New beginnings

Hi crafter's

This card is going to be my entry for the Clarity stamp challenge which is New beginnings. I wasn't quite sure what to do until I had one of those discount leaflets from a supermarket. The offers were for the Chinese new year and it is going to be the year of the horse. This was good as I had just purchased the galloping horse. Also my son is studying Chinese Mandarin at school so he could help me with the words. The background was made directly on to the white base card. Using a stencil and inks ( juniper Adirondack and bamboo leaves Memento) start with the lightest colour then add the darker colour in some of the corners. I wanted this to give the impression of a screen. Next I put black peel offs around the edge where the stenciling finished, crossing over at the corners. Stamp the flourish from the oriental stamp set in black ink twice in opposite corners. To start the topper stamp the horse in black ink then the blossom branch and finally the lanterns. Make the background scene with the hills and mountains masks. Take some Promarkers and add some dots following the undulations of the land. Make the sky with the clouds mask and blue ink. Colour in the blossom with Promarkers, pastel pink and dusky pink with a little gold for the centre then light green for the leaves. Stamp the lanterns on a scrape piece of white card and colour in (I used Prismacolor pencils for this) using red and yellow. Ink up the flourish in black again and stamp over the long lantern picking what part you want as the pattern. Cut out the lantern leaving off the hook and tassels. Shape them a little and stick down with dimensional glue. Use the black peel offs to frame the topper. Attach it to the base card at a slight angle. Stamp the double tile from the Letterbox set in black. I then carefully copied the characters my son had written down for me, it says The Year of the Horse. Ink up the solid tile with Versamark and glaze with clear embossing powder. Cut out then edge with red. Cut a piece of black card and mount the tiles. Attach at the top in the centre. That's it card finished!

 I hope you like it, any comments are welcome.

Thanks for looking

Sally