Mardi Gras - Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

Today Gingersnap Creations are having a Mardi Gras theme as today is Fat Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday, the day we eat up all our fatty foods before the abstinence of lent.

I would like to have made something with more of a 'N'Orlins' Mardi Gras vibe, as we had an amazing holiday in the French Quarter of New Orleans many years ago, and I have aways wanted to return, especially for the Mardi Gras processions. I didn't have any suitable stamps unfortunately, so decided to opt for a Venice Carnival style, as I had the gorgeous 'Venezia' stamps by Oxford Impressions, and the Italy background papers from Crafty Individuals. I chose the paper with the masks on, but added another stamped mask and the words and cancellation mark. I then made an art mould of a mask and painted it in the traditional Mardi Gras colours of purple, green, and gold, and added jewel eyes. I then made it into a card and added feathers behind the mask.

 

Venice Birthday Card

Our French friends, MP and Florence, share a birthday, and have just returned from celebrating it in Venice, a trip MP has been talking about for a year! He is going to show us his photos which I am looking forward to as I have never been, but my Oxford Impressions Venezia plate is one of my favourites. So, of course, I had to make them a Venice birthday card!

I showed Colin this card and he said, well, you haven't done much, you've only made a shrink plastic mask and stuck it on some background paper! I was very indignant and said, it's not background paper, I've used 12 stamps in total! I used a grey Versafine so that the stamps blend in to the background, then black StazOn for the mask. I hope you are a bit more discerning than Colin!

Venice Stampbord Block

This is an 8 x 8 Stampbord Block from the Artistic Stamper, and has been stamped with the Oxford Impressions Venezia set. The word 'Venezia' has been stamped on a Stampbord domino and then Crackle Glazed. I stamped the Santa Maria della Salute (I hope that is right, I have never been to Venice, although I would love to!) in a darker ink and did some scratching back of the detail, as I wanted this to be my focal image.