10 March 2017

Carpe Librum


What could be better than kicking back under a tree to read a book? Having the time to read a whole stack! Carpe Librum! Seize the book!

Supplies


Putting It Together

This card was made for a friend and co-worker for her retirement, so there are a few personal touches for her in the design. She has a great love of books and reading studies genealogy as a hobby (the tree represents that hobby *grin*. She also has a black kitty (inside the card).


I stamped the image with Memento Desert Sand to be able do a "no lines" colouring with Distress Ink and waterbrushes.


To do the painting, I smush the Distress Ink mini pad on a plastic sheet and then use the waterbrush to pick up the ink to paint on the image. When I'm done, I use a wet wipe to clean off the sheet and make sure the brushes are clean, too. Between this and resin work, I use a lot of wet wipes *laugh* I've been using the Kirkland wipes, a box from Costco, the adult kind, not the baby ones. The price difference between the adult ones and the baby ones does not justify the addition of lanolin to the baby ones and I don't really need lanolin for my workshop uses.


The colours used are in Supplies above (or you can see them, too, in my notes I included with the palette picture).


I loosely fussy cut the image because I wanted to have it 'popped' over the background.


I used a Clarity brush to add an undulating grassy area (which mostly got covered in the end *laugh*) and a stencil to add sky and clouds, both with Distress Ink. I love this stencil from Elizabeth Craft Designs! I used the Clarity brushes for a softer touch.


I used a potion of a stencil from Teresa Collins stencil to add the tree. I used the blending tool for a heavier addition of the Distress Ink. I used three colours of green for very slight variations in the colour of the tree.


The completed background: I created the background directly on to the card base which was made from 100lb white Soft Finish cardstock from Elizabeth Craft Designs. I love the slightly pebbly texture of the soft finish with this type of background treatment.


I dry fit the reader in the background and laughed when my carefully crafted undulations for the ground were covered up.


I added the sentiment in the trees. I used foam mounting tape on the image to "pop" it up from the background for a little dimension.


Inside the card, I added more personal touches: A bird flying away.. she's retiring and becoming free to do what she want, and a black kitty for her kitty. The sentiment I thought rather apt for someone who is retiring and becoming free to pursue new interests.



Challenges

Crazy 4 Challenges: Inspiration from a Book
Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge: Make Your Own Background
Tuesday Throwdown: Thinking of You
Addicted to Stamps and More: Make Your Mark
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: For a Special Lady
Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Wonderful Wednesday: Anything Goes
Penny's Paper-crafty: Anything Goes


8 comments:

  1. The combination of stencil ing and stamping is perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love, love this card!! Thanks for joining our challenge this week with Kraftin Kimmie Stamps.
    Marilyn DT

    ReplyDelete
  3. You certainly put a lot of love in this and it shows. Your coloring is great; I really like the way books and tree turned out. Happy you joined us at the Tuesday Throwdown challenge this week. Bet your co-worker loves this.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh wow what a great card. Loving the scene.
    Thanks for joining us over at PENNY'S.
    Jean xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gorgeous card and your colouring is spectacular! Thank you so much for sharing and for playing along with us over on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog... :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Awesome card...love your little scene,perfect idea...thank you for joining us at ATSM challenge
    Zeljka DTxx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your stencilled tree and the darling image are make a very special card! Thanks so much for sharing it with us at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge!

    ReplyDelete
  8. great no-line coloring - thanks for sharing your creation at Addicted to Stamps and More

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comments. I do read every one. Your comments help me to grow as an artist. It warms my heart to see wonderful comments and constructive criticism.