Year of the Dog

I’m ready to celebrate the Chinese New Year with my card today. 2018 is the Year of the Dog, so I got out the cute dog from the Mama Elephant Lunar Animals set, ready for some colouring.

I seem to be reaching for my Zig clean colour real brush pens more lately, as I’m enjoying watercolouring. I stamped the Dog with MFT Extreme Black ink, which is fine for watercolour. I can also recommend their black hybrid ink for using with your zig pens too.

I chose just three colours of markers - beige 72, dark brown 62, and light pink 26. I added a little of the beige colour first, blending out with water. I then dried the image with a heat tool and repeated this step 3 or 4 times to get a nice buildup and blend of colour. I then added a thin line of the dark brown around the edge, blending out with water again. Finally, I added some light pink to the cheeks and blended out with water to soften.

Once the image was dry, I added some black gel pen to the eyes, and some white gel pens dots to the cheeks.

For the background, I die cut a rounded rectangle from red cardstock. I used the MFT chevron stencil with versamark ink, then embossed the chevrons with clear embossing powder. I love the texture and shine this gives to the background. I added this to a white card base.

I stamped, in versamark ink, three of the lanterns from the Avery Elle Bunting stamp set. I embossed these with gold embossing powder. I used coordinating dies to die cut the strings and bows from gold metallic card. Unfortunately, the dies are out of stock currently, but the stamp set does come with string and bow stamps. By stamping and embossing these in gold on the background, it would give a similar look. Alternatively, some gold twine would look lovely too.

The year is die cut from gold metallic card, using the C&9th Double Cut Numbers. 

I added everything to the card, using either foam tape or liquid glue. To help ground the dog on the card, I added a grey oval shadow beneath him.

Thanks for joining me today,

Gemma

Avery Elle Bunting

Mama Elephant Lunar Animals

C&9th Double Cut Numbers

Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens

MFT Oval Shadows Dienamics

MFT Chevron Grid Stencil

Rainbow Hello

I am so excited to be joining the design team here at Seven Hills Crafts! Through the Seven Hills Crafts store, I have been able to get products from so many wonderful brands, which has fuelled my love of card design.

To say a big hello to you all, my first card as a member of the team features the MFT Big Hello die-namic, which is perfect to create a bold greeting on a card. Teamed with rainbow colours, it's sure to brighten anyone's day.

I die cut the largest rectangle frame from the MFT Single Stitched Rectangle Frame die-namics. I taped the MFT Chevron Grid stencil over the die cut rectangle, and blended on distress ink in rainbow colours.  I then added this and the frame to the front of a white notecard.

To create the shaker element, I cut two tags from white card, using a die from the MFT Stitched Traditional Tag die-namics. From one of the tags, I die cut the MFT Big Hello Die-namic and added acetate behind the letters. I doubled up foam tape on the reverse of the tag, around the die cut word, then added some rainbow mix sequins from Neat and Tangled. I attached the second tag on the back to seal the shaker together.

I added the shaker tag to the card, then added some clear sequins to finish the card.

Thank you for joining me on my first day as part of the team here at Seven Hills Crafts. Have a lovely day.

MFT Stitched Traditional Tag die-namics

MFT Big Hello die-namic

MFT Chevron Grid stencil

MFT Single Stitched Line Rectangle die-namics

Neat & Tangled Birthday Bash sequins