At last! Time to make Owl cards!

Well, it's taken me weeks I know, but I have finally got round to taking some step by step photos so I can give you the Owl card instructions that many of you have been asking me for. Sorry it took me so long! This will be a looong post because of all the pictures! Okay, here goes!You will need: Owl stamp from my clear set - Swirly Birds PICS013 (If you want a cute owl, as opposed to a serious one, then try"Fluffy Owl" FH116 which is a wood mounted one.) 3 x shades of Versamagic Inkpads...I used Night Sky, Aegean Blue & Purple Hydrangea, but go with what takes your fancy. You'll also need a black ink pad (I used Archival so I could crack on with colouring my owl) a bottle of Ranger's Distress Re-inker in Black Soot, a circle punch, a piece of sponge and a thin straw! You will also need whatever is your choice of colouring medium in various browns, greys and ochre - I use Marvy Le Plume pens and a waterbrush, and, of course, some cardstock. Okay, first of all, cut a piece of white card a bit smaller than your card blank. Punch a circle from thin card and stick it to the top right of the piece of card using repositionable glue. Make sure it is secure before the next step. Starting with the lightest of your chosen Versamagic colours, pick up a little ink with the sponge and swipe it across the card in a diagonal direction - this gives the impression of a rain swept sky. Turn the sponge around and repeat with the next colour. Finally, repeat with the darkest shade, adding colour until you like the effect. Make sure that you apply ink across the circle to define the shape.Now carefully remove the circle mask..a pricking tool can be helpful for this. Don't worry if you do damage the surface of the card beneath as you can add some Diamond Stickles to disguise it!

Next, drop a blob of the Distress Re-Inker at the bottom of the card - I usually place the card onto a bigger piece of scrap card whilst I do this as it avoids mess and allows me to lift the image for the next step. Here comes the fun part now! Take a straw (the thinner the better) and blow the ink blob up the card. As it goes up the card you can blow sideways to make a twig shoot out an angle. Keep adding blobs to the bottom of the card and then blow them to create more branches. The way the ink "spiders" across the card gives a very natural look which is much more random than drawing them. It does make one feel a bit light headed though! Mat the finished piece onto black card and then onto the card blank.

Stamp the owl twice onto thin white card and colour him with your chosen medium. You only need the wing from the second owl. Cut the images out and decoupage the wing over the first owl. It will give a more natural look if you stick the top of the wing flat to the base image whilst using silicone glue to give height to the tip. Carefully "roll" the owl around your finger to give him a nice shape and squidge a line of silicone down the back of the image before positioning him onto the card. If you want a bit of sparkle, just add a little Stickles to the moon.
Well, I hope you will have a go at the card - let me know how you get on! Lindsay