Hi everyone, today I’m with you with my project for the 18th Day of “Spectember”, a special month brought to you by Spectrum Noir, and today’s prompt is “Under the Sea”. Each day has a different prompt, all month long, and you can find all the inspiration over on the Spectrum Noir Facebook page.

Step 1:

I choose to work on a square card format today, on the left in the picture. Then I have a square panel from the same card stock slightly smaller then my card base. And finally I have my smallest square panel on which I will create my background, so it should be paper that can handle water well.

In the largest square panel I die cut a circle.

Step 2:

Next I stamp the images I want to use on the same paper that I create my background on (that can handle water well). I use the mermaid and the turtle from the My Favorite Things stamp set called “Mermazing” and I used the water plant stamp from a Studio Light stamp set (STAMPSL384).

I coloured the images using my Spectrum Noir Aqua Markers in combination with a water brush. I always pretend that the sun is hitting the image from the top left hand corner to make it easier for myself to know where my highlights and shadows should go.

My first layer is for laying down the base colours that I would like to use: Aqua Markers in Lime for the plant, Olive for the turtle, Peach for the skin, Tulip for the tail from the mermaid and Terra Cotta for the hair as well as the stones.

Step 3:

Now I’m darkening the colours more so that they jump of the paper: Fern for the turtle and the plant, Spice for the skin, Aquamarine around the images with a light hand, Red Violet for the tail from the mermaid and Chocolate for the hair and the stones.

Step 4:

Where needed I will now add some of the lighter colours that I might have lost a little: like the Terra Cotta for the hair and the Tulip for the mermaids tail.

When I’m happy with the results I add more highlights using a white Gelly Roll Pen. If you feel the highlights are to much you can sort of erase them with the water brush.

And when dry I fussy cut the images leaving a small border.

Step 5:

Time to work on my (smallest) background panel: I first stamp the sentiment (Clearly Besotted “Water Plushies”) using black ink and clear heat embossing afterwards, so that the water won’t smudge the text.

Then I put some of the Spectrum Noir Aqua Marker in Aquamarine on the top of the panel and work it out in a horizontal downward motion using the Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen in Clear. When you work horizontal and you might have some streaks it will look like water so it doesn’t bother me! Dry the background with your heat tool. Now you have a slightly sparkly background.

All of today’s Aqua Marker colours are from the following sets: Essentials, Primary and Botanicals.

Step 6:

Remember the square panel with the circle cut out from the middle? This panel will be layered on top of the background we just created. I decide on my lay out and then stamp the fish images from the MFT stamp set and the bubbles from the Studio Light stamp set using matching inks.

Step 7:

And now I’m ready to put my card together: I first adhered the two square background panels together using one millimetre thick foam tape. This combination I adhered to my card base using liquid glue. And to finish my card I adhere the images on top also using one millimetre thick foam tape.

Detail picture:

And that’s it for today’s fun project! I wish you a creative day!

#SpectrumNoirSpectember #MFTMermazing #StudioLightSTAMPSL384 #SpectrumNoirAquaMarkers #ClearlyBesottedWaterPlushies #SpectrumNoirSparklePenClear