Summer Splash

It has been a very rainy winter here in British Columbia, Canada. While I do like rain (I really do), it' been a bit too much even for me and so I am looking forward to the Summer. Summer brings all sorts of outdoor pursuits, like diving into the ocean to get up close, and maybe a little too personal, with the critters of the sea.

Dive into Summer! Splash!

Supplies

InLinkz.com

Putting It Together

I bought my first Distress Oxide inks on the weekend, starting with four: Wilted Violet, Faded Jeans, Vintage Photo, and Fired Brick. I started with these four because, well, because these were some of the few my local scrapbooking store had in stock and I didn't drive further to the other two to see what they had *laugh*. I did use them in this project. The difference in the ink is subtle in ways. They have an almost chalk-like softer finish. I have barely started to play with them and I already want the rest of the ones that have been so far released (only 12 right now). I might pick up more next weekend...

I decided to combine two stamp sets for the front of my card, the coral reef of the Ocean Background and Dolly Diver (and images from a third set inside). They seemed such a perfect fit for me. I dry fit them on an A2 panel to let my idea gel. I changed the orientation as I worked on the card. I also debated on making an entirely one layer card.

I stamped my images on to watercolour cardstock. I stamped Dolly with a light tan ink and made a mask for the coral reef. I ended up restamping the reef on a card base made from watercolour cardstock, using Aegean blue ink.

I used washi tape to both anchor the card base to my work surface (a plastic divider sheet) and to mask off a narrow border on the cardbase. I put my reef mask over the reef so I could use the blender tool to create the ocean water. I used two of my new Distress Oxide, Faded Jeans and Wilted Violet for the ocean with the addition of original Distress ink, Salty Ocean and Tumbled Glass. 

I removed the reef mask but kept the tape mask to finish the background.

I used a bit of blender tool and waterbrush to colour in the background using my other two new Distress Oxide, Vintage Photo and Fired Brick, as well as other Distress Ink. Since it was going to be partly/mostly covered, I wasn't as concerned with getting the reef super detailed. 

With the tape removed, it does make for a pretty nice single layer card, if a bit 'rough'.

And then I started on Dolly. I gave her darker skin 'cause she's a summer gal who has been out in the sun. I gave her a Salty Ocean blue background so I could do a loose fussy cut and 'save' the motion lines of the stamp. 

I decided to make her blond to contrast with ocean colours and bring a bit more light into the card. I also used lighter purples for her bathing suit, fins, and mask for the same reason. Her eyes are Mermaid Lagoon, one of my fav colours of the Distress Inks.

I was keeping the background watery while adding more depth to her.

I used a dollop of Dazzling Details on her bikini bottoms for a touch of glitter and Wink of Stella on her bathing suit for a touch of sparkle. I added Glossy Accents to the lenses of her goggles for a glassy shine. 

Before finishing the front of the card, I stamped the inside with a bit of a sea scene and a sea critter as well as the inside sentiment. I also used the blending tool to add a bit of blue to the outside edge of the lower part of the card. 

I embossed a sentiment to the front with antique gold, and loosely fussy cut Dolly to put her into place with foam mounting tape, popping her up from the background. The brightness of her blue water was bugging me, but I had to leave her this way overnight because I had gone past the time I have set as a 'bedtime'. In the morning, though, I added a bit of Faded Jeans and Wilted Violet to the bottom area of her water and took new 'finished' pictures. Oh.. and I added a tiny pearl to her ear as an earring. 

Challenges

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Saturday challenge: Summer
Simon Says Stamp Monday challege: The Great Outdoors
Crafting From the Heart: Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: Anything Goes
Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Wonderful Wednesday: Anything Goes
Love to Scrap: Anything Goes