I started with an A2 size card base. I used the Wavy Border dies to create red and white strips of cardstock which became the stripes on my American flag. A simple rectangle out of blue cardstock created the background for the Star Border. I cut the Star Border from white cardstock and trimmed it down to six stars, so it would fit in my rectangle. Once I had the background done, it was time to stamp and color the adorable little boy and girl koala. I colored the koalas using Copic markers and fussy cut them out. I added a star and hat on top of their heads from the Stars and Stripes stamp set.
Finally, I stamped my sentiment under the blue rectangle on one of the white stripes. Since my sentiment said "reach for the stars", I decided to add a few more larger stars above the little koalas. These stars also came from the Stars and Stripes stamp set. I added a little Wink of Stella to all the stars for a little extra sparkle and that completes my card.
For my second card, I used almost all the images in the Stars and Stripes stamp set to create another fun Fourth of July card. I just arranged the different stamps on my white rectangle, which was slightly smaller than an A2 size card, to see what layout I preferred. Once I had them where I wanted them, I stamped them down. I colored all the images with Copic markers. I also outlined each image with a light blue marker. Then I used my glitter pen to add a little sparkle to all the stars on my card.
After everything was colored, I backed my white rectangle on a piece of red cardstock to really make the white panel pop. Finally, I attached the red panel to a gray polka dot piece of cardstock that was cut to four and a quarter by five and half.
For my last card I decided to focus on the little firecracker image in the set. I wanted to create a background sky full of exploding fireworks with the little firecrackers in the foreground.
The first thing I did, was create the background using a piece of watercolor cardstock. I used some distress ink on an acrylic block to create the "fireworks." I simply put a dab of ink on the block and then used my water brush to spread the ink around in the shape of a firework. Then, I placed the paper on top of the ink. Ta-da.....watercolor fireworks! I think this technique worked well for the look I was going for.
Next I stamped and colored three little fire crackers. I also stamped a little face from the set onto each firecracker to give them some personality. Once the watercolor panel was dry, I stamped the sentiment in the bottom left corner where I had a left a little white space. Then, I decided where to place the firecrackers and stamped the little firecracker trail in black. I used foam tape to pop up each of the firecrackers and added a little Wink of Stella to make them sparkle. Finally, I backed my watercolor panel on a gingham blue and red cardstock.
I hope you'll check out this fun set, and stay tuned to the blog for more inspiration! I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with! Thanks for reading and have a great day!
