Happy Monday everyone...
This week on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog is all about FOUR LEGGED FRIENDS and whether that's cats, dogs or any other animal that you love ~ the DT are looking forward to seeing your makes and hope you will join us and play along.
For my make, I created a couple of birthday gift card holders and it's been a while since I used the Crazy Dogs in a project. So there's no better time than now to break out those fun loving animals and have some fun bringing them to life.
So here we go, it's time to say hello to the crazy dogs!
For this make, I used the Sizzix Tim Holtz Collector Thinlits Die Set for my envelope and an idea-ology file card with the window aperture.
ENVELOPE
To begin with I die cut the envelope using the Collector die set to cut Mixed Media Heavystock Card. After scoring along the lines, I spritzed the surface with Pumice Stone and Old Paper Distress Spray Stain, heat dried the inks and then assembled my envelope.
Using the Crop-A-Dile Eyelet setter, I punched a hole into the flap of the envelope before setting the eyelet into position.
Setting the envelope to one side, I cut a panel of Distress Watercolor card slightly smaller than the envelope. I used the same sprays to add colour to the surface and then around the edges, I wanted to add some inky splotches using Scorched Timber, Ground Espresso and Gathered Twigs Distress Inks, applied directly onto my craft mat.
I spritzed the inks with water to form droplets and then dipped my card in and out of the ink. After heat drying the card, I inked the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink and then machine stitched a border.
Once I'd matted the card panel onto black cardstock, I attached the panels to my envelope.
CREATING THE SCENE
The envelope is now ready to create the scene and for this I used the following stamp sets:
Mini Bird Crazy and Things Stamps and Die Bundle
I began by stamping my crazy dog onto a piece of watercolour card and then watercoloured the image with Distress Watercolor Pencils. I then stamped the balloons and the Crazy Thought, "POP", and also watercoloured these before cutting around the outline of all the images. For the balloons, there is a co-ordinating Simon Says Stamp die set which makes things so much easier on the fiddly little images.
Using foam pads, attach the Crazy Thought in the top left hand corner, slightly overlapping the edges.
Attach the crazy dog and the balloons ~ adding four balloons in a cluster on the right hand side...
....and a deflated, popped balloon on the left hand side.
I then used a black fine line pen to draw some strings to attach the balloons.
The message is stamped onto a small strip of black card, with an inverted 'v' cut into one end, and using clear embossing ink, I inked the "what the?" stamp from the Crazy Talk stamp set and heat embossed with white powder.
I attached the message to my envelope, placing it beneath the dog to ground him, attaching it with foam pads and then placed a Mini Pin into the left hand side of the message.
To complete the envelope, I added some twine.
WINDOW FILE CARD
Moving onto the second mini card and window envelope...
To begin with I made the window envelope and once again, I inked some Distress Watercolor Card using the same colours and technique, as I used on the background for my previous envelope.
Once happy and the background was dry, I used the SSS Basic Circles die set to cut a circular aperture into my card panel, ensuring that it fit with the circle on the window file card. You will see that the circle is slightly larger in size and therefore it allows a narrow border to show around the aperture in the window file card.
I cut a two further panels of the watercolour card, one to fit on the inside of the window file card and a second piece that will become the insert. This time, I coloured the card with the following Distress Spray Stains: Iced Spruce, Speckled Egg, Pumice Stone and Old Paper. After blending the sprays with a little water mist, I heat dried the surface and then added some Tumbled Glass Oxide Spray.
Once I was happy with my panels, I took the panel that will fit inside the window file card and in Black Soot Archival Ink, I stamped the POP Crazy Thought onto the card panel ensuring that where I stamp it will show through the aperture. I added some white pen highlights and then attached the panel on the inside.
MINI CARD with pull tab
With the remaining inked panel, I used the rounded corner die in the Collector set. This is going to create the insert for my envelope.
I applied some stenciled details to the background using Broken China Oxide Ink through the Mini Layering Stencil from set 33 and then matted the card onto a slightly larger piece of Mixed Media Heavystock card, which I inked with Walnut Stain and Frayed Burlap Distress Inks.
Once I'd machine stitched a border around each layer of card, I cut a tab pull using a die from the Specimen Thinlits Die Set by Sizzix and Tim Holtz and attached this to the top of my card. The date is stamped using an old rotary date stamp set that I have in my stash.
STAMPED IMAGES
For this set, I used my favourite doggy from the set, which I stamped onto watercolour card and water-coloured him with Distress Watercolour Pencils before cutting him out. I also stamped and painted a party hat.
To complete the scene, I stamped and watercoloured a selection of balloons and the bones for this piece and die cut these before adding three balloons and one bone, directly to my background. I hand drew the strings and then added some gold stars.
Finally, I stamped the Crazy Talk message, 'you're how old?' to sit beneath the doggy.
On the window envelope, I wanted the balloons to be coloured and placed so that they were in exactly the same position as on the card placed inside.
So, with my card inside the envelope, I attached the balloons in the same colours as on the mini card, and lined them up so the image now appears the same, inside and out. I also added two bones and then drew the strings, again lining everything up.
I completed the envelope with a stamped 'it's your birthday' message and finally added some more gold stars, some cello sticker tape and a mini paper clip.
...and those finishing details complete my project for this week!
I hope you love what I've made and will be inspired by these fun pieces.
As always, if you make anything, or if you've been inspired by anything that you've seen here on my blog ~ then please, let me know by tagging me on social media or leaving a comment here and I will be right over to take a look! Also, if you have any questions, then please...just ask away!
forget that every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $25 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp and you can join in up to 5 times, which means you could have 5 chances to win. You have until next Monday at 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....
Recipe for project:
