A fishy story for this weeks children themed challenge

It's Sunday so it must be the Stamp With Us challenge. This week the theme is children's birthdays and so it was the perfect excuse to break out my new Just Beachy stamp set and make a real fun card. Never mind the little kids, this big kid enjoyed this one. The card is based on the Gel (Water) Card over at Splitcoaststampers.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Just Beachy, Fresh Cuts

Cardstock: Basic Gray, Yoyo Yellow, Bashful Blue, Whisper White

Ink: Black Stazon, Old Olive

SU Markers: Assorted

Other: Silver Brads, ziplock bag Sticky Strip comes in

Non-SU: Nesties, Anti-bacterial Hand Wash

I created the porthole apertures using the nesties and cut the same aperture from the Basic Gray (cut from a larger circle) and the Yoyo Yellow (yellow submarine?). The brads were then added to the grey before sticking on top of the yellow card mat so that they wouldn't puncture the gel bag. With the aperture cut I could then mark in pencil on the Bashful Blue card, the area that my picture would need to fit. I stamped the fish onto Whisper White card, colouring them and cutting out. Using the leafy spray from the Fresh Cuts set, I stamped with Old Olive directly onto the Bashful Blue card and then arranged my fish, sticking them in place with Tombow. I didn't stamp one of the fish very well (his tail was faint) so I just placed him off to one side (upper purple fish) where he wouldn't be fully in the picture.

Instead of using hairgel I used anti-bacterial hand wash for the "water". This has the advantage that if children play with the card and burst or puncture the bag, the contents just need rubbing into their hands to disappear. It's possible that you may get better bubbles with hairgel but I'm happy with the result. By making the card a large square one, I was able to use the bag that my Sticky Strip comes in to hold the gel (nothing's wasted).

Once filled this was taped to the back of the aperture mat, placed over the blue mat and added to the front of the card.

Hope you have as much fun making your card for this challenge. Don't forget that by entering the challenge you'll be in with a chance of winning a free on-line class!

Sara xx