Da Bear...GSG Swap #2

  

 So this is the card I made for my second group of New Catty swaps for the GSG swap group that I'm privileged and honored to be a part of.  I really like this card, and his belly is much better looking in real life.  I hope the swap girls agree!! 

I started making it by stamping the stars on the top portion of the Kiwi Kiss CS in VersaMark and then embossing the stars with Clear detail embossing powder.  Next I cut my strips of Pacific Point Textured CS and adhered them to the card fronts.  After that I stamped "grrreat!" and followed that by stamping and cutting out all of the stars on Kiwi Kiss CS. 

Finally...da bear.....I stamped him in Basic Black classic ink on some watercolor paper and then watercolored him with re-inkers and my aqua painter.  Next, I made his stomach furry.  How did I do that, you ask?  I used the faux suede technique. 

There are several ways to accomplish this technique.  One is by running a piece of CS through a crimper in all sorts of directions until you see the CS start to separate (most visible in the corners) into two layers.  You gently peel the CS apart.  The way I did it was with a bone folder because I didn't want da bear to have ripples.  All you do is cut a piece of CS slightly larger than the size of the image you will be stamping.  Next, you hold it and run your bone folder over it like you would curl ribbon with scissors.  It does slightly curl the CS, but you run it over the bone folder going vertically and horizontally, and on both sides, so the curling lessens and really won't stay anyway.  You'll see the layers of CS start to separate as you break down the fibers of the CS as you "curl" it with your bone folder, and you can gently peel the CS apart.  Sometimes you'll notice that you get to a spot that doesn't want to peel apart.  Stop, and curl the CS a little more in that area and finish peeling.  After doing this for my 14 bear bellies, I stamped da bear's belly on the rough side of the CS so that the "fur" would be on top and then I cut and adhered the belly on to da bear on my watercolor paper.  As easy as that!!! 

I hope you like him, I sure do!!

Stamps:  Under the Stars
Paper:  Kiwi Kiss, Creamy Caramel and Basic Black CS, Pacific Point Textured CS, Watercolor Paper
Ink:  Basic Black classic ink, Kiwi Kiss, Close to Cocoa and Creamy Caramel re-inkers, VersaMark
Accessories:  Clear detail embossing powder, embossing buddy, heat tool, Aqua Painter, Pacific Point Striped Grosgrain, bone folder