HOPE - for the Craft Stamper April Challenge

Hi all

Hope is something many of us need right now. It is a very difficult time and our new world and way of living is affecting so many elements of our lives. So I just want to send a little hope out to all of you. Talking of hope - there are GORGEOUS stamps and a stencil to be won this month, seriously, they are beautiful, and I HOPE you will take part! Take a look HERE.

 I used two vintage book pages, Shakespeare don't you know, (sold by the library years ago as falling apart) glued them together as they were very thin. Added a layer or watery gesso so the text would shows though.

 A little more gesso, then some light blue DecoArt paint added with a very watery brush.

 Stamped Andy Skinners 'Memories of India' stamp, firstly in a green, Shabby Shutters colour, then I stamped it some more with a clear Versamark pad and used a very pale pink embossing powder by Creative Expressions to build interest in the background.

 Then I used all the foliage stamps from Jane Gill's Woodware stamp set 'Hare in the Middle' (JGS699), inked with Olive Memento ink and then with Versamark and heat embossed with clear powder. I did this on my stamp platform as I repeatedly stamped each of the images to build the layers.

 You can just make out the pink embossing in the background in the photo below....

 My plan was to use little white flowers to fill all the gaps I'd left in the foliage. So I used an old die set by Susan's Garden called Flower Yarrow as it cuts loads at once - but you could use any small flower die or punch. I added tiny white pearls in the middles and glued down with Cosmic shimmer. I also found this pretty butterfly which I had in my stash - it was in a set from either the Range or Poundland. To make the antennae I just looked around for a slither of card I'd cut when making another project!

 The Hope stamp is another Andy Skinner stamp. I coloured it with the ink used for the foliage.  Once dry I added another little flower to the edge to tie in with the rest of the card.

And that's it for now.
Thanks so much for looking. Please do keep going.... and have hope.
Suz
xxx

See below for links to the stamps I've used:
Memories of India
Hare in the Middle
Hope