Lavinia Stamps "Horse & Foal" Birthday Card

It seems like ages since I last used my Lavinia Stamps, but as I needed to make a card for a horse mad young lady, the "Horse & Foal" stamp seemed ideal for the focus of the birthday card.

I used the Sweet Poppy "Circle Aperture" stencil for the central round area.  Using "Sky Blue" Archival Ink with a blending brush to create a very subtle background.  I then lay the Lavinia Stamps "Feather Leaf Stencil" over the top and used the same ink and brush to provide a quiet background pattern.

I was in two minds to keep all the stamping within the circle or let some of it "off the edge".  I decided on the latter.

I stamped the large tree, the Lavinia Stamps "Elm" Tree in Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink, allowing the branches to extend past the circle edge.  Using the same ink, I stamped the Lavinia "Horse & Foal".

Using Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" grey ink, I created the landscape using a finger dabber to apply the ink over the torn edge of copy paper.

Using the same ink and the Lavinia Stamps "Small Trees", I stamped the tree images so they looked like they were in the distance.

I used a black pastel pencil to create the impression of shadows from the legs of the horse and foal.  I then used a black fine line pen to give the impression of grass in the foreground.

Finally, I stamped the "Happy Birthday" using the Lawn Fawn "Simply Sentiments" stamp set.

Lavinia Stamps "Winter Scene" using Elements Inks and a "Whimsical Hare"

This afternoon, I played with my Lavinia Stamps and inks creating this card. 

I used four shades of Lavinia Elements Inks (Sundance, Russet Orange, Emperor Red and Merlot) to create the dramatic sky colour.  For the snow area, I used Van Goch Pastel Pencils in  pink, orange and black colours.

I stamped the "Birch Tree", the "Small Trees", the "Small Pixie Houses" and one of the "Whimsical Hares" in Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink.  

I added touches of yellow Posca Pen to the windows of the houses and a white gel pen to add snow to the branches of the trees and also to create the stars.

The "Just for you" sentiment is part of a Simon Says Stamp set called "Tiny Words - Christmas".