Same Set Syndrome | 3 Ways To Make Beach Scenes | Not 2 Shabby

It’s time for the Same Set Syndrome hop! This collaboration is a monthly series with today being the second one, and the last will be in November. The hop is all about supporting smaller stamp companies. This month the company is Not 2 Shabby, and I’m featuring the Summer Time Buddies stamp set. One lucky person who comments on the hop will win a $25 gift card. Plus at the very end of this collaboration series, one person who has commented on all entries from all participants will be eligible to win a $50 gift card to the sponsor of their choice. If you’ve already been hopping then you’ll have arrived here from Christi’s blog, and I’ll have the information for the next stop later in this post.

Technique 1 – Alcohol Ink

For the first of my three cards I created an alcohol ink background on vellum. I’ve used vellum a few times before with alcohol ink (see this post, for example) and it’s a great alternative to yupo.

I started with the beach portion of my scene, with a layer of alcohol blending solution to allow the ink to move freely in the area I wanted. I then added Sunshine Yellow and Dandelion inks, along with more blending solution as required, building up the layers to get a look I liked. I used a combination of an air puffer and just gravity to move the ink until I was happy with it.

Next I moved on to the sea portion of the panel. I used the same technique as I had with the sand, but this time using Pistachio and Stream, along with Tranquil which is a pearl ink and adds shimmer to the design

When the panel was ready I cut it down with one of Kat Scrappiness’ Never Ending Rectangle dies and completely backed it with double sided tape which allowed me to adhere it to a white card base without any adhesive showing through the vellum.

I finished off the card by adding two images from the stamp set. I chose the cat and dog in floaties, which I coloured with my Spectrum Noir Illustrator markers and fussy cut out before adhering into the sea area of the card with Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue. Before adhering them I did stamp the cat’s whiskers onto the panel as I had not fussy cut them out.

When I stamped the cat I also stamped a sentiment with Versafine Onyx Black ink, but unfortunately smeared it whilst adding white gel pen detail to my images. I used a damp cloth to clear up the smudges from the sand area, then restamped the sentiment, white heat embossing it onto a snippet of black card which I then adhered over the original smudged sentiment, completing the first card.

Challenges:

Cards Und More – Inspiration Board

Fun Friday – Summer Days

Incy Wincy Designs – Summer Colours

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – Anything Goes

Modsquad Challenge – Pets (edit – where it was chosen as a top 3!)

NBUS Challenge – Never Before Used Schtuff (the stamp set)

Polkadoodles Craft Challenge – Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers – D is for Dogs

Spectrum Noir Monthly Challenge – Sketch

Technique 2 – Ink Blending

The second technique I used was ink blending. Following a tip from my Christmas Craft Creations DT member Carol I started on kraft card, which meant I didn’t need to ink blend the beach portion.

For the water portion of the background I used Distress Oxides. I started with Tumbled Glass, applying it to the entire sea area. I then switched to Mermaid Lagoon, using it to cover most but not all of the Tumbled Glass. Finally I used Stormy Sky to deepen the colour just at the corner furthest from the beach. I went back and forth between the colours building it up until I was happy with the blend.

I bought in a cheap make up sponge and some white pigment ink to add the look of sea foam to the edge of the water. The white ink I have does not give very much coverage and I’m never particularly happy with the result when I use it. I later tried to enhance the look of the foam by adding white gel pen detail, but in hindsight I think I would have preferred to leave it just as the hint of white from the pigment ink.

For finishing off the card I used the sandcastle image from the stamp set as well as the two individual starfish. I also stamped a sentiment using Hero Arts Caramel ink to give the impression that it was written in the sand. I then adhered the panel to a white card base.

Challenges:

Creatalicious Challenges – Anything Goes and Optional: Three of a Kind

Daring Cardmakers – Three of a Kind (three starfish)

Spectrum Noir Monthly Challenge – Sketch

The House That Stamps Built – Anything Goes

Through The Craft Room Door – Anything Goes

Technique 3 – Watercolor

My final background is watercoloured. I pre-stretched my watercolour paper, then began painting my beach scene. I used Gansai Tambi paints and began with the beach area. I worked in layer, building up and drying in between with my Wow Dual Speed Heat Tool. Once I was happy with it I added splatters of each of the three colours I had used for the sand.

Moving onto the water the process was very similar to painting the sand. I first put down an under wash of an aqua colour and then proceeded to work on the layers of blue. As I did with my ink blended background I put the lightest blue furthest across, and then covered less and less space with each of the darker blues. I dried in between each layer, continuing to add until I was happy with the depth of colour.

With the blue sea dry I bought in some white and silvery white to paint in the sea foam. It took a little while to get it how I wanted, but once I had I again added splatters of colour.

I was so happy with how the watercolour background turned out that I felt I didn’t want to add too much to it. I liked how elegant it looked, so I just added a sentiment, using the same Caramel ink as I had on the previous card. I adhered it to a white card base and finished off with a narrow frame of Love From Lizi Brown Mirror pinstripe peel offs.

Challenges:

Digi Choosday Challenge – Anything Goes

Dragonfly Dreams Challenges – No Patterned Paper

Dream Factory Challenge – Aquaman (a loose interpretation! I was thinking about the association with the sea, of course.)

The Sisterhood of Crafters – Ocean/Beachy

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge – Anything Goes

……….

I had so much fun making these backgrounds, and I hope you enjoyed watching the video and/or reading the blog post. I’d love to know which of the three is your favourite. I love the watercolour one, but I think the alcohol ink turned out really nicely too.

Don’t forget that this is part of a hop, and there is a prize up for grabs. If you’d like a chance to win the prize, make sure to leave a comment on my YouTube video. Comments left here on the blog whilst very much appreciated will not count as an entry into the giveaway.

Be sure to check out Donna’s blog to keep hopping!

By the way, if you love critters and cardmaking be sure to check out the Critter Loving Cardmakers and Papercrafters Facebook group, which I admin. It’s filled with cute inspiration and we’d love to see you sharing your projects there, too!

Love,

Lady Joyful

*Affiliate links may have been used in this post. For more details on affiliate links as well as other ways to support me, visit this page.*