Buzzing for Critters {2 Crafty Critter Crazies} {SheepSki Designs}

Hello, Critter Loving Friends!

It is my pleasure is to Design for the 2 Crafty Critter Crazies Challenge Blog today!

If you love critters - ANY kind of critter - this is a fun challenge made for you.
The ABCs: From Ants to Anteaters, Butterflies to Buffalos, Crocodiles to Cardinals
you get the picture.

SheepSki Designs is sponsoring August's challenge, which ends August 30, so get hopping and show us your projects using critters!

Any style, any theme, any technique - just be sure to have a critter on it!

I'm featuring this dramatic, multi-purpose Bee 'n Blossom image:

Colored with Copic Markers, and heavily distressed with both water-based and pigment inks, my card uses LOTS AND LOTS of oldies from my stash! Sigh... I love using my oldies stash.

Do you find a certain SPECIAL ENJOYMENT using your older products? 
It's like running into an old friend, and reliving good times.

Hmmm. Not sure which company made this flower. It's been in my stash since before 2006. I added two more Copic colors and orange flower stamens for dimension. The azalea flower was colored the same shade and I added dots.

The Chloe Stem layers are heat set with Ice Rink Cosmic embossing powder (has lots of sparkle), and DLArt Vintage Ivory crinkle ribbon gives it a little body.

Azaleas really do bloom yellow, even though they won't grow in our area. But I found these at Wal-Mart's on-line greenhouse:

AT MY HOUSE:

All kinds of bees, wasps, butterflies, moths and hummingbirds thrive in our "conglomeration" of flowers that tolerate the heat and humidity. Most flowers are "volunteers" that reseed themselves year after year like periwinkles, snapdragons, pentas and coleus. The bees and wasps are especially happy when I come out with the watering can each morning, and quickly attach themselves to moist leaves for a quick drink. It's like they know I want them to be healthy and to thrive!

This gorgeous, heavily distressed Sue Wilson Frames and Tags "Madeleine" die set has been in my stash for over a year - dormant and unused (giggle). How could I have let it go this long? Isn't it stunning? Lovely transparent brown vellum lies beneath it.

Gold Coast Cosmic embossing powder was used on the sentiment, and in distressing the tag.

The distressing was done with several colors of dye-base inks and then on top with Encore's Gold Pigment ink. If I could do it over, I could have used the Gold Coast Cosmic embossing powder around the edges as well.

There are lots of golden highlights on this card - it's a shame that my camera automatically "dulls" the shine. Still, it's a pretty card that will brighten someone's day.

Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to play in the

2 Crafty Critter Crazies Challenge Blog!

Products Used: (* means virginal or a decade old)

• Image: SheepSki Designs "Bee n Blossom"
• Sentiment*: Stampendous "Thoughtful Wishes" (2 years old)
• SNS Gold Coast Cosmic embossing powder (sentiment)
• SNS Ice Rink Cosmic embossing powder (Chloe Stems)
• Tonic-Tim Holtz Stamp Platform
• Gold Pearlescent Paper*, Brown Vellum*, Express-it Copic Paper, Daisy Paper* (the specialty papers used are over a decade old)
• Sue Wilson Frames and Tags* "Madeleine" die set (year old)
• Spellbinders Scallop Squares
• PoppyStamps Main Street Tags die
• Memory Box Chloe Stems
• Encore Ultimate Gold pigment, Distress Inks, Memento Inks, Copic Markers
• DLArt Vintage Vintage Ivory crinkle ribbon*, Rhinestone flourish

Challenges I'd like to play in please:

1. 613 Avenue Create #200 "Anything Goes + Option 8/6
2. A Bit More Time to Craft #49 "Anything Goes" 8/15 (sep post)
3. A Perfect Time to Craft #8 "Anything Goes" 9/1
4. Artistic Inspirations Challenges #184 "Anything Goes" 8/7
5. Classic DT Open - #16 AG for a DT - 9/1
6. Crafts Galore Encore (Aug) Anything Goes 9/1
7. Crafty Animals #5 Anything Goes 9/1 (sep post - VISIT BLOG)
8. DLArt Thankful Thursday Challenge #209 (Birthday or Thank You)  8/9
9. Glitter n Sparkle Challenge #250 "Things With Wings" 8/6 (sep post)
10. International Art and Soul Challenge #13 "Use Dies" (used 4 dies listed above)  8/6
11. Sheepski Facebook #14 Anything Goes Challenge 8/20
12. The Crazy Challenge #254 Rustic Elegance 8/14 sep post
13. The Ribbon Girls - Use any image + ribbon (crinkle ribbon) 8/6
14. World Wide Open DT Challenge - #24 AG for a DT - 8/15
15. Joy Clair Challenge (Aug)  Inspiration Board below* 9/1

Buzzin' Hugs,