Spring has Sprung! - with Creative Expressions

Hello blog followers! Hello Creative Expressions fans! In fact just simply

HELLO!

I have had the most hectic few weeks ever! I have just got back from a little jaunt to view a lovely place in Wales that might (fingers crossed!) become my home! Me and the OH have been toying with the idea of running a B&B since we first met and it looks like something is starting to happen. Watch this space!

Following on loosely from that opening, I am thinking new beginnings, fresh start etc., I have made a card which is very spring like and fresh. It features some lovely little bees which are 3D! It would be wrong not to give them little wings so they can fly around the lush green foliage. To be honest this picture doesn't do the shimmer and colour justice. 

Let's go right back to the starting point and we will catch up on the bees a little later. I started by inking up the leaves stamp with green Cosmic Shimmer watercolour paint onto white card and then washed over it with plain water to soften the stamped images. I then took the same leaves stamp and stamped it using Tim Holtz Peeled Paint keeping the impressions over to the left side of the piece of card. Then using Tim Holtz Black Soot, I stamped the leaves again, mainly off the page. This formed the background for the bees to live in. I then stamped the bees in 3 places directly onto the background.

Next I made the side panel. I first stamped the leaves all over a piece of card using the same Cosmic Shimmer paint. When this was dry I ran it through my embossing machine with the Foliage folder and then highlighted the raised areas with Tim Holtz Mustard Seed.

Now the bees! I stamped the bees onto some yellow card with black ink and cut out just the bodies. Then I stamped the bees again with the emphasis on the wings onto some acetate. I cut these out and then it was a case of sticking the wings down on the bodies which were on the main card, then putting the little yellow bodies over the top. I thought it would be fun to put the little cartoon style flight line on using parts of the self adhesive swirls!

I made some flowers from yellow paper which I crushed and distressed with yellow ink. You could use some pre-made ones like the ribbon ones or the zipper roses, or use one of the many dies to cut some yourself. I used some Cosmic Shimmer mister in Golden Mint to add sparkle to the flowers and leaves.

The finishing touch was the sentiment which was cut using an oval die. The sentiment is from the Garden Sayings plate.

The Main Ingredients:

• Botanical Spray stamp set 2
• Garden Sayings stamp
• Self Adhesive Swirl
• Cosmic Shimmer Watercolour paints
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink 
• Oval Die
• Cosmic Shimmer Mister

Would love to read your comments, feel free to leave one! I believe the blogger problem has been resolved so if you feel like being one of my followers then that would be great! Have a crafty week and I look forward to seeing you next time. Kim x

Don't forget about the Big Stamp and Scrapbooking Show this coming weekend!