Owl Card Trio

a2z Scrapbooking's challenge theme for March is "Embossing." Either wet or dry--use embossing on a project, and also use at least one Hero Arts product.

I created a trio of cards, using Sketch #SC579 from Splitcoaststampers.com & Hero Arts' "Curious Owl" stamp. For my first card, I stamped the owl on a piece of 140 lb. watercolor paper using Hero Arts Cup o' Joe ink. I then stamped him again right over top with Versamark ink. (I had already converted my stamp to cling mount, so I could use my MISTI, or this would have been almost impossible.) Next I clear heat embossed the image. I used Distress inks in Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, and Gathered Twigs to watercolor the image, adding some Fossilized Amber for the beak & feet. After that dried, I painted the background with watered-down Salty Ocean Distress ink. I added some water droplets to the blue with my paintbrush, making sure not to get any on the owl. After that sat for several seconds, I blotted up the water with a paper towel, effectively bleaching the color under the droplets.

I ran 2 strips of kraft cardstock through the "Polka Dots" Cuttlebug embossing folder. I punched a half circle in the wider strip with a 2" circle punch, to create an opening for my owl. Finally, I glued them to the top & bottom of my watercolor panel. I printed my greeting, from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps' "Owl Sentiments" digital stamp set, onto a scrap of light blue cardstock. I cut it into a banner shape, and stapled it to my card front with my Tiny Attacher. Finally, I matted my panel with cream cardstock, and adhered it to a white A2 card base.

For my second card, I paper pieced the owl. I stamped him onto a piece of kraft cardstock for the background, and also onto 3 neutral patterned papers from my scrap stash. I fussy cut the paper sections, and glued them in place over the background image. I colored the eyes in with a white gel pen, using a black gel pen for the pupils. I masked off the image, and blended over the kraft with Brushed Corduroy & Gathered Twigs Distress inks. I added water splatters, and blotted them to leave lighter spots on the background. I added green cardstock strips to the top & bottom, again using my 2" circle punch on the wider strip. Finally, I printed & adhered my greeting (also from "Owl Sentiments"), matted the panel with cream, and mounted it to a white A2 card base.

I colored the owl for my final card with Prismacolor colored pencils, and used Gamsol on a paper stump to blend the colors. After masking the owl, I blended an ombre background with Shabby Shutters, Crushed Olive, & Peeled Paint Distress inks. I again used white & black gel pens for the eyes, added my yellow cardstock strips, greeting strip, and matted it with kraft cardstock. I adhered my card front to a white A2 card base, and my trio of cards for Send a Smile 4 Kids was done!

I'm also entering my first card in Live Love Cards' March challenge to use colored cardstock.