Inspiration: Colour Inkspiration #55
I knew I wanted to make a shadow box card with the new Seahorsin' Around stamp set. The idea had sparked in my mind when I was working on another card using the Smooth Sailing stamp set - I had noticed the image of an anchor at the end of a rope and I thought it would be nice to create an underwater scene using the shadowbox and have the anchor being dropped in the water.
That was the starting point for the scene. I was looking around for color inspiration and when I saw the Inkspiration challenge, the summery colours felt perfect for the colorful waterbed elements like coral and such. I wanted to have ink panels on all three sides of the shadowbox, so I mixed Broken China, Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserves, with a touch of Chipped Sapphire on edges for definition. I splashed water to create bubbles and then I remembered I had the Ocean Scene Builder stencils that I could use to add nice detailing to the panels. I sponged white Craft ink in the larger rays, dried the ink with my heat tool and then used Moonlight Pearl Luna paste on the narrower rays. I then tried spritzing Picket Fence Distress Spray on the last stencil that mimicks ligjt ripples. but it was barely showing. I cleaned my stencil and tried again with Moonstone Glimmer Paste from Nuvo this time. Much nicer result this time around!
While the glimmer paste was drying, I got started on the images. I stamped and colored the images from the Seahorsin' Around set. I also used the Shadow Box Card Ocean Add-On dies for the card opening and for the wave insert. I used the regular insert in gold glimmer paper for the front to mimick sand, and I used the little bubbles from the Ocean Add-On in Dazzling Diamonds glimmer paper to embellish the background.
I was trying to decide how to add the anchor. I could have used a thin strip of acetate from one of the bottom insert, but I decided to die-cut a wave insert from acetate and glue it to the top of the box. How about dropping atuff from the top of the card instead? And as I was preparing this, I got this sudden idea: what if we saw the bottom of the boat showing in the water? And it hit me that we have the new Hammock die and that the size and shape would probably work. What do you know: it's perfect!! I also like how the transparency has the stitching on it, so it adds an additional layer when it catches the light and makes the scene even more interesting.
I had started with the sand more in the back of the scene, but the dimension was not working, so I got the sand closer to the front. I wound up with too wide of a gap, though, so I replicated the same idea of having a transparency wave at the bottom. This allowed me to add seaweed there to fill in the space without overwhelming the design. The little coral reef from the Ocean Add-On dies was added to the front of the shadow box, and the seahorses were glue to strips of acetate to have them float in the water.
I had enough leftover inked cardstock to do two side panels as well, using the dies from the Shadow Box Card set. I'm honestly really existed about how this one turned out. I think the Ocean Scene Builder stencils, the use of acetate inserts and the boat idea brought this card to a whole other level and it surpassed my original design idea. I haven't included a sentiment for now, but I would probably use the inked side panels to add something.
Supplies
Stamps: Seahorsin' Around, Smooth Sailing (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Smoky Slate, Thick Whisper White, Gold and Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper (Stampin' Up!)
Inks: Tuxedo Black (Memento); Broken China, Dried Marigold, Twisted Citron, Picked Raspberry,
Chipped Sapphire, Seedless Preserves Distress Oxide Ink (Ranger);
Soft Suede Classic Ink, Whisper White Craft Ink (Stampin' Up!)
Dies: Shadow Box Card, Shadow Box Card Ocean Add-On, Hammock and Trees,
Seahorsin' Around, Smooth Sailing (Lawn Fawn)
Accessories: Moonlight Pearl Luna Paste (Cosmic Shimmer); Moonstone Glitter Paste (Nuvo);
Ocean Scene Builder Stencils (Honey Bee Stamps); Markers (Copic);
Palette Knife, Window Sheets (Stampin' Up!); Spritzer Bottle, Blending Tool (Ranger)
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