Merry Mail

Catch the Bug challenge blog has their "Stella Says Sketch #221" challenge going on right now. I created this card for that. It's actually one of a set of 4 cards that I made using the same design and stamps, but different papers.

I decided to go with a kraft card base this time. I felt it kind of went with the homey, "country" style of my focal image. I stamped the "Holiday Mail" image, from Deep Red Stamps, onto a piece of Strathmore Mixed Media Paper, with Ranger's Archival Jet Black ink. I die cut & embossed it with a Spellbinders "Labels Four" die, and colored it with Inktense pencils and a damp paintbrush to blend the colors. Once I'd finished coloring, I replaced the panel inside the die, and lightly blended Tumbled Glass Distress ink around the mailbox. It's subtle (so subtle, in fact, that it doesn't show up in the photo!), but I think it adds just a touch of dimension to the image panel.

I chose my patterned paper from the "Woodland Wonderland" 6x6" paper pad by The Paper Studio. I used a pale blue cardstock to mat it, die cutting the long sides of that with one of Pretty Pink Posh's "Stitched Borders 1" dies. I adhered the patterned paper piece to the mat, and adhered that to the card base.

After gluing the focal panel in place, I stamped the greeting, using one from Hero Arts' "Merry Christmas Message" set, in Versafine Onyx Black below the patterned paper. And that finished this card. Hopefully the recipient will enjoy getting it as much as I enjoyed making it! (If not, they just don't get to keep it! LOL)