Awesome Otters Birthday Card

Hello, Crafters.

I painted these three otters when I was preparing last weekend’s video, the Diamond Z Fold. I wasn’t able to use them because I didn’t have enough of any suitable blue “water” Designer Series Paper (DSP). I have the gorgeous Simply Marbleous DSP from the Sale-a-bration (SAB) Brochure but at 6″ x 6″ it wasn’t big enough for my 7″ x 5″ card. I won’t have this problem again because I’ve just ordered the fabulous Gentle Waves Background Stamp (157868) that’s featured on page 45 in the new Spring/Summer Mini Catalogue. Did you overlook it, too? The first time I saw it was when I was watching a video on YouTube! It’s going to be one of those stamps that’s going to stay with me always!

Back to the otters! They’ve been sitting on my desk since the weekend and I made up my mind to use them for today’s card but how? My idea was having them looking through “windows” of some sort! Going through my dies I came across the Beautiful Shapes Dies (158046) on page 50. They match the Hello Beautiful Stamp Set which I didn’t buy! I love shape dies because they are so versatile and don’t date – this is another product that won’t retire in this craft room! 😀 My colour scheme had already been decided i.e. Balmy Blue with Crumb Cake accents but where did I go from here given that I didn’t have the correct DSP for a larger card that I felt the otters needed! I would have liked to make a 7″ x 5″ because Sunday’s video had a huge positive response for this larger size.

I decided to take a sheet of computer paper that was in my recycling box, folded it into three sections and die-cut all four hexagonal dies – and I had three of each. This gave me an opportunity to lay the otters on the dies-cuts and then the die-cuts on different sized cards. I decided to go with a slimline card because there was plenty of space for three hexagons and a sentiment. The plan was to use the A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU sentiment from the Handsomely Suited Stamp Set; I have used this several times recently. As much as I love these otters I wasn’t happy with my fussy-cutting. I normally find this a very relaxing technique but my efforts left a lot to be desired! The problem was that the images of these otters are quite “hairy” and this is the point where fussy-cutting becomes a challenge for me!

There was only one way to go forward! I took the three otters and fussy cut them on the black outside edge cutting off all the hairy bits. I must say they did look a bit odd, well bald really! 🤣 But that was OK – I had a plan. I decided to create a Balmy Blue Cardstock (CS) card base which measured 8¼” x 7¼”, scored and folded at 3⅝”. Then I cut two Basic White CS middle layers which measured 8” x 3⅜” and two Balmy Blue CS top layers which measured 7⅞” x 3¼”. These sizes in inches are suitable for A4 and letter-size cardstock users. I didn’t want the top Balmy Blue layer on the front of my card plain and my embossing folders were too small. Yes, I could have embossed half and half but I didn’t feel inclined to do that. Instead, I chose to use the spotty stamp from the Daffodil Daydream Stamp Set with Balmy Blue Ink and stamp tone-on-tone – it worked beautifully.

Next, I took my Stamparatus plus a plate together with the three otter stamps. I had several smallish pieces of the Balmy Blue Simply Marbleous DSP that I knew would be ideal for what I needed so I matched the pieces of DSP with the sizes of the otters. I also checked there was enough room to die-cut them using the hexagon dies. I used Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and stamped the three otters onto the DSP squares. Next I die-cut them using dies nos. 2 and 3 and I also cut three hexagons in Basic White CS using dies nos. 3 and 4. I adhered the hexagons together and then I adhered my “bald” otters onto my stamped otters. Hey presto, the otters are hairy again! Next I started arranging the otters on the card front leaving space for a sentiment.   It was at this stage that I checked the size of the YOU ARE OTTERLY AWESOME sentiment stamp with the smallest hexagon and it fitted beautifully!

I stamped the sentiment using Soft Suede Ink on a piece of DSP that I had checked to make sure it would fit the no. 1 size hexagon die. It worked beautifully and after I had die-cut the sentiment I also die-cut a Basic White CS hexagon using the no 2 die. Although all four images/sentiment fitted onto the front of the card, it looked a bit of a squeeze so I decided to overlap the two smaller hexagons. I was so pleased how it all worked out! To finish the front of the card I adhered some Very Vanilla Polished Dots on the top layer as well as the image and sentiment – I was very pleased with the result! However, I’m not so pleased with the inside of the card! I used the spotty stamp along the bottom edge of the top layer and then stamped the IT’S BIRTHDAY TIME, also from the Awesome Otters Stamp Set over the spotty area. Of course it was crooked – too much to leave.

I stamped the sentiment onto a scrap of Basic White Cardstock and used my very old Window Punch – remember that beauty? – but it fitted too tightly. Later today I may cut a new top layer and adhere it over the top of this one. The jury is out at the moment as they say! Overall I am very happy with this card – it’s a shame about the inside! By the way, I adhered the images and the sentiment to the front of the card using Dimensionals! The Awesome Otters Stamp Set and the Simply Marbleous DSP are both gifts that are available during SAB for a qualifying order £45/60€ – SAB ends on 28th February 2022.

That’s it from me today. I hope you’re enjoyed today’s card. I’ll be back soon and in the meantime, please take care and stay safe. Happy crafting.

JanB. xx
PRODUCTS USED for this project: please click on any of the links to be taken to my 24/7 online Stampin’ Up! shop. The Hostess Code for FEBRUARY 2022 is 2TWMEFUF Thank you. xx

Balmy Blue A4 Cardstock [147007] £8.25	Basic White A4 Cardstock [159228] £9.00	Simply Marbleous 6″ X 6″ (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [158128] £0.00	Awesome Otters Cling Stamp Set (English) [158087] £0.00	Beautiful Shapes Dies [158046] £27.00
Hello Beautiful Bundle (English) [158047] £39.50	Daffodil Daydream Bundle [157795] £51.25	Balmy Blue Classic Stampin’ Pad [147105] £7.00	Balmy Blue Classic Stampin’ Ink Refill [147168] £3.50	Soft Suede Classic Stampin’ Pad [147115] £7.00
Soft Suede Classic Stampin’ Ink Refill [115663] £3.50	Crumb Cake Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [154882] £8.50	Polished Dots [158134] £7.00	Paper Trimmer [152392] £23.00	Stamparatus [148187] £46.00
Small Grid Paper [149621] £6.00	Simply Shammy [147042] £7.50	Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine [149653] £112.00	Paper Snips [103579] £9.25	Take Your Pick [144107] £9.00
Bone Folder [102300] £6.50	Grid Paper [130148] £11.75	Silicone Craft Sheet [127853] £5.50	Multipurpose Liquid Glue [154974] £4.50	Stampin’ Dimensionals [104430] £3.75
Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals [144108] £3.75