It’s An Elephant Party!

This card post is another response to Daring Cardmakers‘ Party Animal challenge. You can find the first one here. This second card is also a response to Mojo Monday 435 and Color Throwdown #380.

As I explained in my first Party Animal card post, the idea of the Daring Cardmakers’ challenge is to make a card that features an animal, preferably one that is partying or celebrating in some way. I saw this elephant stamp on my favourite craft shop’s website and knew I had to have it for this prompt – it seemed so perfect!

The layout of the card is based on this Mojo Monday sketch:

And the colour scheme comes from the colour throwdown challenge, which was to use red, grey and white:

 

I’d originally planned on using a white card base, with panels of deep red with white dots. But then I got the red and white striped paper in my surprise paper packet. It really put me in mind of a circus tent, which seemed absolutely perfect. I measured and cut out the panels and got them aligned on the card base to check how it looked, and was not happy at all. The white card base just did not work – the gap between the panels became completely lost, looking like just another stripe.

Luckily I remembered I still had one silver card base left and decided to give that a try. I figured it would work well with the grey part of the colour scheme. It definitely looks much better than the white card base did!

I also cut some white paper for the middle panel. I actually cut two pieces and layered them, to ensure the red and white stripes wouldn’t show throw. I then stamped on the elephant, his accompanying sentiment, as well as the same banner stamp (which I purposefully had as a partial stamp) and balloons that I used in my other party animal card.

The next job was to colour everything in. I still wish I had markers for that job, but the colouring pencils work well enough. With the colour scheme in mind I stuck with red, white and black as I was colouring, with a little grey to add some shading.

My next challenge was to work out an embellishment. I really lack embellishments, and struggle to know what sort of things to get when I go craft shopping… If only I could buy a surprise pack of them! In any case, I decided to go for a double bow in red and white twine, and I’m really happy with how that looks. The bow actually quite by accident meets the elephant’s trunk and looks almost like he is holding it, which I think is lovely.

I am very happy with how this card turns out. I think it’s really pretty. There are of course some improvements I could make. My stamping technique is still lacking a bit, as you can see from the couple of smudgy splodges… And I still struggle with getting things properly lined up. But I’m making progress!

Love,

Lady Joyful