Beach Dreams

Hi Everyone, 

I'm up on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts blog today with a fun vintage inspired postcard.

I've been dreaming of the ocean.  I grew up near the beach and every summer all the girls in our family used to spend a week in York, Maine.  I am now in Arizona and don't get to the beach nearly enough.  I think this postcard is as close as I will get this year.  Here is how you can create your own. 

I started with a piece of paper mounted on a piece of mat board.  I randomly added crazing medium and then added Distress Crayon in Hickory Smoke and Broken China to show off the cracks.  

Both umbrellas were colored using Distress Stains(candied Apple, Broken China, Fossilized Amber, and Vintage Photo).  I did not prime them with gesso.  I wanted them to look slightly faded and the stain seeps into the chipboard.  Once the stain was dry I covered them with Emerald Creek's clear embossing powder. It's not completely covered.  I left some blank spots so it looks a bit tattered and sun faded.  

The waves are all embossing using various Emerald Creek embossing powders and then layered. The top wave has a layer of Salted Navy and then a layer of Soft Fallen Snow.  The middle wave has Broken China Distress Stain and then Fractured Ice embossing powder.  The last wave has a layer of Salted Navy and then is topped with Blue Pearl.  

The sand dollar was punched with white acrylic paint using a dry brush so some of the chipboard color is still visible.  The starfish are embossed with San Tropez Tan.  The shells are coated with a thin layer of gesso, a bit of Nuance Powder in Jade, and embossed with Fractured Ice. Don't the starfish look real?

The sand is torn paper that has been inked using Antique Linen and Tea Dye Distress Inks.  I glued them in layers and tucked in all of my pieces.  I love that her foot is buried in the sand.

 My sentiment is the finishing touch; 

I adding some shadow around it and the lady using distress crayons and a Fude ball pen.

Anyone want to take me to the beach this summer?

Jess