Cards for Children Challenge Card No. 1 – Magical Mermaid

Hello, Crafters.

Yesterday Stampin’ Up! announced that the new 3D Embossing Folder called Country Floral 3D Embossing Folder (151823) is now available to order. If you bought anything via my online shop last month, please don’t forget to use the Bonus Voucher Code/s you received from Stampin’ Up! by 31st August 2019 because that is the day they’ll expire if not used! As the saying goes, use them or lose them! Another reminder is that the Extra Extra promotion will also be coming to an end on 31st August. That offer is to choose an exra £25 worth of free product if you join my team as a Discount Shopper. The following month you’ll also receive an £8 voucher to use against your next order! Please let me know if you’d like to know more about these promotions, I’m always happy to help.

Yesterday I received three suggestions for my next challenge, and they are children’s cards, sympathy cards and get well cards. They were all great suggestions so I went for the one that came in first! I will do the Sympathy Card Challenge and the Get Well Card Challenge, but I’ve had to put them on the back burner for the time being. Next week will probably see me start working with products from the Christmas Catalogue, which goes live on 4th. September 2019.

I chose the Magical Mermaid Stamp Set for my first challenge card. There aren’t any dies to go with this set, and I knew I’d be embossing the top layer. This meant I’d have to fussy cut the mermaid. Apart from the ends of her hair, it was a very easy image to fussy cut. I worked on the mermaid first, and all I knew about the colour base for my card was going to be green. I decided to use Highland Heather for the mermaid’s tail. When I had finished painting the whole tail, I changed to Gorgeous Grape, and coloured in a few scales haphazardly across the image. Next I added some highlights to the tail fins.

I coloured her hair in Daffodil Delight and her hairband is in Blackberry Bliss. All the colouring was done using the Stampin’ Write Markers. The reason I chose the Markers instead of the Stampin Blends, is because the Markers don’t bleed but the Blends do because they’re alcohol pens. My plan was to pop the mermaid up on Dimensionals so it would have been easy for the colour bleed to have been seen. It’s one of those things that’s very slight but if it bugs you, it bugs you, and it certainly bugs me! LOL!

I stamped the seaweed on the bottom of the top layer in Pear Pizzazz, and then stamped again without re-inking. I repeated this three times across the top layer. Next I stamped the sentiment using Black Stazon Ink. Unfortunately, my first attempt wasn’t very straight, so I scrapped it and started a new top layer! The natural choice for embossing folder was High Seas 3D, but I was only 99% certain which way I had to put my cardstock in to get waves and not clouds. I used my scrapped sheet to double-check which way I had to put my cardstock in to get it right. Once I was happy, I went ahead and my layer embossed beautifully!

When I adhered my top two layers together – Mint Macaroon and Shaded Spruce – I thought the Highland Heather on the mermaid stuck out like a sore thumb because there wasn’t any other purple. I decided to tie a piece of Mini Striped Gorgeous Grape Ribbon around the lower part of the two layers, so I could have the mermaid swimming over the ribbon. I finished the front of the card off by randomly adhering five Highland Heather Sequins, and then I adhered one small Basic Pearl Jewels in the centre of each. The sequins are available in the Gingham Gala Adhesive Backed Sequins (148561 page 178). There are five colours in the pack: Balmy Blue, Daffodil Delight, Grapefruit Grove, Green and Highland Heather.

Finally, I added a layer each of Mint Macaroon and Shaded Spruce inside the card. In the bottom right hand corner, I stamped the small solid mermaid in Gorgeous Grape Ink, and then I stamped the seaweed once, and then a second generation by the side. My mermaid didn’t stamp particularly well, so I went over it with my Highland Heather Stampin Write Marker, which coloured it in brilliantly!

That’s it from me today. I hope you like the topic for this week’s challenge! I look forward to being back with you tomorrow, and in the meantime, happy crafting.

JanB. xx

Products used for today’s card: please click on any link to be taken to my 24/7 online Stampin’ Up! shop. Thank you.

Shaded Spruce A4 Cardstock [147006] £8.25	Mint Macaron A4 Cardstock [138344] £8.25	Magical Mermaid Cling-Mount Stamp Set [151234] £19.00	Jet Black Stāzon Ink Pad [101406] £9.25	Jet Black Stāzon Ink Refill [102566] £6.50
Subtles Stampin’ Write Markers [147156] £27.50	Brights Stampin’ Write Markers [147157] £27.50	Regals Stampin’ Write Markers [147155] £27.50	Gingham Gala Adhesive-Backed Sequins [148561] £7.00	Gorgeous Grape 1/4″ (6.4 Mm) Mini Striped Ribbon [146940] £7.50
Pearl Basic Jewels [144219] £4.75	Paper Snips [103579] £9.25	Grid Paper [130148] £11.75	Silicone Craft Sheet [127853] £5.50	Multipurpose Liquid Glue [110755] £3.75
Tear & Tape Adhesive [138995] £6.50	Stampin’ Dimensionals [104430] £3.75	Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals [144108] £3.75