparkle to the parrot. I finished the front with a clean, crisp and simple birthday greeting.

On the inside, I cut a mat layer of peach card and on the white panel I stamped a fun and sassy birthday greeting along with another hibiscus flower.

That's all from me today. I'm having a very busy week - I'm doing another online mixed media class with Dyan Reaveley in the evenings - it's so much fun! See you again soon.

TMR - Wild and Free ....

.... Hi! Before I get to our new challenge at The Male Room, I'd like to say a HUGE thanks to everyone for playing along with our 5th birthday challenge - so many cards to comment on - I'll get there!!

Now, it's time to tell you about our new challenge at The Male Room - TMR#92. For the next couple of weeks, we want your masculine projects to have a WILD & FREE theme - can't wait to see how you interpret the theme. I decided to make a very clean, simple and bright card for my son:

Stamps: Altenew - Hello Sunshine, Parrot Paradise
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Slate, Moonlit Fog
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! DP - Smoky Slate; Nuvo - Shimmer brush; Copics; Clear Embossing Powder

I've had this parrot stamp set for a while and I decided to show it some ink!! I stamped the parrot on the card, masked it and then stamped the outline leaves - I didn't add any colour as the parrot is the focus. I used the sentiment from Hello Sunshine as it works perfectly with the bold parrot. I used my MISTI to stamp the parrot on white card, coloured it with Copic markers, returned it to the MISTI and restamped using Versafine and then heat embossed with clear powder. This gives a lovely clean, crisp, raised line on the image. I don't have the dies for this set so I simply fussy cut the parrot. I adhered it flat to the card (so much easier to post) and then added shimmer all over the parrot with my clear Nuvo shimmer brush. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of design paper and on the white panel stamped the parrot off the edge and added a message. I've left lots of space for my message to Ben.

I got inspiration for the colours from the challenge at Sunday Stamps - SSC#185, and as this is a masculine card I'm also submitting it to Addicted to CAS - ATCAS#142 - it's been a while since I joined in with their challenges!!

Don't forget to visit The Male Room to see much more inspiration from the rest of the design team and also from our guest designer, Steph. You've got plenty of time to join in the fun - deadline for submission is midnight (BST) Tuesday 28th August (that's 7.00pm EDT in here the States).

That's all for now - do drop by again soon - I've a few sneak peeks from the upcoming Uniko release! See you soon.