Sharpie owls

I just realised I should celebrate my first crafting birthday. Although it feels like such a long time ago, it was only last year that I got my first pack of cardstock and a heart punch and made a few very clumsy Valentine's day cards. After that, this whole crafting thing has gotten just a little bit out of control. I shudder to think how much money I have spent on stamps, inks, cardstock and all sorts of other crafting equipment in these short 12 months. But also, how much joy they have brought me. Especially once I found the products that really work for me and the stamps and inks I'm most comfortable working with. Papercrafting is such a great hobby, it is relaxing and creative at the same time, and you are only limited by your own imagination (and all those cool new stamps and other products that keep going straight to the top of my "must have" list). 

I love the Stampin' Up owl punch. The owls are just so cute with their googly eyes. My sis loves owls, she has owl pillows on her sofa, and I have made an owl card for her before. But this one is better! I sent it to her for Valentine's day.

I used the owl punch to stamp owls from watercolour paper. I used my lovely set of 80's glam Sharpies my dear Culinary Consultant got me for Xmas to colour the owls. I love the colours, they are so bright. To create the tree, I used the Cracked Tim Holtz Sizzix folder to emboss white cardstock. I then fussycut the tree based on a template I drew free hand and inked it with Scattered Straw, Vintage Photo and Walnut stain distress inks.  Then I created the setting sun, again using distress inks (Fired Brick, Spiced Marmelade, Wild Honey and Mustard Seed) and die cut a circle. The background is inked (from top to bottom) using Broken China, Dusty Concorde, Worn Lipstick, Wild Honey, Peeled Paint and Pine Needles. Then I attached everything onto Kraft cardstock. This is one card which actually turned out better than I ever thought, I love all the bright colours and the lightly crazy looking owls. It makes me smile every time, and I like the way the Cracked embossing folder makes the tree look really cool.

Distress inks: Broken China, Dusty Concord, Worn Lipstick, Wild Honey, Peeled Paint, Pine Needles, Fired Brick, Spiced Marmelade, Mustard Seed, Scattered Straw, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain
Cardstock: Daler & Rowney 190gsm watercolour paper, Hobbycraft white 160 gsm cardstock, Kraft card 
Other: Stampin' Up Owl punch, Tim Holtz Sizzix embossing folder Cracked, 80's glam sharpies