What a WONDERFUL September release from Kindred Stamps!... I had hours and hours of creating bliss with Animated Pals and I know you will too... It's a magical, and I'm sure you will have someone in mind when you create fun cards and projects...
Card #1 took me to the forest where the wildflowers dance and sing...
I could have kept going and going and going with the flowers! I used several Kindred dies for this card:
Bare Trees Craft Die was used to make my own stencil for the background forest. After ink blending with assorted distress oxide inks (4-1/4" x 5-1/5" panel) (I chose 3 greens that I thought looked foresty), I die cut each tree on a big enough piece of card stock that I could then use as a disposable stencil. I started with a light brown for a deeper in the forest vibe, and an espresso brown for the remaining trees. I alternated which tree to use for interest, and staggered the positions where the trunks fell as well. At this time, I stamped my character & flower image and colored in the leaves of the flowers. (I failed to color in the leaves, and coloring after the matter wasn't as successful as if I had...) You can stamp over a trunk, it won't matter, as the final image is a fussy cut image, you will be covering the original up...I would HIGHLY encourage you color those leaves though...it is very hard to fussy cut to the line that small of detail, and you can adhere your flower heads easily over the original stamped image (with colored leaves)...and still appear like they are not a flower head without a body attached, lol...
Next step: For my magical forest, I applied Holographic Sticker Paper over my forest panel. Next die I used: Card Basics Die. I used it to cut my stitched rectangle. You may need to run it through twice, the sticker paper doesn't clean cut, but, it's cut enough you can pull it apart or run a scissor cut on it, the definition of the actual rectangle is fully cut. Lastly, I used: Fairy Cloche Die Set for my random flowers. This is where I chose bling for the centers, and had fun with my alcohol markers to get a variety of bright colors on the petals and leaves..
My last step...DIMENSION!!! I went 3D, but only 1 of the dimensions, I used dim tape. The 2nd layer is glued directly on the pre stamped image. I cut to the line, and I had to do some unique cutting through flower faces to remove those blank spots next to our girl's hair...I felt it was worth this extra step, it sure made fussy cutting 10x easier!!!
My layers are as follows:
1. Pre stamped image, stamp over trees, etc., in fact I encourage you to. COLOR THE LEAVES!!!! 2. Apply the holographic sticker paper, die cut the stitched rectangle mat... color the second layer, (the girl and the 2 front flowers, really only the edges need colored because the 3rd layer will cover them) You will need to cut right through the faces of the 2 front flowers on this second layer, to cut around the flowers and the girls hair of the back flowers. I do not cut any leaves...too hard...I apply this layer directly over the 1st layer with glue. 3. The last layer is the girl and front 2 flowers, popped up on dim tape. I do keep the little leaves under the chin of the flowers, but all the other fussy cutting on the 2 layer, I did NOT fussy cut the leaves. That is why the first layer is colored.
Now...add the flower die cuts, and run wild with the wildflowers! This is a very long post, but I know I will be asked how this was done, so, I gave you a run down of the layers. This truly was one of those cards, I never wanted to end. It was colorful and fun to create...and I need some of that getting lost in wonderland for a bit these days.
Now...on to the last 3 cards...lol...I promise, I won't be so definitive on these ones.
#2 Aloha ... I can smell the coconut sun tan lotion and taste the pineapple just writing this...
A little more brief here: I used alcohol markers to make my sand on a random hill die of mine. I freehand cut the ocean, but did the color of the water using distress oxide / ink blending. The waves...a random wavy stamp...could easily be a freehand wave too. I did run a black acrylic marker over the top, to give it a black "stamped edge" look, since this was a freehand ocean. (I use a black acrylic marker on the edges of everything I fussy cut, it won't bleed into the carefully cut out and colored image) (beware though, it doesn't dry fast, I have smudged a few images every now and then with a big black mark...now, I'm very careful, especially if it was something tedious to cut out!) Ink blended sky, water distress sprinkles, etc...random dies for the trees/sun/mini flowers... and
Stitched Alpha Die Set for my Aloha, I'll bet
Adaline Alpha Die Set would be a great font too...I don't have that alpha set YET, but plan to in the future. I do know, I sure love having a font die set on hand.
#3 Jungle Vibes...
I used a fun designer paper from a previous Kindred limited edition kit. I've been hoarding it, as I'm almost out of this particular paper pack. I think anything jungle looking would be fun too... You can peruse through the fun selection of
Kindred Paper Pads, lots to choose from, each pack has 24 sheets, with 6 different 2 sided printed heavy duty card stock. Lots of options, and so easy to store, a bonus I was thinking about yesterday while rummaging through my craft room. PERFECT for card makers!
#4 You've Got A Friend In Me..
My last card used the
Card Basics Die set as well. I made my own designer paper for the red striped, yellow background and the cow spots. Both felt liberating to make, I randomly made black dairy cow spots using a black alcohol marker, and I carefully drew lines using a ruler and red marker for our square paper. You see that
Holographic Sticker Paper again, I wanted interest on this card, and that was quick and easy. Although you can't tell much in the photo, I took a black alcohol marker and colored my circle and my black mat over a
White Diamond Print Inkjet Glitter Paper another staple product I have in my room. :)
So there you have it! Sorry for the long post, but, I have been asked about the layering steps and thought process I go through for creating some of my cards. I did have a few trials on that first card, the others are fairly self explanatory. I love the fact I made my own stencil with using a die cut...prior to that, I was wondering how to get my trees. I tossed a few of my originals until I did that.
I say with every new release...this has to be my favorite so far...well...this one, really has to be my favorite. It was fun creating with these images, it took me to my kiddos youth, and a little bit of mine too... There was color...fun flowers...just plain old fun...memories to ink to paper. The new release,
Animated Pals , is available to purchase this Friday, September 19th, 8 a.m. Pacific Time. There are other fun sets to choose from too...it's a GREAT ... MAGICAL ... FUN ... release!
