Underwater world

Hi its been a while since my last post but I hope my next few projects have been worth the wait! Today’s offering at first glance may seem a bit daunting but fear not, taken in stages it is very achievable and if you don’t fancy getting your fingers dirty, substitute the inky parts for coloured card or patterned paper. Also although there are a few parts to this project it really combines the same products and techniques already featured in many of my other posts. So no running off…stay and play!

The featured products are dies from Tattered Lace and stamps and colouring mediums from Crafter’s Companion and Cosmic Shimmer. Rather than long lists today here are some items you will need:

I also used my Todo machine a heat gun and some white card.

This is what we are making. Crazy or what?

I adore the concertina dies. They open up a whole new world of 3D cards where you can experiment with dimension and colour and build up a scene. I am also a huge fan of Sheena Douglass and her stamps and inky products. Particularly the Radiant Rain and Spectrum noir Aqua tints inks. I also love experimenting with the Stampendous embossing powders. But more of that later.

How to begin? I started by cutting all the die shapes that would suit the theme in white card. The great thing about the Tattered Lace dies are their range and versatility. They really can suit all styles of crafting. I thought that I would re-visit the tuck-in dies- the perfect bubbles! With regard to foliage dies for under water you can really go to town.{so long as it’s Altantis!}

I didn’t use the mermaid in the end. Next time!

For the card structure I cut one back and doubled up on the concertina sides sticking them together with red tape. I also cut a number of inside layers- the parts with the notches to slot into the concertina sides. The dies do it all for you.

Next I used my colour cloud inks in beach sea and sky colours to colour the inside and outside of each side. I also used my Stampendous embossing powders to add texture. The one that resembles sand is amazing.

After that I prepared the inside layers. This is where the inky alchemy really starts! I began by cutting the card to different heights using a combination of edger dies and freehand cutting.

For the back scene I brushed some water colour card with inks and sprinkled them with brusho powder in blue green and pink. (very sparingly) I then spritzed with water and dried with a heat gun. Finally I splashed gold ink over the top using my ‘floppy tool’! I pretty much repeated this process for all the inking of the die cuts and backgrounds, using a combination of aqua and blue colours making sure to keep the deep blues at the bottom and aquas at the top where the light would be. I used the dipping technique a lot where I poured ink on to my glass mat and laid the card on top.

And yes, they are butterflies. Apologies in advance for the posh voice and the dodgy camera shots… I blame Paul my partner and the phone beginning with ‘i’!

With the die cuts inked and tropical fish made it was time for stamping. I used distress ink in sapphire blue and some of the new pearlescent polishes from Cosmic Shimmer in deep greens and blues. I also used this in pink and green to edge some of the die cuts and coloured the fish. I also later layered up the tiny fish at the top of the background and added a plain sea horse. I could have (and should have) stopped there, but oh no!

Once the sea horses were inked I backed them with pink glitter card. I edged everything with alcohol markers and used different colour glitters to high light the fish and underwater foliage.

Now to put it all together. What fun!

I moved the sea horses higher up at the end so you could see them better.

Once the fish and foliage were added (stuck with tacky glue) this is the effect the layering created.

To strengthen the structure at the front I added a matching strip at the bottom and scalloped ascetate at the top. A die cut sentiment was added along this.

Finally, I embossed the shell stamps in detail white embossing powder and coloured them with spectrum noir alcohol markers. I also added a little embossed sand powder. I cut them out and mounted them at the front of the card on foam pads.

In the video I already explained how I made the box and lid using my Todo machine, foiling the shape of the rose die. To make the box I used the large score board and some cream centura card from Crafters Companion .I also used Sheena’s stamp for the shell. I coloured it and placed a little frantage embossing powder for some added sparkle.