Summer Fruits ft. Winnie & Walter

EDIT: Top 3 at Seven Hills Crafts

Hello all! I'm so excited to share what I created for the Gossip Column challenge! My card is heavily inspired by Taheerah's summer fruit card (shown below). 

I actually created this summery background with Christmas and floral stamps! (Yup, stretching my supplies once again) The pineapples and grapes are created with the In Bloom: Elsa's Flora set. (left) For the pineapples, I partially stamped the larger acorn  image and drew it's base with a Copic Multi-liner. Next I stamped the pine needle image twice to create its spiky leaves. The grapes were actually altered from the holly berries stamp. I then used In Bloom: Carolina's Florals (middle) to create watermelon slices and raspberries. Here I transformed strawberry seeds into watermelon seeds, and using the Copic multi-liner again, I drew the sides and completed the watermelon slices. Finally, I used images from the In Bloom Lola's Bouquet (right) set to make kiwi and passion fruit. Although you can't really see the kiwi because it's hiding behind the sentiment banner. :( Wish I had swapped its place with one of the watermelon slices. Oh well.
    

Here's a snapshot of my creative process: 

Super messy LOL! Just trying out some combos and see which works better. 

Then I covered all of the fruit images with masking fluid and distressed Candied Apple, Carved Pumpkin, Wild Honey, Crushed Olive, and Mowed Lawn inks to create the background. I also added an organic touch by flicking some water droplets onto the inked panel. At this point the background is finished, but I thought it was missing something and looking a bit plain. So I stamped the striped patterns from Scenery: Stripes 2 set with Hero Arts Unicorn white ink for some added interest.

I decided to keep the sentiment relatively simple; I stamped and heat embossed several sentiments stamps gold on a vellum banner. "you are my" and "heart" are from Sentimental: Endearments. "sweet" is from The Big, the Bold and Baby. 


I also decided to create a CAS version because I couldn't pass up this pineapple design with its dramatic spiky leaves. The punny sentiment is stamped with Stampin' Up's Labeler Alphabet set. And it's a direct CASE of Taheerah's pineapple card. Isn't it super clever? ;) I hope you liked these summary cards. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Challenges Entered:
  
W&W Gossip Column: Summer Fruits / Dies R Us: ATG with Dies / Little Miss Muffet: ATG


Seven Hills: Color Combo (middle one)


STAMPlorations: CAS