Thursday, March 28, 2019

Spring Birthdays


Where did March go? Here we are at the last Thursday in March, which at the very least means we are officially into spring - scientifically if not yet in my backyard. So what better optional theme for today's new Seize the Birthday challenge than SPRING



Our toppings are always optional, but for me, spring colours or themes on a card offer a nice antidote to the snowbanks that right now seems like they will be here until July. :D At first I was going to do flowers - and not just any flowers, tulips! They epitomize spring! Then followed two days of tulip frustration. Layering stamps refused to layer, techniques refused to cooperate... you get the idea. Then I had a middle-of-the-night epiphany... spring peepers! Those little frogs that chorus in the evenings once it's warm enough to crack open a window. In real life, spring peepers are kind of... brown. Thank goodness this doesn't call for photorealism. 


I knew I wanted my frog to have a nice place to live, so I ink smooshed a background, first with tumbled glass distress ink all over, then broken china just on the bottom third. Once that was dry, I needed to find a way to add some wetland plants to separate the pond from the sky. I ended up using some tiny layering stamps from a couple of different floral sets, double stamping to get the varying shades of green. Then it was frog's turn - he was watercoloured with Zig markers. I cut his lily pad from a previously smooshed scrap of watercolour paper. For the sentiment, I had to surgically remove the "hoppy" from a sentiment so I could pair it with "birthday" from an entirely different set. Without the pun, there didn't really seem to be justification for making a frog birthday card. :D Finally, his spots and lily pad have some Wink of Stella for random sparkle. 


I'll add this card to the current Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp

Photography assistant

Having at last achieved a small amount of success making a card, I went back to one of my earlier tulip attempts. I had stamped some newsprint-patterned tulips over a cloud-stencilled background, but didn't like how much the clouds showed through the petals. (I had first stamped them on plain cardstock and decided they were boring. It was just that kind of card-making session, know what I mean?) Looking at them again, I realized I could add a bit more structure by shading them in with a matching watercolour pencil. This reduced the clouds showing through the petals while leaving the textural interest the newsprint pattern provides. 


It even worked out that I could use the current Paper Players challenge sketch, as I'd originally planned. 


Now it's your turn! You'll want to visit the Seize the Birthday blog to see all the pretty spring creations the design team made (bet there are more flowers than frogs...) as well as our current surprise party guest, Tenia! Dream of spring and join us! 


Supplies: (frog) Neenah white & Stampin' Up garden green cardstock, Canson watercolour paper, Paper Smooches A Little Lovin' & Birthday Buddies & assorted small layering stamps, Stampin' Up garden green & tumbled glass & broken china distress inks, Wow clear fine embossing powder, Spellbinders oval die, Marvy-Uchida corner-rounding punch, Scotch washi tape, Wink of Stella clear glitter brush marker; (tulips) Neenah white & Hero Arts cerulean layering cardstock, Memory Box Brioche patterned paper, Hero Arts newspaper tulips & Clearly Besotted Say What stamps, Stampin' Up garden green & tumbled glass distress ink, Stampin Up Stampin' Write markers, MFT clouds die

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15 comments:

Contagiously Crafty said...

Your little frog is charming. What a cute card. So glad to have found you through the SSS challenge.

Claire Broadwater said...

This is so pretty! I love tulips! The beautiful sky in the background really makes them pop! So happy you joined us at The Paper Players this week! XX

Ashwini Rao said...

I guess it was just one of those days! But I love how you've come up with the fraggie idea - I usually concentrate on the flowers for cards so much, I forget that there are so many other things that can represent spring - even though even I can hear them from outside the window. I am glad to see this little one! Even the tulips are looking gorgeous! Glad you could make that work too!

Joanne James - The Crafty Owl said...

A cute frog card Lindsey and I love the texture that the newsprint adds to your tulips - along with your fabulous sponged sky, your card is all about Spring! Thanks for playing along with my sketch challenge over at The Paper Players this week!

Su Mohr said...

Lindsey, I love your newsprint tulips! They are so pretty against your cloudy sky! Thank you for sharing with the Paper Players!

JoAnn said...

Such a cute frog on your spring card. Love both of your cards.

Lin said...

What a great idea for a spring theme to use a spring peeper! And I'm pleased to see this old HA text tulip stamp being used for your 2nd card! Both were a treat to see - thanks for playing with us at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge!

Barbara said...

I respect your thinking out of the box for this spring card. I love flowers, but I also love to be different and stand apart from others. Your card is amazing in that way. Frogs are very much a part of Spring. Love your flowres too.

Vicki Dutcher said...

Toadally love the frog card :) -- great layout too

cm said...

Yep...can definitely relate to those frustrated attempts that lead to fuming and, at least in my case, some choice vocabulary! Your peeper is spring perfect; quite the cute gaffer, indeed! Your tulips/clouds...lovely!
~carol

Kim Heggins said...

Two simply wonderful cards Lindsey! Love that sweet frog.

Cathy said...

Such a fun frog card, love the kitty pic too! I think the tulips look wonderful against the cloudy backdrop, lots of lovely texture in the newsprint, Cathy x

Nancy said...

I get such a kick out of reading your posts Lindsey! I can so relate to your crafting struggles. Love that you went a completely different direction on Spring! Super creative with your critter card. I especially like the grass on the back of the pond. Glad you salvaged the tulips as well and I think it is very lovely! HUGS!

TaeEun said...

Oh! Lindsey I love your fun and adorable frog! What a creative approach to the Topping! And how you've combined the sentiments and various image stamps is just awesome! The tulip card is fabulous too!

Glenda J said...

I would have never thought of a frog for spring but it's perfect! This is such an adorable card. Great layout too. The tulips are great too - fabulous background.