Sending Sunny Thoughts

One of the challenges for Splitcoast Stampers' 2015 "Hope You Can Cling To" series is called "Whatever the Weather." The idea is to take a weather event/pattern that you don't like, and make an encouraging card based on that. While I don't mind rain once in a while, I really prefer sunshine. I have this stamp by My Favorite Things, so I decided to make a card around that.

I stamped the little girl on a piece of 140 lb. watercolor paper, that I'd cut to 4x5.25", using Ranger Archival Jet Black ink. I also stamped one of the greetings from that same set next to her. I colored her in with my Inktense pencils, using a damp brush to blend & provide highlights and shading. For the background, I drew a line for the ground, and colored below that with a Chinese Ink Inktense pencil. I added a puddle with a blue pencil, and then blended everything with my brush. I wet the sky area with clean water and a larger brush, and then painted it with watered-down Hickory Smoke Distress ink. Then I dried the panel with my heat tool.

I stamped the sun from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps' "Happy Happy" set with Hero Arts Butter Bar ink onto a scrap of watercolor paper. When the ink had dried, I die cut it with the coordinating die, and colored it with a yellow Inktense pencil & a wet brush. I die cut several clouds from grey cardstock & vellum, using the "Clouds and Raindrops" set, also by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. I also die cut raindrops from 3 shades of blue shimmer and glitter cardstock. After I determined placement of my elements, I glued the clouds and sun down, then glued the raindrops. I used my scissors to trim off the parts that hung over the edges of the panel.

To add a bit of shimmer & shine, I added some clear Wink of Stella to the umbrella & sun. I also coated the umbrella, boots, and raindrops with Glossy Accents. When that had dried (I gave it several hours, just to be sure), I matted the panel with yellow cardstock, then mounted that to a white A2 card base.

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

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday "Anything Goes"
Virginia's View Challenge #19: "All Things Colored"