Claritystamp Challenge - Shaped Card

Another month has flashed by and it's time for another Claritystamp Challenge. This month the challenge is to make a shaped card, no squares or rectangles. I was determined not to leave it to the last minute this month, and maybe because I still had last month's design in my head, this one has turned out very similar. Next month I promise I will do something totally different.

Stamps:  Claritystamp Character Silhouette set, Douglas and Lily, Words from the Birdcage set, NDC82 Cherries

Dies:       Tim Holtz On the edge Distressed Doily, Sizzix Thinlets Decorative trim #2

Inks:       Adirondack Stream and Denim, Black Archival

Other:     A4 pearly cardstock, Blue card, Blue Watercolour marker

• Using the Doily Die cut the top front of the card. Fold the card in half and cut the back with scissors freehand slightly higher than the cut out doily. (If I was doing this again I wouldn't cut the back until later.)

• Cut an oval from some background card previously created with shaving foam.  I used a template and cut round by hand but if I had one an oval die would have been much more accurate.  Stamp on the couple using Archival black ink and then add some shading around the edges and under their feet with a mixture of Stream and Denim ink.

• Sorry forgot to take photos of the next few stages.
• Mount the oval on blue card and cut around then stick to the front of the card. I had intended to have a wider blue edge but cutting by hand it got smaller and smaller. I must get some Oval dies. 
• Decided it needed some blue card inside the card so stuck this in and then cut around the shape again. (This is where it would have been easier to cut the two back pieces at the same time.)
• Stamp the words on another piece of the Shaving foam paper, mount on blue card and stick below the oval.

• Finishing touches.  Make some little flowers using the NDC Cherries stamp.
• Stamp onto scraps of shaving foam card, Go around the edges with blue watercolour marker, brush on a little water and then blot with kitchen roll, cut out. I made 9.

• Attach 5 flowers to top, slightly shaping them, and 3 in a line inside the card (not shown). The last one might go on the envelope.
• Draw faux blue stitching around the oval and word strip using the fine end of the blue watercolour marker.
• Cut out two paper trims using decorative trim die and add to top and bottom of word strip.

Hope this has been some inspiration for you to have a go at this month's Claritystamp challenge.  I will use my card for an upcoming family wedding in October.  I am pretty sure my nephew doesn't read craft blogs.  Looking forward to seeing all your entries.

Lesley