Seahorse & Shells Happy Birthday Card

I've had the SU! 'Seaside Notions' stamp set for a few months and hadn't used it and I decided it was high time I inked up the stamps.  I love the look of the images, the style really appeals to me.  Oh dear, when I sat down at my desk to stamp I just couldn't get in the groove with these stamps, it was painful.  I don't colour images in very often and I don't practise enough so I'm not very confident.  I tried colouring with Stampin' Blends and watercolouring with inks and an aquapainter and I didn't like my results with those.  Then I tried watercolour pencils and a paintbrush and I stuck with those.  After colouring and fussy cutting the images I was having problems getting a layout together and as I was really frustrated by this point I walked away.

The next day I sat down to try again and things went more smoothly.  Here's my card and envelope together. I chose neutral, earthy colours and I think this would make a good masculine card.

Here's the card.  I stamped the images in VersaFine Vintage Sepia ink on watercolour paper and coloured by picking pigment up from watercolour pencils using a wet paintbrush.  I die cut two stitched rectangle shapes, one from Very Vanilla CS and one from Cajun Craze CS.  I stamped sand along the bottom of the Very Vanilla panel, stamped the sentiment and popped up the shells and seahorse.  I embossed the Cajun Craze rectangle with the 'Subtle' embossing folder to add a touch of texture and adhered the panels offset from each other.

Here's the inside of the card.  I stamped the sand dollar on the Vanilla panel, stamped it again on a Post It note, cut it out and used that as a mask and stamped the shell.  After stamping the sentiment I layered the panel onto a mat of Cajun Craze CS.

Here's the envelope front with just simple stamping.  There was absolutely no way I was going to attempt colouring images for the inside of this card and envelope after the struggles of the previous day!

I'm put off this set now because of the struggles but I'll try again - one day!  Maybe I'll get on much better next time or perhaps it's one of those sets that is not right for me and in that case I will pass it on!

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! 'Seaside Notions' & 'Fancy Phrases' sets
CS: SU! Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake & Very Vanilla, watercolour paper
Ink: VersaFine Vintage Sepia, SU! watercolour pencils
Tools: SU! 'Stitched Rectangles' die set, 'Subtle' embossing folder, paintbrush
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Dimensionals
Ruth