CottageCutz: In the Forest - Squirrel and Log

Hi, Lois here. I'm so glad to say that I've been invited to join the CottageCutz design team. This is my first blog post as part of the team . . . and just in time for their new Fall release, In the Forest. I have a friend whose daughter is just in love with squirrels, and I was thinking of her during the entire time I was making this card. Isn't that squirrel just the cutest thing peeking behind that log?

For this card I used:

Chocolate card base 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", folded in half

Cream cardstock 4" x 5 1/4" embossed

Chocolate cardstock 4 1/2" x 3 1/2"

Cream cardstock approx. 4 1/2" x 3 1/2" (to be cut with die)

Gray, green, brown cardstock

Distress ink - Peeled Paint, Walnut Stain, Tumbled Glass

Copic markers - Black, Pink

White gel pen

Sponge applicators

Embossing folder

Narrow washi tape

Double-sided adhesive sheet

CottageCutz dies - Forest Peekers - Moose and Squirrel, Tree Stump and Log for Peekers, Grass with Cattails, Double-stitched Rectangles

Cut all the images with the dies.

You'll notice that I cut the leaves on a small scrap of green cardstock which I had backed with a piece of double-sided adhesive sheet. Those leaves are quite small, and I thought it would be easier to finally adhere them to the card if they had the adhesive cut at the same time. Next time I may cut all the smaller pieces from cardstock backed with an adhesive sheet. When I cut the grass pieces, I wanted the cattails on only one of the pieces, so I trimmed back the second die-cut to remove the cattails.

Sponge some ink onto the die-cut pieces to give them some dimension.

After I sponged the squirrel pieces with the dark gray ink, I used a white gel pen to color the inside of his ears. After the ink had dried, I went over the white with some pink marker. The eyes and nose were colored with the black marker.

Three of the base pieces were cut with a paper trimmer. The fourth, smallest piece was cut using the largest Double-stitched Rectangle die.

Emboss the larger cream panel. Run a narrow strip of washi tape around the edges of the die-cut panel, covering the stitched lines. Then sponge the grass and sky around the edges.

Remove the washi tape and assemble the card. I ran many of the die-cut pieces through a Xyron machine; and, as noted above, next time I may cut all the pieces from a piece of cardstock that has been backed with an adhesive strip.

Completed card.