Ultramarine Seahorse Birthday Card

Hello friends and visitors! I had so much fun making my shades of red seahorse card, I decided to make one for my son's birthday in some of his favorite shades.

The background was made by applying thick gesso  to a card and then dragging a texture tool through it. I used various shades of Distress paint in blues, followed by some splatters of  watered down white acrylic paint, ultramarine and lake blue guache. I seriously love working with this medium. The bubbles are Distress Picket Fence using different sized straws for my "stamp".

I used the Mixed Media #2 Thinlit die for the green "seaweed" and applied Distress Crazing Medium to it for the tiniest cracks. I used a variety of sprays, inks, and paints to color it. I stamped the seahorse with a My Sentiments Exactly stamp in Archival, Jet Black, fussy cut, and applied a coat of DecoArt Crackle Glaze. When dry I colored it and highlighted the cracks with Distress and Decoart paints and Antiquing Creams. I say creams, because this was an entirely different color before! Did you know seahorses can change color in real life? Mine started out red (leftover from my previous project), but it changed color to blend in with his surroundings, just like they do in nature. You can see just a hint of the reds showing through. Oh, and ignore that little thread; I was trying out some cheesecloth, but didn't like the look.  I guess a thread got stuck.

This seahorse was also stamped with same image and fussy cut.  I gave him some texture using DecoArt Sand Texture paste, Golden glass bead gel and Wendy Vecchi Crackle paste. I colored him with Distress Twisted Citron spray stain and  Distress paints, Cracked Pistachio and Evergreen Bough. I also splashed on some watered down guache in blues. The little guy is an All Night Media stamp, fussy cut, coated with the same mediums for texture. He is colored with Cracked Pistachio and splattered with Twisted Citron.

The white "seaweed" is Memory Box Cloe Stem and Tim Holtz Festive Greenery die cuts. I added a Chit Chat sentiment to finish it off. The card was adhered to a background stamped with a Prima rope image. Here's one more look at my completed card.

I made this card especially for my son--we'll be celebrating 18 years this coming week! and for the following challenges:

Scrapy Land Challenge #45 Anything Goes I used two Sizzix dies and a Memory Box die.

Frilly and Funkie All in the Family This card was made to celebrate a family member's birthday.

Country View July Challenge Have Fun With Circles

Southern Ridge Trading Company-Anything Summer

Dies R Us Challenge #52-Outdoor Fun

Creative With Stamps CWS Challenge #4- Ink Splatters

Word Art Wednesday Challenges #238-#239-Anything Goes

The Artistic Stamper July's Creative Challenge-All Things Bright and Beautiful It's not obvious, but I used 2 seahorse stamps and I stamped with straws (circles).

Happy Little Stampers HLS July Challenge-Recycle I recycled my stamped and crackled seahorse. He was red and I was able to change him to the color seen above. (Not sure if that counts-feel free to remove if this doesn't qualify.)

Happy Little Stampers HLS July Anything Goes With Dies Challenge

Thank you for dropping in today and for leaving your lovely comments! I read and appreciate them all!

Hugs and Blessings!

Sara Emily

UPDATE: So honored!