Happy Hearts Day!

Simon Says Stamp's Work It Wednesday challenge theme this month is "Love." What says love more than a bear with a big heart? I created this card to send to Send a Smile 4 Kids, for a hospitalized child to receive for Valentine's Day.

For my card design, I chose the following Operation Write Home sketch:

I began by printing this digital image from Bugaboo Stamps onto a piece of 140 lb. watercolor paper, cut to 4x5.25". I then colored him in with Inktense pencils and a damp brush. Since there was space between him and the patterned paper strip, I added a wash of watered-down Pumice Stone Distress ink, just to ground the image. Then I set that aside to dry.

I used a patterned paper from My Mind's Eye's "Love Me" 6x6" pad for the left hand block and narrow strip on the right. For the greeting panel, I punched a heart from dark pink cardstock, using the Martha Stewart "Studded Heart" all-over-the-page punch. I glued that to the light pink cardstock strip that I'd already adhered my patterned papers to. Then I used a greeting from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps' "Cocoa's Heart" clear stamp set (discontinued) to stamp inside the heart with Versafine Onyx Black ink. I was so glad that the stamp just fit inside the heart, since I'd already adhered everything to the light pink cardstock!

To finish the card, I matted the main panel with more light pink cardstock, and adhered the patterned paper/greeting panel in place. Then I adhered the completed card front to an A2 size card base, and this card was done!

I'm also entering my card in the following challenges:

Send a Smile 4 Kids' "Valentine's or Love Cards 4 Kids"
Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps' Release Day Challenge: "Use Something New" (new image from Bugaboo Stamps)