Life in the Desert

Today's card was designed based on the Atlantic Sketch Challenge #140.

I live in the Sonoran Desert (Arizona) and have been wanting to use my cactus stamps for a while. I wanted to use elements that are reminders of the desert: the sun, a tiny Cactus Wren (state bird), a cactus in bloom and sun-bleached wood. The photo above was taken on my porch to show the San Pedro cactus in the background. I chose to use the cantaloupe colors rather than tan, because the desert often has a sandy pink look to it.

The cactus and its blooms were stamped, sponged and fussy cut. The fence and the stamped sentiment were also cut by hand. The sun was die cut. The cactus wren was stamped directly on the card. The wooden fence and sun were popped up using foam tape. The inside of the card was lined with white cardstock and stamped with more Cactus Wrens. Clear Wink of Stella was added to the sun and the flowers.

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Techniques: Stamping, sponging, fussy cutting, die cutting
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials:
Stamps: Lil' Inker Designs "So Prickly" stamp set
Inks: SU! Crisp Cantaloupe, Early Espresso, Certainly Celery
Markers: SU! Early Espresso, Garden Green
Cardstock: SU! Whisper White, Crisp Cantaloupe
DSP: SU! Into the Woods Collection, Lil' Inker Dip Died Ombre Collection
Misc.: Foam tape, Wink of Stella (clear)