Sending Smiles Across the Miles...

Hey everyone. After a small break I am back with another card. It features cute kittens riding in a hot air balloon.

I first started with the background. I wanted to make an fading sky from darkest to lightest. I used the distress inks on watercolor paper to do this. I started with Salty Ocean, trying to be patient as possible using circular motions. Then halfway through I switched to the colour Tumbled Glass. Then I distressed it using flicks of water from a paint brush but with the larger splatters I just used my fingers. It was still a little bland so I flicked some Spun Sugar and Shaded Lilac to give it some more interest.

I also used the distress inks to color in the clouds. Instead of using a circular motion I used a tapping motion with the inks Spun Sugar and Tumbled Glass. By using a tapping motion, it gave a more textured look and the inks blended nicer together.

I stamped the images on white cardstock paper and colored them in with copic markers. The colour combination was inspired by the current MFT color challenge #48. I used the coordinating dies to cut out the images and then trimmed the basket part off the hot air balloon. To connect the basket of kittens to the balloon, I used black thread and a needle to put the strings on and used tape on the back to secure it. The balloon portion is propped up with 3D foam squares and I glued only the basket portion on the card so it looks like the kittens are moving around in the basket.

I stamped the sentiment with Versafine ink and heat embossed it. Then I attached the base to a slightly larger stitched rectangle card base lined with a perfect matching background design that had similar colours. Lastly, I finished off the card by applying glossy accents to the triangle banners, bow tie and noses and applied heart sequins as a finishing touch.

And, the card is finished. 

Materials used on this card:
- Lawn Fawn Blue Skies stamp and coordinating dies
- My Favorite Things Cool Cat stamp set
- Mama Elephant Up and Away for the sentiment
- Lawn Fawn Large Stitched Rectangle Stackable dies
- SimonSaysStamp Stitched Rectangles dies
- Recollections Home Basics Paper Pad
- Recollections Cool Water Cardstock Paper
- Staples White 110lbs Cardstock Paper
- Artist's Loft Watercolor Paper 90lb
- Copic Markers for the cats & basket: YR00, E000, 0, N0, N2, E23, E25, BV00, BV02, BV13
- Copic Markers for the hot air balloon: BV02, BG45, YG13
- Distress Inks: Salty Ocean, Tumbled Glass, Spun Sugar, Shaded Lilac
- Versafine Onyx Black Pigment Ink
- Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
- Zing! Clear embossing powder
- Ranger Glossy Accents
- Needle & Black Thread
- 3D Foam Squares
- Tombow Mono Aqua Liquid Glue
- EK Success Powder Tool
- Heart Sequins

This card will be entered in the MFT Color Challenge #48. 

This will also be entered in the Lawnscaping Challenge #132 Distress Maniac.

Thanks for dropping by!

* Hugs *

natnatbot