Giraffes and More

Well, I'm hoping there'll be more today! I'm making cards today for gifts I'm delinquent on. One of the teachers at work and his wife had a baby a couple of months ago and I never sent a card or a gift, so today's the day for that. Another teacher just built and moved into a new house, and I wanted to give her a gift also. That card is yet to come, so come back and see that one. ETA: It's done...scroll down to see it! I have a cute idea for a "new house" card that I got at my LSS, Buffalo Stamps & Stuff.

I received this image (his name is "Stretch" from High Hopes Rubber Stamps) from Cheryl Rowley in this lovely box a while ago. She gave it to me as a gift the first time we got together. I had mentioned that I really liked this guy, so she stamped quite a few of them and put them in the box. She also sent me a birthday card with him on it, which you can see in this post. That watercoloring is awesome! I used her layout for my card, but used copic markers to color him with. I tried to watercolor him, but it just wasn't working for me. I have to practice more, I guess! This turned out much nicer. After I colored the blue spots, I used a light brown and a beige for the rest of the giraffe. He looked too "blah", so I took an orange/yellow marker and colored over it, then blended it with the colorless blender. It brightened it up and gave me the more apricot color I was looking for. That's what is so great about these markers. You can color over another color, blend it in, shade, etc. They are wonderful! I used the tiny bubbles CB folder for the background and used this cool new rub-on paste I got from Bonnie's Best with a coupon I won at the WNY SCS gathering I went to a few weeks ago. I used a Luster Amber color and it gives a little sheen to the embossed parts. Real cool IRL! I also used this cute dp from Making Memories called Animal Crackers/Ella Giraffes. Crystal Stickles are on the giraffe and the sentiment...I love glitter and shine! There's another card to see....don't leave yet!

Recipe
Stamps: Riveting, Stretch from High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Paper: Apricot appeal, bashful blue, very vanilla, Making Memories Animal Crackers/Ella Giraffes
Ink: Apricot appeal, bashful blue, black, copic markers
Accessories: Tiny Bubbles CB folder, Amber luster rub-ons, dimensionals, dauber, Crystal Stickles, circle and scallop punches


Here's the other card I made for a co-worker who just bought a new house. The picture is so dark. I just can't seem to get a good photo. I think I need another light.



I got the idea from a card I saw at my LSS. I kept the layout, but changed the colors and used background dp from Afternoon Tea. The nest and branch are colored with copic markers. The bird should have been facing the other way, or I should have stamped the sentiment more over to the right and put the bird on the left side, but everything was stamped and mounted, and I didn't feel like changing it (lazy!).

The inside of the card reads "You have a new nest". I thought that was cute. Anyway, thanks for stopping by and come back soon!

Recipe

Stamps: Great Impressions, Live Your Dream (bird)

Paper: Close to cocoa, garden green, ivory (unknown), Afternoon Tea

Ink: Close to cocoa, Adirondack espresso and pitch black, copic markers

Accessories: American Crafts brads, circle punches, dimensionals