Creative Sundays With Jo Ann: Happy 4th of July

As a child, I remember waiting for it to get dark on the 4th of July so that I could join the neighborhood kids with sparklers. We would swoosh and swirl them through the air, leaving streaks of bright lights against the dark sky. We watched as the sparks popped all around us. We were fascinated by them. Does anybody do that anymore or have we deemed them unsafe for children? They probably are, but back in the “good ole’ days” we did a lot of things that probably weren’t very safe. Most of us survived! LOL As adults we still grab our large picnic blanket and head out to enjoy the city fireworks. The loud booms, bright flashes of color, and twinkling lights still mesmerize us.

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I know…another Pinky the Pig card…but I just can’t help myself. I have sent this pig on a barbecue, to the beach on an inner tube, and now out to enjoy the fireworks. I love everything about summer and Pinky the Pig is getting to enjoy all the fun things that I like to do. Could he be any happier…a pig in a puddle, with a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade, holding a pinwheel, and sporting a sparkler headband, while he enjoys the fireworks?? 🙂

To start, I stamped Pinky, the puddle, pinwheel, head band, lemonade, and sparklers, using the Pinky the Pig Stamp Set. I used Ranger Black Archival Ink and Tim Holtz Watercolor Cardstock. I drew a flag bandana and outfit. Simple lines. It was outlined with a Pigma Micron 05 (waterproof) pen and watercolored with Distress Inks. I added dots of color to the sparklers. The puddle also has some muddled dots of color to look like reflections of the fireworks.

I stamped two additional heads and colored them in. I erased the lines from the pig’s legs and colored them pink. Everything was fussy cut using EK Success Scissors.

I cut all the accessories using the coordinating Pinky the Pig Die Set and my Sizzix Sidekick and Therm O Web Purple Tape. The sticks were cut off the sparklers and added to the headband, then to the extra head. Scotch Foam Tape was added to the extra snout. The eyes and nostrils were darkened with a Black Gel Pen. I added an action wobbler to make this a bobble head. I am in the middle of reorganizing my studio and couln’t find my mini wobblers so I had to cut down a regular size to fit. I also eventually cut the extra splashes off the puddles.

I used the Farm Fence Die to create an suburban or country scene. The posts were colored using Distress Inks and Sponge Daubers. I needed the fence a little longer so I cut an additional piece and added some extra posts. Everything was glued with a Lawn Fawn Glue Pen. For an added patriotic touch I decided to make some bunting to drape along the fence. I used a small die from the Stitched Scallop Squares Die Set and cut off the corners. I painted it with leftover colors from my palette and added white dots with a White Gel Pen.

To create a night scene I used a Mini Ink Sponge Tool to add dark sky. I made the grass a little grungier so that it would also look like it was evening. I splashed water droplets on it using a Distress Water Sprayer.

To create the fireworks I drew dots and lines using three Signo Uniball pens in Gold, Red Sparkling Glitter, and Silver Sparkling Glitter. It gave me the thinner lines that I was looking for. I let them dry and went back over them again to add even more sparkle. I originally found these pens in Australia. They come in many more sparkling colors that I am eager to try. I have added a link to them at the end.

At this point I felt like the arms were too dark. I was not about to start over so I performed some minor pig surgery! I simply stamped and cut more arms and glued them on.

I colored the edges of two pieces of #80 Neenah Cardstock, one with Candied Apple and one with Faded Jeans. The corners were all rounded with a Cropadile Corner Chomper. All the pieces were added using a Lawn Fawn Glue Pen. The pig was given added dimension using Scotch Foam Tape. Do not add dimensional tape to the sparklers on the bobble head or they won’t bobble!!

For the finishing touches I added Nuvo Crystal Glaze to the ice cubes. Nuvo Ruby Slipper Glitter Drops and Silver Moondust Glitter Drops were aded to the sparklers and the puddles for some reflective shine. One drop of Nuvo Rhubarb Crumble Crystal Drops was added to the center of the pinwheel. Eyelashes and freckles were added with a Black Gel Pen.

The bobble head just makes me smile! You can click on the link below to see it in action.

There really was no room on the outside for a sentiment so I added the word “Happy,” using the Congrats Grad Stamp Set, and the “4th,” using the Color Me Alpha Stamp Set and coordinating Color Me Alpha Die Set, to the inside of the card. It was stamped with Faded Jeans Distress Ink. The “4th” was colored with leftover inks from my palette. White dots were added with a White Gel Pen.

Everything was assembled onto a #110 Neenah Classic Cardstock card base using a Kokuyo Tape Runner.

I hope that you have a fun and safe Independence Day Holiday! As always, thank you for joining me on another Creative Journey.

Joyfully, Jo Ann

Supplies used:
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