Hello there, I hope your day’s gotten off to a good start!
Today I’m playing with the Inner Mermaid stamp set from Essentials by Ellen, designed by Julie Ebersole for Ellen Hutson. I’m also using Julie’s Strands die.
I started by blending three colors of Catherine Pooler inks onto Strathmore Bristol Smoothe cardstock. I used Coral Cabana, Tiki Torch, and Limoncello. This is my first time blending with these inks and I have to say that I really had fun with them. They were easy to blend on bristol smooth cardstock and I find the opacity of the color to be just right. It’s not as opaque as Distress Oxide inks, and not as sheer or light as regular Distress inks.
I trimmed the ink panel to 3.75″ square and then centered the Strands die on it before running it through a Gemini Die Cutting machine.
Then I started working on the stamped elements. I stamped the mermaid’s tail, the shell, and the starfish in VersaMark ink onto scrap watercolor paper. I sprinkled Ranger Enchanted Gold embossing powder over top and hit it with a heat gun. The photos don’t do this embossing justice, it’s a beautifully sparkly light gold. Then, using a bit same three Catherine Pooler inks smooshed onto an acrylic block, and a Pentel Aquash waterbrush pen, I colored watercolored all four elements. Then I fussy cut each out and set them aside.
I prepared an A2-sized panel of Neenah Solar White #80 Classic Crest cardstock and planned out my layout. I stamped the sentiment in Veersafine Onyx black ink and then set to adhering all of the inked elements.
I added foam tape to the frame of the Strands die cut and adhered it to the panel. Then I used bits of foam tape and liquid adhesive to adhere the mermaid’s tail, shell, and starfish. To finish, I adhered the card front to an A2-sized card base.
Thanks so much for visiting!
SkyPaperScissors 