Birthday card: Mermaid

What:

A birthday card for an Instagram crafter who, I’m told, loves ocean colours and mermaids.

How:

I went on the hunt for a mermaid digital stamp that I liked and printed it onto watercolour paper; the inkjet print isn’t waterproof, but watercolour markers can be used with care.

This is the first detailed piece I have coloured with the Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens and I am surprised how well it came out, especially on the mermaid’s tail. I will admit to wimping out when it came to adding a background — backgrounds are a weak area for me and I’m always scared of messing up the main image — so I just added a light hint of blue to avoid leaving it stark white.

I stamped and heat embossed “happy birthday” on a piece of vellum and die cut a scalloped edge at the top of it. I also die cut scalloped edges on the top and bottom of the main panel. Then I just mounted the pieces on a card base and added a few sequins and some Wink of Stella highlights to finish it off.

Supplies:

• stamps:
  Uniko Studio – simply said birthday
• digital stamps:
  Sugar Nellie – under the sea – ocean’s gift
• dies:
  Clearly Besotted – scalloped edges die collection
• embossing powder:
  Lindy’s Stamp Gang – hyacinth blue jade
• Zig Clean Color Real Brush:
  skin – 064 oatmeal, 071 flesh colour
  tail – 040 green, 041 light green, 045 pale green
  top & accessories – 036 light blue, 042 turquoise
  hair – 050 yellow, 071 flesh colour
  pearl – 091 light grey
  rock – 091 light grey, 090 grey
  seahorse – 021 light carmine, 200 sugar almond pink, 040 green, 042 turquoise
  sea – 302 haze blue
• embellishments:
  Doodlebug – sequins – assorted
  Wink of Stella – clear
• paper and card:
  watercolour paper
  Papermill Direct – plain teal