I Spy With My Little Eye #6

Hi everyone, today is the 3rd Wednesday of the month so it's time once more for a new I Spy With My Little Eye... challenge over at Ellibelle's Corner.  Thanks so much to everyone who joined in with our two month long challenge for June and July - we are now back to our normal monthly timetable following the summer holiday period, so without further ado, this month’s theme is

I Spy With My Little Eye 

Something for Boys or Men

We hope you will be able to join us and look forward to seeing your makes.

Here's my card for the challenge - my first playtime with Gorgeous Gus, who I bought when I visited the Lavinia Shop on their Open Day on 9th July. I haven’t inked him up until now as I have felt a bit nervous about how best to colour him, but I have seen so many lovely creations with him and his sibling owls on various Lavinia FB groups that I thought now was the time. I'm sure this card was inspired by a Jo Rice tutorial, but sorry to say I can't find it to link..

I cut a piece of stamping card 14cm x 19.5cm as Gus is really BIG and requires a C5 card to showcase him to full effect. I placed Gus and the vine branch for him to sit on (another new stamp from the latest release) using the acetate images, then stamped Gus, masked him then stamped the vine branch in brown. I then masked the branch so I could stamp a few more offshoots. With the owl mask still in place I blended Della Blue and Dark Denim Elements inks onto the background, using a circle mask for the moon, then used my reverse circle mask to blend some Stormy Sky Distress Oxide on the inner edge of the moon to add some depth. I added the background text in grey,  removed my masks then coloured Gus and the branch with watercolour pencils, and added black fineliner to the eyes to make them more black, and white gel pen highlights. I then added further branches in the top corner, another owl in flight in the background, a little birdie on the branch which I highlighted with white pastel pencil, and a little foliage in the corners. I matted the finished piece onto pearlescent blue card stock and a C5 card blank, then finished off by adding Posca pen stars, and glossy accents to Gus’s eyes which really made them shine 😀. I didn’t add a sentiment as I thought it would detract from my picture - I will add a greeting on the inside! 

Here is an angled picture to show Gus’s lovely shiny eyes 😀

I think I need to practise colouring Gus a lot more using both different colours and potentially different colouring media, but I'm actually very pleased with how this one turned out. I really love the adorable way Gus looks at you when you are playing with him - very cute and so relaxing!

Stamps: Lavinia Gus, Vine Branch, Brodwin and Maylin, Wise Owl, Flower Collection, Bird Collection; 

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Della Blue, Dark Denim); Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink (Stormy Sky); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Pinecone, Morning Mist); watercolour pencils; Sakura Stardust pen (clear); gel pen (white); pastel pencil (white); Posca pen (white).

Tools: Lavinia acetate circle masks.

Challenges I would like to enter. 

Allsorts #741/742 - All Creatures Great and Small

Crafty Animals #75 - Include an Animal - WINNER

Daisy Chain #77 - Boys/Men

Lavinia Creative Challenge (August) - Through the Trees

Paper Funday #56 - Anything Goes with option The Great Outdoors

Sheepski #77 - Your Favourite Things

(Owls, Elements inks, moon)

Simon Says (Monday) - Use Your Favourite Technique (2nd entry)

(I love making blended inky backgrounds and using masks for eg. the moon)

Triple B (August) - Birds, Butterflies and/or Blooms

We Love Stamping (August) - Masculine - TOP 5

Word Art Wednesday #609/610 - Anything Goes

The I Spy challenge will end on the Sunday before the next challenge starts at 23:39 US Central Time - so this time that is  Sunday September 13th - Next month we will have a little surprise in store for you … and instead of the challenge starting on the 3 rd Wednesday of the month, it will be starting next time on the 3rd Monday of the month - Monday September 18th. 

Please do pop over to Ellie's blog to see her fab creation and link up your entries here.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,