Neat & Tangled May Release Week: Day One Barnyard Buddies

Hello everyone.

Today is exciting because it is day one of Neat & Tangled's May Release Week! Today we are showcasing the NEW Neat & Tangled Barnyard Buddies stamp set with coordinating dies. This stamp set features a few farm animals, plus an adorable tractor image and a barn too! To visit Neat & Tangled and check out the blog to see the rest of the design team's inspirational projects (CLICK HERE!).

Remember to comment on each of the design team's blogs this week each day for your chance to win prizes featuring this weeks release. The NEW May Release will go LIVE Friday, May 17th at 8:00 AM EST. (CLICK HERE!)

Today, my project is super simple but also really fun to create. I was inspired by all of those beautiful fields (and even lawns for that matter that are so impeccably manicured that they are simply works of art). Although the real farms are far more beautiful than the stripes I ink blended on this background- I tried to capture their essence.

I started with a piece of Neenah 110 lb. cardstock, cut to 3 1/2 by 4 3/4.  I applied some Snot Tape (more on this in a minute), to my card panel leaving the sky exposed to my inking first. I used Distress Oxide Ink in Antique Linen and a Nuvo Blender Brush to create a light sunny background, leaving the very edges to fade to white.

So- back to the Snot Tape, (it will be linked below, by the way). This tape is unique in design. It's marketed purpose is for painters to mask walls but it is absolutely awesome for masking your paper for ink blending. This is the best stuff I've found for this purpose. It is not waterproof, but for inking such as this, it's awesome. It has a gel like adhesive that allows you to stick it to your paper without worry of it ripping when you peel it back off. Also, because of it's gel like nature, it leaves behind this beautifully blended edge and not a harsh line, and I haven't experienced any tape residue whatsoever. I probably sound crazy, but if you ink blend, you know what I'm saying.

Then I peeled the Snot Tape off of my paper and turned it around to leave the ground available to be inked. With this Snot Tape, I am able to trust the my freshly inked sky won't be damaged. 

For the ground. I started by inking the ground with Distress Oxide in Twisted Citron. I used my Nuvo Blender Brush to do this, adding small amounts of Mowed Lawn in the Oxide as well. For the most part I want to leave the base layer as light as possible but still give it a little life and dimension. 

I then applied art tape in 1/4 in width. I have had these skinny rolls of art tape for years and years. I think Tim brought it home for me to use before Dexter (our five year old) was even born. I used these in double width. Adhering them to the light green background that I had just inked. Doing my best to line them up. I did not use a ruler, I just eyeballed it. I figured if they can do it with a tractor, I can use my eyes. 

After the tape was applied I used Mowed Lawn and Pine Needles Distress Oxide inks to blend on the darker stripes of lawn. Fading all of it to the bottom left of the card panel. 

As for the images they are all from the NEW Neat & Tanged Barnyard Buddies stamp set. I stamped them with Simon Says Stamp Intense Black Ink and colored them with my Copic Markers. I also used the coordinating dies to cut them out with my Spellbinders Platinum Die Cutting Machine. Everything was stuck on using Scotch 3M foam tape, except for the barn. I used Nuvo Deluxe adhesive to stick it flat to the card panel. That way the other images looked more interesting as they were popped up. 

While I had my die cutting machine out, I also cut a piece of Stampin' Up!'s Granny Apple Green with the Poppy Stamps Stitched Cloudline Die set. I have seen other crafters use their cloud dies as tops of trees and I figured it would also act as a bush for me today, and I channeled a little Bob Ross as I nestled in this happy little bush with my little horse as his friend hanging out in the foreground. 

This bush will also be a home for my sentiment which was also from the Barnyard Buddies stamp set. I stamped it using my We R Memory Keepers Precision Press. It was stamped in Nuvo Clear Mark embossing ink onto Lawn Fawn's Black Licorice cardstock. I heat embossed it using Ranger White embossing powder. I also trimmed it down to size with a Fiskars Wire Guide Paper trimmer. 

I want to thank you for visiting my blog today. I hope you enjoyed my card. A full list of supplies should be linked below. Don't forget to visit the Neat & Tangled Blog for more inspiration from the rest of the design team. (CLICK HERE!)

Koren