A Monkey Peek

Another stamp set peek for release on November 1st: This cute monkey stamp set called "Monkey Surprise" is the same cute monkey that is the focus of several CDS stamp sets. This set is versatile, as it can be used year round or for Christmastime.

Dimensions: 5"X5", Card opens from bottom
Stamps: Clear Dollar Stamps "Monkey Surprise" Stamp Set, Clear Dollar Stamps "Surprise" Stamp
Techniques: Basic Stamping, Background Stamping, Sponging, Prismacoloring with Mineral Spirits
Paper: K&Co. Remake Ocean Blues Mat Pad, Colormates Light Chocolate Malt, Paper Trey White Cardstock
Ink: Stampin Up! Bashful Blue Ink, Adirondack Pitch Black Ink
Tools: Nestabilities Regular Round & Scalloped Round Dies, Stampin Up! Large Oval Punch, Karen Foster Click-It Hole Punch, Krylon Gold Leafing Pen, Signo White Gel Pen, Signo Navy Blue Gel Pen, Stickles Waterfall & Crystal Glitter Glues, Amercan Crafts Dimensionals, Tsukineko Sponge Daubers, Primsacolor Pencils, Mineral Spirits, Blending Stump Embellishments: Making Memories Black Grommet, Michael's Dollar Bin Organza Ribbon

Instructions: I created this card for a Clear Dollar Stamps Color Challenge: Navy Blue, Artichoke & Kraft, CDS Challenge: No Designer Paper - Make Your Own and CDS Challenge: Make it Sparkle! The card base was cut from Colormates Light Chocolate Malt to 5"x5" size, then a Navy Blue mat was cut to 4.5"x4.5", and a white mat was cut to 4"x4". I randomly stamped the presents around the white cardstock, coloring them in with Prismacolor Pencils and blending with Odorless Mineral Spirits. Using Nestabilities Regular Round and Scalloped Round dies and my Cuttlebug, I made 2 circular mats to showcase the Surprise Monkey. I stamped the monkey on the smaller circular mat using Adirondack Pitch Black Ink, and colored with Prismacolor Pencils and blended with OMS. The edge of the white circular mat was sponged using Tsukineko daubers and Stampin Up! Bashful Blue ink. Using a Krylong Gold Leafing Pen, I edged the white circular mat, the blue scalloped circular mat, the white patterned square mat, and the chocolate malt square card base mat. I set these aside to dry for about 5 minutes.

The sentiment was made cutting two pieces of cardstock by hand: the larger artichoke mat and the smaller chocolate malt mat. I cut the ends to resemble ribbon ends. The sentiment "Surprise" is from Clear Dollar Stamps "Suprise" stamp, a single word stamp onto Paper Trey White Cardstock and cut out using the Stampin Up! Large Oval Punch. I sponged the oval edge using Stampin Up! Bashful Blue ink and then edged the oval with the same Krylon Gold Leafing Pen, as well as the chocolate mat edges underneath. While those were drying, I dot doodled around the white circular mat using a Signo Navy Blue Gel Pen, and then I dash doodled along the scalloped edges of the blue mat with a Signo White Gel Pen. Using the same navy blue gel pen, I dot doodled around the edge of the chocolate malt card base, and then with the white gel pen, I dash doodled around the edge of the navy blue square mat. The sentiment oval was dot doodled with the navy blue gel pen, and dash doodled around the chocolate malt mat under the sentiment, as well.

The presents on the white cardstock background that I stamped were then embellished with Stickles Waterfall and Crystal glitter glues. Just a little goes a long way! I used the same Crystal Stickles to embellish the bow around the monkey and on the ribbon on the gift box top he is holding. The two circular mats featuring the monkey were then adhered using American Crafts Dimensionals and the sentiment banner was then anchored with a Making Memories grommet (super jumbo eyelet). I threaded a white light blue organza ribbon knot through the grommet and around the back of the card to adorn. The card was finished by gluing the card base to a 5"x5" white cardstock lining.