Life’s A Beach Card with Sand from Cancun!

Last June, I was in Mexico for business and had just a few minutes to run to the beach and feel the water before heading back to the airport for the trip home to Ohio. In those short minutes, I couldn't resist filling an empty water bottle with sand, knowing it might come in handy for some future craft project. Well, the time has come.
I thought these four stamps from Viva Las Vegastamps! would make a great beach scene:
- Alien Sun Tanning 1 1/4 x 2 (#2277)- Sunbathing Lady 2 x 2 3/4 (#2414)- Sunbathing Lady 1 1/2 x 2 3/4 (#14263)- Life's A Beach 1 1/4 x 2 1/4 (#14215)


I stamped the three figures and then cut them out with my new cutting machine - the Zing! It does an AMAZING job fussy cutting because it has a 3-point laser alignment system. And it's fast! It cuts 20" per second!

The stamped figures were colored with Copic markers.

I created the umbrella with the Zing too. Each piece is made by taking a triangle and "cutting out" a circle from the bottom of it. A stir stick inked with Brushed Corduroy makes the perfect umbrella pole.
To make the card base, I started with a cream colored card and used Faded Jeans and Wild Honey distress inks to make the sky. The inks were applied with an ink applicator in a circular motion on a non-stick craft sheet.

To make the beach, I applied three overlapping strips of 1" wide Miracle Tape to the card, trimming the top strip so it had a bit of a wave too it before adhering it to the card. I dumped on some of my Cancun sand, used a brayer to be sure it was pushed down on to the tape and shook off the excess. The tape does a great job holding the sand. Instant beach!

I attached the pieces to the card base using Miracle Tape and foam dots. I added a bit more sand around the base of the umbrella pole using liquid glue.

To see more of my projects, check out my blog on Create & Craft.
Happy Crafting!
Joe