Cact-Us Love

Hello again! This is my second post for June 1st. Go HERE if you are looking for my Love to Craft design team/Outlawz guest design make (or scroll down to the post below this one).

Honey and I celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary this past weekend and for me, the challenge is always to make a card worthy of the occasion and worthy of him, the fabulous father and husband that he is. Well, this year I am so very happy with my make and more importantly, so was Honey! I've been seeing the cactus meme ever since Valentine's Day and I knew that would appeal to my husband's love of puns. But I wasn't seeing any illustrations I liked that well. Most were too cartoonish. 

Then, when I saw this gorgeously-drawn Eureka digi stamp at Stamp On It, I wanted it right away but did not really know why, because I was looking for 2 cacti side by side. This is a very tall Saguaro cactus with a low-growing prickly pear cactus wrapped around it. Then, the more I looked at it, the more I saw US: tall slim Honey and short stocky me. Add some googly eyes, a mustache and some yellow blossoms -- I had us as a cactus couple and it was perfect! 

I framed it in black in PSE and added the bottom sentiment, leaving space at top to hand-stamp the Sweet n Sassy sentiment and add the hat. The mustache die is by Impression Obsession and cut with a black shimmery card stock scrap. The tiny prickly pair blossom dies are by Rubbernecker and colored with Promarkers, as is the rest of the focal image. I added the googly eyes and a tiny enamel dot heart from my stash. The dotty papers are by Creative Imaginations and Lawn Fawn. 

 

I chose SplitCoastStampers Sketch 609 for my card, resizing it in PSE to a Slimline size (4 x 9.25") to fit the envelope I had. Otherwise, I followed the sketch faithfully, adding only the Sizzix cowboy hat die cut as I couldn't resist.

For the inside, I composed a little poem full of cactus-appropriate words/phrases that I jotted down while perusing Pinterest.

The back has paper leftover from the front and a Lawn Fawn siggie hand-stamped on a Spellbinders Label die. 

And a final view. Thanks so much for coming by and Happy Week to everyone. Until next time, stay well and crafty! XOX

MY CHALLENGE PLAYLIST:

1.   SplitCoastStampers Sketch SC609

2.   Outlawz Festive Fridays 5/28-6/10: Anything Goes theme

3.   Classic Design June Challenge #6: AAG  

4.   Scrapping4Fun #193: Male/Fathers Day/Masculine -- #2/3  

5.   CD Sunday Plus #62 Hosted by Pamela -- #2/3

6.   QKR Stampede Challenge #421: AG -- #2/3  I've used Eureka's Saguaro digi

7.   Through the Craft Room Door 6/1-6/7: AAG -- #1/2

8.   Penny's Paper Crafty #497: AAG with Paper -- #2/3

9.   Colour Crazy Craft Challenge Week 20: AAG with Colouring -- #1/2 Promarkers used on focal image

10. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #158: AAG -- #2/3

11. I Love Promarkers #436: AG + Opt. Garden or Outside -- #3/3 Outside - desert

12. Passion for Markers Week 594: Make It Cute

13. The Male Room #151: Dads & Granddads  

14. Crafty Hazelnuts PPC June: AAG with Patterned Paper

15. Pearly Sparkles Challenge #63: For the Men/Boys