A little hoot!

Well, you're probably wondering, "where has she been?" (meaning me)...or maybe you really don't care...nevertheless, I have been busy stamping for Clear Dollar Stamps and their November sneak peeks, so I didn't have much time to stamp cards that I can show at the moment. But, this little hooter is an exception.

I recently purchased this darling set from Clear Dollar Stamps called "What a Hoot". You talk about a supercute stamp set! This is it!!! Well, it was released by CDS this month and can be found at their website (click on the their logo on the right sidebar) for only $7.99!! Anyway, I couldn't wait to ink it up and get going with it. I made this card last night and was inspired by the copper colored metallic cardstock that my friend, Traci Major sent me. Once I decided I was going to use the copper cardstock, I envisioned browns and greens to go with it. So, here are the deets:

The card base was cut out of Basic Grey's Archaic Collection designer paper - a mottled moss green to a 5"x5" square. Next a square mat measuring 4.5"x4.5" was cut out of a Basic Grey coordinating patterned paper. Another square mat measuring 3.5"x3.5" was cut out of a copper colored metallic cardstock, and then another square mat measuring 3"x3" was cut out of Colormates Light Spring Green. This Light Spring Green square was run through the Cuttlebug embossing folder called Spots & Dots (I think). The patterned mat and the Light Spring Green mat were both edged using a Krylon Copper Leafing Pen and set aside to dry. Next, I made 3 circular mats using Nestabilities scalloped circular dies and the regular circular dies. The largest scalloped mat was cut out of the same mottled moss green Basic Grey paper as the card base. The middle mat was cut out of the copper colored metallic cardstock, and the smallest mat was cut out of Paper Trey White Cardstock. If you haven't tried Paper Trey's White Cardstock...you must! You'll never buy anything else!

Using another Clear Dollar Stamps set called "Bountiful Branches", I stamped a tree branch with Adirondack Caramel ink, and then pine needles from the same set using Stampin Up!'s Always Artichoke ink. I stamped the little hoot owl in Adirondack Pitch Black ink on the tree branch, and again on another piece of white cardstock. I colored both the owl images with Prismacolor Pencils, blending with odorless mineral spirits and a blending stump. I cut out the owl that was stamped on the other piece of white cardstock. The edge of the inner white cardstock circular mat was paper pierced free hand around the edge, after sponging the edge with Adirondack Caramel Ink. I paper pierced free hand around the scallops on the copper colored metallic circular mat, and then I edged the larger scalloped green circular mat using the Krylon Copper Leafing Pen, and then paper piercing by hand the scallops on that mat.

I added more paper piercing around the edge of the square copper colored mat using the Stampin Up! Mat Pack and a piercing tool. After wrapping the beautiful caramel satin ribbon that my friend Traci Major gave me around the two inner square mats and anchoring that on the back, I added a row of self-adhesive amber colored rhinestones from Hero Arts up the middle.

The sentiment was stamped on white cardstock using Adirondack Pitch Black Ink and then punched with the Stampin Up! Large Oval Punch. I lightly sponged around the inner edge using Stampin Up!'s Mellow Moss Ink and then again more heavily using Stampin Up!'s Always Artichoke Ink. I free hand paper pierced around the sentimental oval. Using a Sakura Gelly Roll Clear Stardust Glitter Pen, I connected each paper pierced hole on the sentiment oval with a line to create Faux Stitching with a shimmer. Using the same Stardust Glitter Pen, I traced over each pine needle on the tree branches to give it more shimmer. I glued the three circular mats together, and then popped them up on American Crafts Dimensionals on top of the four square layers underneath. I added a large self-adhesive amber colored rhinestone to the sentiment oval, along with a row of smaller ones to the caramel colored bow that I attached to the bling ribbon.