THANKS FOR MAKING ME SMILE

Before I show you the card I've posted for today, I wanted to tell you about a new product from Quick Kutz - embossing folders! That's right BigShot and Cuttlebug users, we now have more embossed background options to choose from! Click on this link to see a beautiful ornate oval. Love it!!! and it's definitely been added to my "must have" list.

I've received a couple of emails recently that really brightened my day and made me smile. When I saw this image at a friend's house the other day, it too made me smile and I thought it would work into a perfect "Thanks for making me smile card". The problem is now I don't know which of the two email senders I shoud send the card to. Maybe I should have made two!

Normally when I make a card I choose the image first and the papers once I have colored the image. However, I picked up this brown polka dot and the blue & brown striped papers at Hobby Lobby a few days ago and really wanted to use them, so I stamped my image on 140# watercolor paper and then colored my image with SU! markers in shades of blues, browns and yellows. I added just the touch of red to make the image stand out from the background. I outlined the image in bashful blue then used a SU! Aqua Painter to soften the line. (BEWARE! SU! Aqua Painters release ALOT of water at one time and will smear even "permanent" inks (e.g. notice the girls right arm!). I have a generic aqua painter that seems to work better for this technique but to really keep control of the amount of water being applied you could use a paint brush and dip it into water then a little reinker.)

Since I wanted to keep an "earthy" feel to the image, I lightly sponged bordering blue around the edge and then added specks in Creamy Caramel using the Itty Bitty Backgrounds stamp set. The finished image was layered onto a piece of Kraft cardstock and then again on a piece of Bordering Blue cardstock.

The sentiment is from the SU! set "Small Sayings" and was stamped onto Kraft cardstock in Chocolate Chip ink then matted on a small piece of Real Red cardstock to make it the focal point of the card as well as bring out the touches of red in the image. I added red brads and piercing to finish.

Thanks for taking the time to read my "babble" today.

Have a wonderful Holiday for those of you here in the USA.

Until next time -

Happy Stamping.

Jill