Hello Summer!

Hi Crafty friends!

Temperatures are heating up and have been in the 100s here every day this week, so this month's kit from Hero Arts with it's cute summer theme was perfect timing and I have been totally inspired!   The pool effect stencils are so clever, and just by layering up all three stencils with slightly different shades of blue, it gives this really cool water effect.  It also lends itself beautifully to be a shaker card so I couldn't wait to create one using some blue sequins that have been in my stash for ages and which turned out to be the perfect addition here.  All the other dies which cut the umbrella, flip flops, beach ball, diving board, sunbather and the float are also incuded in the kit so I cut those from scraps of colored cardstock and added them in and around the pool.  I stamped and cut a sentiment and popped it up on a bit of foam tape to add a little more dimension.  So cute!  

Here's another card I made using the same set and I just dry embossed some lines on the pink layer to look like tiles around the pool.  

I could have spent the rest of the afternoon just coming up with card ideas for these cute pool themed dies, however, the kit also comes with another large die so I had to try that out as well.  

I used a piece of card stenciled with the pool pattern for the background on an A2 sized card base and then assembled all the die pieces and just added her to the front.  This is a large die so it fills a card front beautifully with not much else needed.  I cut the hat and the girl's head and body out of kraft cardstock and did a little ink blending with some brown distress ink to add a little dimension and then did the same with some pumpkin colored ink on her hair which I cut from a golden yellow cardstock.   I cut her dress and the ribbon around her hat in two shades of blue and then the sentiment from white, layering onto the shadow cut once again from kraft.  I popped them up on some foam tape and added them to the rim of her hat.  Finally, I added her eyelashes, cut in black, just below the brim of her hat and made her lips look shiny by adding a bit of packing tape to a scrap of pink card before cutting out.  The elements for her fruity drink are also included in the kit so you can make it whatever you want.  Today she is drinking a refreshing mango smoothie!

I can't decide which one I like best.  I love them all!  What do you think?  Which one is your favorite?

Thanks so much for stopping by and hope to see you next time!

TTFN
Bev x