The Beach is Always a Good Idea!

Here's a shocking true confession: I am not that great at stamping + coloring. But one of my birthday gifts from my craft-bestie and fellow EO designer Stephanie Severin was an adorable Hawaiian-themed stamp set* that I knew would be perfect with ALL of the various Eyelet Outlet Sea Shell Brad Varieties, so I couldn't wait to use it. It's featured in my post on the Eyelet Outlet Blog today, actually!

I painted a beachy little watercolor background using ColorBurst pigment powders.** I attached my title (alphabet stickers and trimmed-down Dymo Label Tape) leaving a gap for the border of shells I wanted to use, which included some Shell Corners, Sea Shore Brads, Shell Brads and even a Sandcastle Brad. Here's the most important step in my card-making process, which I've said before but it bears repeating: I dry fit the elements, including the brads-- on which I usually flatten the prongs a bit-- so I can see how everything works together! Then, I snap a pic on my phone, so I will remember what order I had everything in, and which bits were over or under something else. Only then do I start poking holes in my background! ;)

Finally, my favorite thing about sweet little character stamps like these, is that the scale makes them PERFECT to mix in a few more brads! In this case, the cute hula girl had a bloom behind her ear that I covered with a Fresh Flower Brad; and you know that as soon as you construct some bamboo lettering a Seagull Brad will immediately come and perch upon it!!!

I hope you'll be inspired to look at your stamps AND your Eyelet Outlet Brads and find more combinations that will be perfect together. If you need some ideas, the EO Blog has brand new inspiration every single day!!!

*Polynesian Paradise by My Favorite Things, a set that Stephanie knew I have been drooling over since it was released a couple of years ago! ♥

**Cerulean for the sky, with some Turquoise added in the sea; Gamboge with a tiny (TINY!) touch of Sepia for the sand.