By The Seashore...

Good Wednesday Evening everyone! I am doing a double post because I'm so excited to have finished this card that I couldn't wait to share it. My card that I posted earlier was not up to my own usual standards--not that I think its bad, just average for me.

My mojo was not flowing this morning because I did not get any sleep last night. After having dinner with my girlfriends last night, I returned home around 11 pm to find my husband having chest pains. So off he went to the emergency room, white as a ghost and in pain--I couldn't go because we couldn't leave the kids alone. So I sat up until 4 am when he came home--apparently he is just under too much work stress and that's what they think it was--whoosh, I finally exhaled. Unfortunately, my hubby's family has major heart health issues that run in the fam and his Dad died 2 years ago of congestive heart failure--so we were scared! Thankfully all his tests came back fine, so he just needs to de-stress a little. We're going away for the week w/o the kids so we'll have some relaxing time to de-stress ourselves. So...anyways I'm sure you've heard enough of all of that, but I just wanted to explain my "stressed-out" mojo issues!

This card was an idea I've had for about a week and I finally found all my supplies to complete it. I keep a notepad in my room of layout ideas and card ideas--let me tell ya', that notepad is packed. My brain works overtime, but my body does not--lol! I love this dainty Tilda in her sundress wading in the ocean--just so summery and melancholy to me. I do love the ocean and the beach! I wanted to keep the colors soft, so I watercolored her and the sandcastle with my SU inkpads and Twinkling H2O's (and some soft sponging on the sky). The soft and lovely dp is from Crate Paper's "Blue Hill" line--love it, been hoarding it!!

My card base is made w/ PTI's kraft cs and then I cut out ovals from my 2 dp's to create a double frame for her. This was double--mounted (2 stacks of dimensionals on top of each other) to my card base, so it could act as a frame with my image underneath. I then used one of my Fiskars border punches to cut a strip of dp and mount that on top of the frame to create a topper for the card. The fisherman netting I found at AC Moore along with all of the shells. I just wrapped the netting around the frame and attached w/ glue dots--the shells were attached w/ glue dots too. The sandcastle image is from Gina K's "Just Be-Claws" set--I added some stickles and popped it up w/ dimensionals. The sentiment "cherish" is from SU's "Warm Words" set and I stamped it on vellum with SU's sage shadow ink. I backed it w/ white cs so that the words stood out and bent the vellum slightly so that it kinda bubbles out a little.

For final touches I added stickles around the oval frame, bottom of her dress and the bottom of the sentiment. I also added one more pearlized shell to the very top of the oval frame. I am so pleased that it actually turned out like I had envisioned in my head. You know how sometimes you have the greatest idea, but the interpretation does not always turned out the way you planned. Hate that :) I hope you like it as much as I do!

PS--This card is 5x6" and if you were to mail something like this, I would mail it in those clear boxes you can buy from ClearBags (love them) so it wouldn't get smooshed or damaged.

Have a great evening! I'm off to the MFT release party from 9-11 EST pm to buy more goodies!!

Suzanne

Edit--Thanks to all who asked about my hubby--he is good and has an appt w/ a good cardiologist after we get back just for another checkup. thanx