Under the sea

Andreja has set me a real challenge on the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week. Her choice of theme is:

And she wants to see under sea creatures celebrating Christmas.

I really struggled with this! I don't really have character stamps. I can do under the sea, but how to give it a Christmassy twist?

In the end I came up with a card but it doesn't really fit the brief so I won't post it on the challenge.

The base of my card has been done with brushos, then I stamped into the ink and transferred within the paper using a seaweed and bubbles stamp from Clarity.

I added distress oxides with the same stamp, and spritzed with water to disperse a little.

I struggled to get a focussed photo - this was the best!

I used crushed olive, then decided it was too yellow, so overstamped in peacock feather ink.

The next layer is corals. I started with an old technique I haven't used for ages, smooshing ink inside a plastic folder and dipping the card in. I used distress reinkers for intense colour, in oranges and seedless preserve. This sometime gives a coral-like pattern, but of course not this time! So instead, I went over with the silver pen. The pattern is from a free to use image I downloaded; I did trace it on and then go over it, but then I couldn't see the lines and had got the hang of the repeat so went free hand. It was long winded but satisfying, and I think the results are beautiful.

The small square is stamped in grey archival ink with a coral stamp that came in a Clarity set with a seahorse - I didn't have it when I planned and started this card otherwise I'd have used that!

The starfish is a wooden embellishment, painted with gold paint.

For the sentiment, I use a Clarity stamp again. I couldn't resist highlighting the "sea" part of season's greetings. Using the stamp platform, I lightly wetted the card and stamped "sea" in peacock feathers distress oxide, masking the rest of the word. I spritzed again and let it dry. 

I then overstamped with green stazon ink - the stamp was in the same place on the platform still.

The rest of the word, and "greetings" I stamped in black archival.

I edged each piece in black, before arranging and putting together.

To join in with the challenge head over to the 52CCT blog, where you can check out the other DT cards, they've done a much better job than me of making Christmassy Under the Sea Creature cards to inspire you!