A Wobbly Frog - The Paper Players #489

It's been difficult being in self isolation, especially since this has gone on since March 17.  So, to see a challenge at the Paper Players where the theme is to create something that would "Make you Smile" - makes me smile.  So many possibilities went through my mind, but I finally settled on a frog. 

To make this card I used numerous stamp sets (So Hoppy Together, Party Panda, The Gangs All Meer" and My Meadow)  many of which are retired, only because I had them.  If you don't have these stamps just the frog trying to balance on a unicycle would be enough to bring a smile to anyone's face.

The little frog with woggly eyes trying to balance on a unicycle while juggling objects in the air certainly makes me smile.  He is obviously trying to liven up a birthday for a shy little marmot hovering in the back"ground.

On a scrap piece of Whisper White I stamped two images of the frog on a unicycle and after colouring them with Stampin' Blends, they were die cut with the Hop Around Dies.  For the second image I snipped the frog from the unicycle, and added him to the first frog using a woggle.  

Then I added a birthday hat from "Party Panda" and some larger than life googly eyes.  Using dimensionals he was added to a die cut background lightly washed using an alcohol filled aqua painter and ink pads.  Balmy Blue was used for the sky; Pear Pizzazz for the grass.  The actual tufts of grass were stamped using the "My Meadow" stamp set.

The Marmot having a birthday is from "The Gang's All Meer".  He's holding 3 tiny balloons punched with a retired tiny balloon punch.

The frog seems to be having balance problems but he believed he could, thus the sentiment from "Believe You Can"

Will he make it, will he not.!!!

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  So Hoppy Together, The Gang's All Meer, Party Panda, Believe You Can, My Meadow

Inks:  Black Memento, Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz, Balmy Blue, Stampin' Blends (Granny Apple Green, So Saffron, Smoky Slate, Poppy Parade, Mango Melody, Crumb Cake)

Papers:  Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, Scraps of Poppy Parade, Balmy Blue, and Daffodil Delight

Accessories:  Googly Eyes, Woggle, Small balloon punch, dimensionals, Hop Around Die, Stitched So Sweetly Die, Bead and Baubles Embossing Folder

Hello Sunshine - The Paper Player #479

The weather outside is frightful!  It's been snowing since yesterday morning and now the wind has picked up and is blowing all that white stuff in such a manner as to reduce visibility.

Despite that I am thinking Spring, thus my choice of stamp sets for the sketch challenge with The Paper Players here

Nothing says Spring like rain, an umbrella, flowers and boots....

I had a little fun with paper piecing, using that technique on the umbrella and the boots.  The umbrella was filled with flowers and a little surprise visitor. Although Meercats are desert creatures, this one was caught by surprise by a rain shower and dived into the umbrella to stay dry.  His travelling companion hit under the umbrella.

Note:  I should have repositioned the umbrella handle as it looks like its coming out of the Meerkat's head.

All of these elements were added to a die cut embossed in 2 directions with the Subtle Texture embossing folder. This makes the card stock look like canvas. After embossing some rain drops were added.

The focal element was matted with Highland Heather card stock and added to the card front with dimensionals.

The card front was layered with 3 different designs of the Best Dressed DSP on top of Whisper White card stock and then added to a Highland Heather card base.

Tiny pearls were added to the flower centers, and the eyes of the visitors and some Crystal Effects under the frog and the boots to simulate water.

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Under My Umbrella, The Gang's All Meer

Inks:  Black Memento, Balmy Blue, Watercolour pencils

Papers:  Highland Heather, Whisper White, Best Dressed DSP

Accessories:Umbrella Builder Punch, Stitched So Sweetly Die, Subtle Texture Embossing Folder, Small Pearls, Noble Peacock Rhinestones, Dimensionals. Crystal Effects

Meerkat Valentine

What in the world are Meerkats?  When Stampin' Up first introduced the Meerkat stamp in the Sale-a-bration catalogue that was the first time I had ever seen this animal.  So, I did a little research and found the following:

Meerkats are a type of Mongoose who inhabit all parts of the Kalahar Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namid desert in Nambia, in southwestern Angolia, and South Africa.

They are carnivora a spend much of their day foraging for food and digging deep tunnels.

A group is called a gang or a clan and it is not uncommon for  30 or 40 Meerkats to be part of a gang. This the name of the stamp set "The Gang's All Meer"

Being with Stampin' Up sure gives you an education!

The Meerkat stamp set can be quite versatile using it for birthdays, and/or holiday events.  Today the gang is sending a Valentine message to everyone.

The Meerkats were coloured with Light and Dark Crumb cake Stampin' Blends; the sky behind them with a  Pool Party Stampin' Blend.

Using the Dog Builder punch (which has a tiny heart as well as the dog) a Real Red heart was punched for each of the Meerkats and attached to their hands.  Tiny stitch marks were made with a fine tipped black pen around the outside and a small red rhinestone placed in the center of each heart.

The completed scene was die cut with the So Sweetly Stitched Die and adhered to the card front with dimensonals.

The Real Red card base is layered with Whisper White card stock.  A strip of From My Heart DSP with a lace die cut adhered to the bottom and a 1/8" strip of Real Red to the top was added to the middle.

The sentiment, from "Meant to Be", stamped in Real Red ink and die cut with the Be Mine dies, was added to the left side above the strip.  The rest of the sentiment was stamped directly onto the card front below the strip.

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  The Gang's All Meer, Meant to Be

Inks:  Real Red, Black Memento, Stampin' Blends (Light and Dark Crumb Cake, Pool Party), Fine black marker

Papers:  Read Red, Whisper White, From My Heart DSP

Accessories:  Stitched So Sweetly Dies, Delicate Lace Edgelet die, Dog Builder Punch, Be Mine die, Dimensionals, Real Red Rhinestones