In The Doghouse

    Welcome to my first project of 2015 for Creative Expressions. This month we have some cute cats and dogs to show you.
    This was a little outside my comfort zone, I don't make cute very often, but thanks to a brainstorming session with my crafting buddies I now have a series of projects for the rest of the month.
     This one is a very easy card to make, with some stamping and colouring it comes together very quickly.

     Begin with an A4 sheet of Foundations Taupe card, fold the ends to the middle to create a gatefold card. Lay the stamp on the card in the centre to work out how big the opening of kennel will need to be.
     To get the arch even at the top I drew round an oval die, then drew straight lines from the widest point to the bottom. This will need to cut hand.

     To shape the roof mark the centre at 6.5 inches and the sides at 4.75 inches, draw a line from the sides to the middle, check that you are happy with the pitch of the roof and cut.
     On the offcut measure 5/8 inch from the shaped edge and cut a parallel strip for the barge boards. Colour these brown with an alcohol marker.
     Using Tree Bark background stamp and  Archival Ink Coffee stamp the front of your card, do this with the flaps open so you don't accidentally stamp the inside too.

     Fix the barge boards to the top of the kennel with foam pads. Using the Hope You Have A Doggone Good Day! sentiment from Paws-itively Great stamp on a red scrap of card in Archival Coffee and clear emboss.
     Die cut the red card with a Spellbinder die, Curved Rectangles, using the smallest one. Attach this to the card flap on ONE SIDE ONLY.
     Stamp Alfie in Archival Ink Coffee and clear emboss on a piece of Taupe card. Colour Alfie using paint, pencils or alcohol markers and allow to dry. Fussy cut the dog ready to go on the inside back of the card, using Cosmic Shimmer PVA dries clear stick Alfie to the card.
      I have found it easier to do it this way, it saves ruining the card if the stamping goes wrong, as long as you use the same colour card it doesn't really show that much. There is room inside to write your greeting hidden behind the flaps.

Materials used
Alfie single stamp
Paws-itively Great sentiment set
Tree Bark background stamp
Archival Ink Coffee
Cosmic Shimmer Clear Embossing Powder
CS PVA Dries Clear Glue
Foundations Card Taupe
Spellbinder Die Curved Rectangles

I would like to enter Alfie in the following challenges:

Alphabet Challenge - W for Whiskers