Dare To Be Different

Hi everyone, today I would like to share the card I made for a one-off card swap that was organised on the Tracy Evans FB page, where the idea was to use Tracy’s latest own-brand stamps as the focal point for the design. The organiser was fellow group member Fiona, whose blog I already know well, and it turned out that she was also my swap partner. I very much admire Fiona’s lovely creations so I was really excited about the swap.

I decided to use the cute new Quirky Birds, and wanted to create something really different, I had an idea of placing a brightly coloured bird amongst several plain ones on a grey background, to emphasise the concept that the colourful one “dares to be different”. 

I created a smooshed background with several shades of grey and black Distress Oxides, then stamped and heat embossed a bird at each side. I stamped and heat embossed the bird with hearts onto separate card, coloured with Zig pens and Spectrum Noir sparkle pen then fussy cut out. 

I wanted to mount the coloured bird onto a rainbow coloured background and played around with die cut circles, but then hit on the idea of using the branched heart. I stamped it and heat embossed both on the inked background and on separate white card, then coloured the heart on white card with Zig pens, spattered with water then fussy cut. I attached the heart and bird to the centre of the card, and added some background stamping in grey and a couple of words in black. 

I stamped the main sentiment onto separate card, masking it so I could stamp the word “different” in rainbow colours (very fiddly, but worth it!), then cut out, edged and attached. Finally I stamped, cut out and attached some little hearts, added some white gel pen highlights, then matted the finished panel onto black and silver card stock and a 7” x 5” card blank.  

Here's an angled pic to show the sparkle.

I also decorated the inside of the card ...

... and the envelope.

Stamps: Tracy Evans Boutique Designs TE10 Quirky Birds, TE6 Branched Heart; AALL & Create #533 Bring On the Sentiments, #531 Textured Florals;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Lost Shadow, Hickory Smoke, Black Soot); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Morning Mist, Tulip Red, Summertime, Cheerful, Rainforest, Blue Belle, Twilight, Monarch); Kuretake Zig Clean Colour watercolour brush pens; Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); gel pen (white).

Challenges I would like to enter:

Colourful Options (March) - Rainbow Inspired - TOP 3

Creative Inspirations (March) - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Creative Knockouts #517 - Sparkle and Shine

Lost Coast Portal To Creativity #183 - Let's Fly (2nd entry)

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2411 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Paper Funday #63 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Time Out #259 - Birds of a Feather

Word Art Wednesday #639/640 - Anything Goes (5th entry)

This card is really quite left field for me but I had a lot of fun and enjoyed making it, and can share it now that it has arrived safely.

Whilst making the above card I did a bit of experimenting with Zig pens scribbled on acetate and spritzed with water. I didn’t use the results on the card, but with some leftover ink on my acetate I created a mop up background on a scrap of card, and decided to make a quick and simple ATC with it … here it is.

I created a mop up background on a scrap of card with Zig pens scribbled on acetate, then cut the inky background to 3.25” x 2.25”. I added silhouette stamping flower, beetle and background text, then stamped the sentiment onto separate card, cut out and attached. I added white gel pen highlights and a touch of sparkle pen before matting onto a black border - job done!

 

Stamps: Woodware Mini Floral Silhouettes, Additions (background text), Blooming (sentiment);

Media: Kuretake Zig Clean Colour watercolour brush pens; Versamark Clair (Nocturne, Charming Pink); gel pen (white); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear).

Challenges I would like to enter:

Allsorts #7734/774 - Keep It Simple

Beautiful Blossoms #15 - Anything Floral Goes (3rd entry)

Creative Fingers #274 - Anything Goes

Little Red Wagon #748 - Florals (2nd entry)

Mix It Up #70 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Outlawz (March) - Anything Goes in a Card Free Zone (3rd entry)

We Love 2 Create #2 2024 - Anything Mixed Media Goes (3rd entry)

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,