Amber INK: You're Still Lookin' Good!

First, I want to thank everyone who voted for my cards in Amber INK's very first challenge; YOU helped me get into the top three! Now the incoming September design team will select a winner from the top three, which will be announced on the 20th when the new release comes out! I would LOVE to win the very first challenge at Amber INK's INKredible 21 Day Challenge Blog!

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One of my favorite images in this release is this little mermaid with her tongue sticking out in concentration! She comes with a whole set of different images; for this one I used the rocks, two fish, the mirror,bubbles, and the baby mermaid.

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I had fun creating this scene. I positioned the mirror to reflect a fish - he looks quite startled at his reflection! I printed it with a black and white laser printer on color laser printer paper, then I colored it with Copic markers. I shaded the tail with colors of hot pink, orange, and gold, which is a little hard to see after I gave it a coating of gold glitter glue. The tail had the same treatment but was coated with rust glitter glue, as was her top. The seaweed has green and the fish have gold glitter glue. I guess you can see the trend here?  In addition the mermaid's eyes, the mirror, the fish's eyes and the bubbles have a coating of glossy effects! I'm telling you, this thing is a wonder to behold in person! You can see it in the glare of this flash shot:

To frame the colored image, I cut a fancy edge on some hot pink card using a seashell border punch, then sponged the edges with orange. I zig-zagged some ribbon onto the bottom, ruching it partway and laying it smooth the rest of the way, then cutting a notch into each end.

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I computer generated the sentiments, sponged them with orange and adhered them to the pink panel, making the notch cut into the bottom sentiment nestle into the notch in the ribbon. The top one was anchored on the left with a button tied with black twine, adhered with a glue dot. I edged the colored image with a copper leafing pen, glued it to a piece of white card to stiffen it, then adhered it to the pink panel with thick foam mounting tape. Then the whole thing was mounted to a mustard colored card base with edges sponged in orange.

This is my farewell post as a Torch Bearer. I'll be handing my torch over to someone really special, I hand picked her as my successor and I know you will love her style! Check back on the 17th to see who I picked, and we'll see who the challenge winner is on the 20th! I may die of suspense between now and then, LOL! Plus we'll see all the fabby new stamps from Amber INK!

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think about my little mermaid card, the challenge, torch bearers or anything at all!

Stamps: Amber INK - "Baby Mermaids - Friendship"
Paper: Stampin' Up! - More Mustard, black and pink card stock; HP - Color laser printer paper; Georgia Pacific - white card stock.
Ink: Copic - Sketch markers; Ranger Distress Ink - Marmalade; Krylon - metallic Copper Leafing Pen.
Miscellaneous: Ribbon, Ranger - Glossy Accents, Frosted Lace Stickles; Hampton Arts - Gold, green,and rust glitter glue.
Tools: Martha Stewart Crafts - Shell & Sand Dollar border and corner punches; Janome Sew Mini sewing machine; Ranger Inksentials - Ink blending tool and foam pad.