JAI 46 -just add critters

Hi everyone,

well for a change I don't have a Christmas card for you today. Why? well we have a fun challenge for you at Just Add Ink this week - its just add critters! Now I'm not saying you can't make a critter inspired Christmas card - its just that the first critter idea that popped into my head was Noah's Ark and I just had to see if I could make it work. Here it is.




I've seen side step cards around in blog land off and on and it was on my list of try sometime, and it occured to me that the steps would be a great way to showcase my parade of two by two animals. To find the instructions I just Googled and in the end I followed some simple instructions I found on Marelle Taylor's blog here. So I started by cutting and folding a Marina Mist base, as per the instructions. Next step was all the animals - two tortoises in Old Olive and Kiwi Kiss, two lions in mix and matched More Mustard and Cajun Craze, two giraffes in Pumpkin Pie and Tangerine Tango and two monkeys in Early Expresso and Chocolate Chip - a tree for the monkeys (I hand cut the trunk and then added lots of punched "foliage" as well as some apples ;)
I also added some grass to the two lower levels, for the tortoises and lions to walk through. Of course I also needed an ark! So I stamped my boat on Whisper White and Pumpkin Pie, then cut out some of the white sections and pieced them onto the Pumpkin boat. I adhered my boat about half way up on the small full height section of the side step card, leaving enough room to add a sentiment below, and a bright yellow sun to shine down from above. I also added some vellum cardstock below the boat to be the "sea". The last finishing touch was to add dabs of crystal effects to highlight bits of the boat and the animals. It was a bit tricky but I finished off the inside too.

I was very chuffed to get high marks from all the family on this one - even my DH - so this one is a keeper and most likely destined for my Mr 2 when he turns into Mr 3!! early next year.

So I hope you liked my whimsical critter take on Noah's Ark - if you have time why don't you join in the Just Add Ink challenge this week too.

Thanks for visiting,
Kim

Recipe: All SU!
Stamps: Fox and Friends, Party this Way, Wild About You (R), Boatloads of Love (R)
Cardstock: Marina Mist, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Kiwi Kiss (smooth and textured), Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Cardstock Vellum
Ink: Basic Black, Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive, More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip, Early Expresso
Accessories: Boho Blossom punch, 1/4" and 1" circle punches, Word Window punch, Scallop circle punch, Little Leaves sizzlet, Real Red brad, Crystal Effects, Dimensionals, SNAIL, Double sided tape