Otterly Awesome Floating Bridge Card

Hello friends and happy Saturday to you!   It's been a crazy busy week and I've done lots of stamping.  That means I have another card to share with you.  From the title, I'm guessing you think it's going to be a card featuring the Awesome Otters.  And you'd be right!  I wasn't sure I'd get this set, but after seeing so many cute projects on Pinterest, yes, I broke down and got it.  And it's free because it's one of the Sale-a-Bration items you can get for spending $50.  I already had the Simply Marbelous DSP which is another Sale-a-Bration free item that I've been having fun with, so I was set to create!

To showcase both the otters and the gorgeous DSP, I made a floating bridge card which is a very easy fun-fold card when you know the dimensions needed to make it.  I'm going to list all the cardstock and DSP dimensions here at the beginning of the post, so you've got them handy all in one place.

Card base - 4 1/4" x 8", score at 1 1/4" and 2 1/2" from each end.  Make sure you cut the cardstock to 8" or it won't fit into a medium envelope!

Bridge - 1 1/4" x 5 1/2"

DSP - 2 3/4" x 4", 1" x 5 1/4" (for bridge), 1" x 4" (2 needed) 

Basic White - 2 1/2" x 3 3/4" (front center layer), 2 3/4" x 4" (for back side), scraps for stamping extra images.

After the card base has been scored, add the 3 pieces of DSP to the corresponding areas using adhesive.  Also add the 1" x 5 1/4" DSP strip to the bridge - set aside for assembly later.

Now it was time to stamp those cute little otters and the sentiments.  The center Basic White piece was first.  I stamped the sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black ink in the top left corner.  Under this approximately in the middle the otter in the water was stamped with Tuxedo Black ink.  The happy birthday sentiment is from the Party Puffins set and was also stamped with Tuxedo Black ink.  On scrap pieces of Basic White cardstock, the standing otter and party hat were stamped.  Looking for a gift idea for otters, I remembered the little fish tied up in a bow from the Party Puffins set.  I think the otter would love that for a gift, so I stamped 3 of them on scrap cardstock.  

Now it's time to color.  All the colors used are Stampin' Blends.  The otters were colored with Soft Suede Light and Dark.  Not sure what a real color for otters would be, but this worked for me.  The noses were lightly colored in with Smoky Slate Light.  The fish were colored with Balmy Blue Light and had Real Red Light ribbons tied on.  The party hat was colored with Balmy Blue Light and Real Red Light to keep the red as an accent color with all the blues.  The water around the swimming otter was sketched in with Balmy Blue Light and Dark with touches of Misty Moonlight Light to accent.  To add even more movement to the water, little swishes of Wink of Stella were added following the lines of the waves.

At this point, I added touches of Shimmery Crystal Effects (page 128) to each of the water splashes and the otters' eyes.  This takes a good hour to dry, so don't rush it and mess it up.  Take my word for this, as I touched an eye and smudged it a bit.  Oooops!

It's amazing that the Crystal Effects stand up so much that it throws shadows in this picture!  Can you see them under one eye and under some of the splashes?

While waiting for the Shimmery Crystal Effects to dry, the other sentiment from the Awesome Otters set was stamped on a 1/2" strip of Basic White.  The Banners Pick-a-Punch was used to flag both ends.  

The fish and party hat were fussy cut with Paper Snips, and so was the standing otter after his eyes dried. 

Now that everything was dry and cut out, it was time to put it together.  The swimming otter was attached to the center panel.  I attached with adhesive, but you could use Dimensionals if you liked.  Carefully check placement, add 4 Dimensional on the left end of the bridge so it will only attach to the front fold.  Do this.  Then line up 4 more Dimensionals on the other end to only attach to the fold on the right side.  The card has to be folded at this time to attach together.  To mail the card, fold it either to the left or right and it should lay flat and fit your envelope.

Now it's time to add the sentiment to the right side of the bridge.  I used a couple Dimenisonals to attach.  Then the otter needs to be attached to the left side.  Because the bridge is on Dimenisonals, only add a Dimensional under the otter's head, the body is left flat.  Each of the fish presents have a Mini Dimensional to pop them up where desired. 

You should have one more piece of Basic White cardstock left.  It's for stamping and/or writing your sentiment and attaching to the center back of the card.  You're finished with this cute little otterly awesome floating bridge card.

Hope you enjoyed the floating bridge card I shared today.  There are so many other possibilities for showcasing on a floating bridge card.  We have to explore some of those ideas at a later date.  Sorry to harp on this, but Sale-a-Bration ends Monday night.  Any last-minute order you need to place, now's the time.  Thanks for stopping by today.  Have fun stamping and sharing all your lovely creations.  You can be a blessing when you brighten someone else's day!

Happy stamping and creating!

Sharon