You’re Elephantastic

Hi Heffydoodlers! Ali here, with a card featuring the cutest little floppy-eared elephant from the Elephant of Surprise stamp set (HDS/SSS).

I began this card with the background piece (as I very often do!) I think this ‘sets’ the tone for the card and I regularly ‘build’ my cards around how the background piece evolves. I like to be a little instinctive with my card-making (meaning I don’t plan every little detail out beforehand) and I begin most cards with only a general idea of the design, stamp set I want to use, colour scheme and then go from there!

A rectangle of watercolour paper forms the background piece. Using some acetate, I dabbed distress Oxide Inks (SSS) Picked Rasberry and Abandoned Coral onto the acetate, spritzed with water and then flipped onto the watercolour paper, pressing on the acetate to ‘smoosh’ the ink around a little. I dried the ink with my heat gun before each application of ink until I was happy with the result.  I flicked some Shimmer Spritz (SSS) using the sprayer tubeonto the paper, to add some sparkly droplets and then cut out a rectangle piece with a stitched rectangle die from My Favorite Things (MFT|SSS).  Next, I cut a vellum heart using a Stitched Heart Stax die (MFT).  I stamped the little elephant in Memento ink (SSS) on smooth white paper (I use Mondi 250gsm) and coloured him using Copic colours C00, C3, C5 & C7 (R20 for cheeks), die cutting him with the co-ordinating Die (HDS|SSS) I did the same with the balloon and Copic colours Y15 & Y06 and coordinating die. I added detail with a white broad Signo gel pen (SSS).

I attached the elephant to the vellum heart with some 3-d foam, secured the balloon in his hand and adhered all to the background piece.  I stamped the sentiment on craft card with white Hero Arts Pigment Ink (SSS), embossed with white Ranger embossing powder (SSS), set with my heat gun and trimmed to size with my scalpel.  I took a kraft coloured base card and placed the front panel in my Next Level Embossing folder (SSS) and ran it through my big shot. Then I attached my  background panel with elephant, sentiments and added a few Pretty Pink Posh clear droplets (SSS).

Hope you enjoyed my card and Happy Heffydoodling!

Ali x