01 September 2017

Skunky - Sheepski Designs blog challenge inspiration for September, watercolour easel card


Sheepski Designs blog is hosting another monthly challenge! For September, the theme is Feature a Creature. For my inspiration, I chose to use Lil Skunk as the focal for the easel card I made for my sweetie's birthday. He loves skunks which is why I chose this image for him.

Sheepski Etsy shop: https://SheepSkiDesigns.etsy.com

Sheepski Designs challenge blog: https://sheepski-designs-challenges.blogspot.ca/

Sheepski Deigns Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1730005463906336/


Supplies


These are not affiliate links just the products I use and where you can find them, too (if they're not retired).


Putting It Together

One of my sweetie's favourite animals is the skunk. I look for skunks for him, 'cause I know he likes them. I was thrilled when Andrea Norris created the Lil Skunk digital stamp and got him right away for my sweetie.



The image was one of those I coloured while traveling from BC, Canada to Missouri to visit family (and see the eclipse totality). I printed and stamped several images and cut each on to a small panel I could hold in my hand while colouring. I used watercolour pencils and waterbrushes while in the airports and even on the planes. Three planes and two long layovers, colouring helps to soothe my soul and keep me from going bonkers (especially since I accidentally left my phone at home and my audible book and music along with it).


Colouring a black animal can be a bit tricky. You don't want to get it too dark or it looks like just a blob, or too light and it looks grey and not black. As mentioned above, I used watercolour pencils with waterbrushes on light (90lb) watercolour paper. I used a grey pencil first to fill in the black areas and then slowly, lightly layered on black until I felt it looked black without being a blob. I added in a wash of blues, also from pencil, for the sky and greens for the grass.


I put the card together while I was in Missouri, in the hotel room. I brought along a few supplies such as the card bases, a limited amount of cardstock, and some die cuts that were 'scrap' from previous projects as well as some basic tools (all cutting things were packed in the checked suitcase). I trimmed the skunk and dry fit him with a copper foiled frame and dark blue matting.


I decided to make an easel card because my sweetie likes easel cards (and they're cool). I was limited by the cutter I brought with me. It could only handle a maximum of 9" wide. So, I made a 4 1/4" square easel by making a 8 1/2" by 4 1/4" panel, scoring it in the middle and then at 2 1/8" on one side.


My die cut frame and matting is a 5" square, but the overlap looked okay in the dry fit.


To make it easier to place the image, I adhered it first to the frame. As you can see in this picture, I put a note on the back of my image panels when I print them so I know which they are. This way I can pre-print a variety of images and not lose track :) I have Evernote on my computer and phone, but just the maker on back means I don't have to look through everything to find it.


I then adhered the matte. I love how the dark, slightly green blue sets off both the copper and the image.


To make a stopper or easel helper for the front, I stacked two strips of scrap cardstock on the back of the matting for the base sentiment. This gives it just enough height for the easel to hold upright.


I attached the base to the back of the matting. You can see how the base is smaller. (It really is centred, the picture just looks a little off.) The bottom is flush and attached to the base. From the score/fold upward, it's free so it will pivot as the easel.


Closed, it's just the water coloured skunky in a frame :)


Inside and on the bottom panel that holds the easel, I added a couple heartfelt sentiments from Impression Obsession. I left room, too, for a personal sentiment that's hidden by the easel.




Challenges

Incy Wincy: Go Wild
Pealry Sparkles: Fur and Paws
Addicted to Stamps: Make Your Mark
Happy Little Stampers Watercolour: Anything Goes
Creative Moments: Anything Goes
Creatful Hearts: Anything Goes
Through the Craftroom Door: Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: Anything Goes
Crafty Gals Corner: Anything Goes
Love to Scrap: Anything Goes

16 comments:

  1. Hehe - he is great!

    Thanks for sharing over at Creative Moments,

    Hugz Tinz

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  2. Rijacki he is adorable. Your coloring is spot on! Thank you so much for joining us over at Createful Hearts. Hope you can join us again soon. Best of luck this month. Jana DT/Creatful Hearts

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  3. Super cute make. Thank you for joining us at Pearly Sparkles. Hugs Traci DT xx

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  4. Beautiful easelcard. Love the coloring. Thank you for sharing it with us at Creative Moments.

    xx Grietje DT

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  5. Beautiful work!! Thanks for joining us at the Createful Heart Challenge Blog!! I look forward to you joining us again.
    Melissa, Createful Heart DT

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  6. Cute easel card. Thanks for joining us at Pearly Sparkles this month for our "Furs and Paws" Challenge.

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  7. Sweet easel card.
    Thanks for making your mark at ATSM. :)

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  8. It is so nice when we can combine so many of someone's favorites into one special card for them. The shiny card stock makes for a great accent for this sweet guy.

    Thank you for playing along at Crafty Gals Corner for our Anything goes challenge.

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  9. Lovely card and very cute image!Thank you for sharing your talent with us this week over at the Crafty Gals Corner!Hope you join us again next week!
    Hugs
    Kleri DT
    http://craftygalscornerchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/
    http://kefartworx.co.uk/ (My blog)

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  10. Adorable card! Such a sweet image! Love that gold border!

    Thank you very much for joining us this week at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

    hugs...
    Melissa

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  11. Very beautiful. Love the gold frame. Great to see you in the ATSM gallery. All the very best. Hope you join in again soon. Nandini, DT

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  12. What a lovely easel card Rijacki. I have this image myself, but haven't ventured there yet, but bought him because he is so cute. You have done a lovely job with him. Thank you for joining our first blog challenge at Createful Heart Digis & Design and good luck, hope to see you again next challenge.

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  13. Oh this is sooo adorable and the golden frame makes it so elegant too! Thank you for sharing at Love to Scrap!

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  14. Very cute card! I find colouring black tricky too, you did a fantastic job. Thank you for sharing your card at Happy Little Stampers Watercolour Challenge.

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  15. Cute card! Thanks for playing along with us at HLS Watercolour Challenge.

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  16. Love everything about this! Thanks so much for sharing with us in the Love To Scrap Challenge Blog's September "Anything Goes" challenge!
    Hugs,
    Leslie, LTSCB DT
    Love To Scrap 2
    Love To Scrap!

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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.