What Happens When I'm Itching to be Creative but My Fibromyalgia Forces Me to Sit on the Couch!

Long ridiculous title, I know.  Today's card is a product of forced "relaxation," aka sitting on the couch because pain and fatigue have taken over your life, and an itch to actually use a few of my new stamps from So Suzy Stamps! 

Last week I missed a few days of work, dealing with a flare up of my fibromyalgia... not fun.  After so many hours watch Netflix I tend to get a bit stir crazy.  

My husband ordered me to turn on some music and color so I would relax.  Out came my Copics and Wink of Stella markers, and sitting in a bin unused looking at me with sad eyes was the So Suzy Stamps Seahorse that I had so desperately wanted (I may have even threatened a few friends to make sure I was first to order when Suzy restocked!... Good thing they love me!)  

I started coloring up Polo (the seahorse) first, but seeing as I had put on Fantasia (my version of turning on music!) He ended up a little psychedelic, but as adorable as I always knew he would be!!  He turned out to be a she... as did all my little critters, in fact, she ended up being a bit of a Rapunzel Disneybound! HEHE!

 


Next, I grabbed some little fishies.  This little ladies are tooooooo cute, I was suppose to add googly eyes, but I forgot, good thing they turned out perfect anyways!

I ended up with Tink, Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora.  All covered in glitter, as princess fishies should be.  Can you tell yet just how much time I had been sitting on the couch without any sort of creative outlet?

 

I also colored up a few more critters and my adorable coral.  Not everyone could fit on my small card so at least they can have a little moment to shine here!  Meet Ariel the Octopus, and Belle, the Sea Turtle

Today, I decided they needed a home and created a card using a few of my critters! Here, are Rapunzel, Cindy, and Snow by their sea castle on a "Happy Birthday" card.

I used the Fireworks available from So Suzy Stamps to create a fun blue violet water-colored background.  Then took her Castle stamp (another I NEEDED, but had not used!) and stamped it onto the background.  I used Stampin' Up Stamp 'n' Write markers to color in the castle and walkway. 

For the "Happy Birthday" I took a Close to My Heart Stamp I had on hand and used my MISTI and Wedding Dress White Memento Luxe ink.  I had to put down several layers to make the white stamp out from the water-colored background, the final result is pretty awesome! Using some dimensionals and adhesive I placed the critters on where I felt they fit best. I finished the card off with some DoubleClick Skittles as little air bubbles from the fish!

I double mounted the base I had created on some pretty seaweed green CS from my stock and the on top of that I used a water print from a designer paper that I got several years ago at JoAnn Fabric. 

Check out So Suzy Stamps August, Be The Sea Challenge on her blog!

As always, thank you for dropping by!

 ~R. Winn

Visit my Stampin' Up website if you need some supplies!