It's time to hit the beach

This glorious, summery weather has inspired me to create a beach scene. I’m loving my brayer at the moment so I thought I’d have a go at something a little more ambitious than previously.

With the help of Michelle Zindorf – widely regarded as the Queen of Brayering in the stamping world – I made this beach scene. I used Michelle’s scene as inspiration, then went my own way for the rest of the card.

These instructions only tell you how to create the main image panel as the rest is pretty self-explanatory. For tips on brayering, see this earlier post. 

I’m not sure if you can tell from the photo but I started by stamping a few shells in Versamark on the left, to see if the ghosting technique would work with a delicate outline image. It has left a very (very!) subtle hint of underwater shells.

I brayered a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock from the corners – one corner was Tempting Turquoise, the opposite was a combination of Creamy Caramel and More Mustard.

I stamped a selection of shells from the Seaside stamp set, turning them round for variety. They were coloured with blender pens and markers, although blender pens and inkpads or Watercolour Wonder™ crayons would work just as well. To add some highlights, just as Michelle did, I used the white gel pen. Wasn’t so keen on this on the bottom right shell so have brayered a little over the top, to tone it down.

Next I used the speckly stamp from Bird on a Branch – this set is worth the money for this little stamp alone – and added some speckles around the edges of the cardstock. More Mustard and Close to Cocoa on the right; Taken with Teal (didn’t show up much) and Night of Navy on the left.

To add the “surf”, I battled with the Whisper White ink pad and the speckly stamp for ages before I actually read Michelle’s tutorial and discovered that she’d done this with the gel pen. Doh!

Finally, I give it a little spritz with my Champagne Mist shimmer paint spray.  It’s very subtle – fact, in this light, I can’t even see it. I really wanted to drop water onto it to see if it would create a wet look, but I chickened out! Maybe next time...

I love the look of this card – I’ve always been a sucker for seaside-themed cards... well, everything seaside-y really.  I’m already planning my next version. I want more beach and less sea and will maybe experiment with some masking fluid (if I still have some).

Stamps: Seaside, Bird on a Branch, Tiny Tags

Cardstock: Kraft (soon to be called Crumb Cake), More Mustard, Night of Navy textured, Very Vanilla

Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Taken with Teal, Night of Navy, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Basic Gray, Versamark

Accessories: Markers - Ruby Red, Close to Cocoa; Medium Jewelry Tag punch, Linen Thread, ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon - More Mustard, Champagne Mist shimmer paint, white gel pen, brayer

All products by Stampin' Up!®