Hero Arts You Are Appreciated

You still have a bit of time to enter the a2z Scrapbooking November challenge.  The theme this month is "Thanks" and you can use any brand products you wish.  But if you use Hero Arts or Sugar Tree Digital stamps and are chosen as the monthly winner, you will get a gift certificate from the a2z Scrapbooking store.  That's an awesome prize!

I went a smidge out of the box with my card.  I have a plethora of old Somerset Studio, Take Ten, and Stampers Sampler Catch Up issues and I've been looking at all the beautiful creations from years ago.  Seeing all the beautiful cards with fibers used as embellishments inspired me! Here is my card:

What I  Used to Make my Card:

White Square {5 1/4" x 5 1/4"} Base

White, Blue, Light Blue, Aqua and Yellow Card

Hero Arts Ink in Summer Sky, Tide Pool, Deep Blue, Fiesta Yellow, Teal Topaz and Intense Black

Hero Arts Color Layering Peacock Stamps, #CM126

Hero Arts Paper Layering Feather Die, # DI491

Hero Arts You Are Loved Stamps, #CM171

Die-Namics Stitched Square Die STAX

Unbranded Long Round Stitch Die {it's a long single die}

Fibers from my HUGE Stash

I started by stamping the peacock on a piece of white card.  When a stamp is as detailed as the head and body of this peacock, and it is a layering stamp, instead of stamping the solid image first I'll stamp the detailed image and then the solid image on top of the detail.  It's backwards from the directions that you get with the stamp, as well as backwards from what we used to do with the old 2 Step stamps from SU!, but it seems to work better for me.  Trying to use a layering stamp for the first time is the hardest; it gets easier {in my opinion} once the stamps are stained a bit so you can see the clear stamps better.  I followed the directions for the rest of the peacock per the directions; solid stamp, detailed stamp, even more detail stamp for the feathers of the bird.  It isn't lined up perfectly, but I like imperfect creations {good thing because I'd never get finished with anything if I didn't!}

I finished the peacock by stamping its legs.  I wasn't sure if I was going to use the accompanying die cuts and cut out the bird, and I decided against it.  That was mostly due to the fact that since my peacock wasn't layered that well, cutting it out would have been a problem.  The bird was then cut out with a square stitched die.  Then I realized that I had a feather die - and a peacock has feathers!  I dug out the feather die and cut it from three coordinating card stock colors, glued them together at the top, then pulled on that inspiration I'd

Another Look

gathered from all those older magazines and added some fibers.  Yes, I wrapped the fibers around the top of the feathers and adhered them.  Do you recall when fibers were the rage?!?  I have an entire drawer full of them.  Occasionally I go through it and get rid of some I doubt I'd ever use, but it always seems as if there are more to take the place of the ones I tossed.  I think they multiply by themselves.  Anyway, while the feathers were drying, I stamped the sentiment for the card.  I also made my own round stitching pattern on the large blue square since I had no die large enough.  I mounted the peacock onto the blue square, added the feathers, mounted the whole thing onto a white square card, and I was done.  I am tickled about how the card came out and I'm so proud that I used something from my stash; especially because these holiday sales are so hard to resist {yes, I confess, I bought more paper.  It was SUCH a good deal!}

I hope you have time to craft a bit before the serious holiday rush begins.  This card is going into my newly formed "Thank You Card" stack.  I've made it a mission to make more thank you and thinking of you cards because it seems I never have the right one on hand.  Maybe you'll join me and use some of your older craft supplies to make your stack of cards a bit taller?  If you do, be sure to enter it in the November "Thanks" a2z Scrapbooking challenge, but hurry! Time is running out! 

Thank you for stopping by today; I hope your season is going smoothly and you are finding joy in the process!  Fondly, Christi

I am entering my You Are Appreciated Card in the following challenges:

A Blog Named Hero - M, Thankful {challenge graphic below}

Creative with Stamps - #32, Feather {challenge graphic below}

The Artistic Stamper - M, Square It

Brown Sugar Challenge - M, #284, Thankfulness

Stamps & Fun - #335, White & Blue

Incy Wincy - Square Cards

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

A Blog Named Hero

Creative with Stamps