Hello Sunshine – SSS Hopping Along Card Kit

On Friday I spent some time playing around with the Mod Flower background stamp that came in the Hopping Along card kit from Simon Says Stamp. It’s my first background stamp and I had a few different ideas for it that I wanted to try out.

I made three similar but different versions – all were clear heat embossed, two onto watercolour paper and one directly onto a card base, and coloured with Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink. I ink blended over the card base and added some water splatter for interest. For one of the watercolour panels I used the ink smooshing technique, drying between layers to build up some texture. And for the other I loosely watercoloured, first adding water to each of the areas I wanted colour, then using a paint brush to drop colour in to the wet area and allowing it to spread as it would.

Once they were done I set them all aside to dry. Today I finally got around to making a completed card with one of them, and I decided to use the smooshed version. I picked out a bright orange card base (husband was very helpful in choosing the colour!) to go with it, and cut the floral panel to the same width as the card base. I then took one of the scallop dies from Pink and Main’s Scallop Wave Dies and cut away the bottom third or so. I also used a circle die to cut a window in the panel.

Using the floral panel as a guide I stamped one of the sentiments from the Simon Says Stamp Easter Greetings stamp set, which also came in the kit, directly onto the card base and heat embossed it in white. I took another of the sentiments as well as the solid rabbit stamp and white heat embossed them onto a snippet of yellow. I then cut each down to create a couple of banners.

I used foam tape to adhere the yellow banners to the floral panel, then more foam tape on the back of the floral panel to adhere it to the card base. As a final touch I took the bottom third of the floral panel and adhered it on the inside of the card.

I really like this card. It’s so bright and happy! I wanted to make something that would highlight the lovely floral background stamp and I do feel like I managed to do that. The smooshing technique added some great texture and interest to the panel. The sentiments seem to fit nicely with the card. I did wonder if the rabbit might seem like a bit of an afterthought, but actually it ties in nicely.

Love,

Lady Joyful

Challenges included:

Addicted to Stamps and More – Holiday

CAS Mix Up – Stamping, Smooshing and Your Choice (I chose heat embossing)

Inkspirational – Watercolour Smooshing

MFT Sketch Challenge – Sketch/Layout

The Flower Challenge – Flowers and Anything Goes

Uniko Challenge – Spring and Optional: Easter