Totally Tropical

Hello!
I'm starting yet another post by saying what a bad blogger I've bee this week - it's getting to be a habit and I need to break it!
I had a little excuse this week as we spent a couple of days away from home to celebrate our anniversary.. The weird thing is, that although it comes round on the same date every year, we always manage to leave it till the last minute deciding what to do.

Anyway, back to the crafting, and as its the first Friday of the month its Elemental Inspiration week over on the Daring Cardmakers.
Miri is a teacher in Germany and I have a feeling she was longing for the Summer holidays when she chose her picture!
I chose the flamingo, the flowers and the watery background to use, and made this

I'd planned to use some other kind of bird rather than a flamingo on my card, but then last week the Shapeabilities Tropics Wild & Free by Debi Adams  Die set came to live with me and I just had to use them, didn't I?

Info: 

 The papers all from two 6x6 paper pads called "Summer Feelings" by Studio Light

Flamingo and leaf shapes all from  Tropics Wild & Free  Die set (Spellbinders)

I used a punch for the Large flowers, then the stamen from Create A Lily   Shapeabilities Die set  (Spellbinders)

The small flowers are made with a couple of dies and stamen from Create a Peony set  (Spellbinders)

The flamingoes were each cut twice, a thread was adhered between the layers of the first one so that it could be attached inside the aperture.

Other items used:

Smooth white card blank

Scraps of coloured card, Inks to add shading to the flowers

Circle die to cut aperture

Ice Stickles to add interest to the 'water' inside the card

Miri's Inspiration Picture:

You just need to pick a minimum of three elements and use them on your card to join in with us this time. For example a flamingo or other bird, flowers, leaves the colours, a huge sentiment, a pool or the sea, a swirling background pattern etc.

That's it for this time - except to let you know that the Daring Cardmakers have a fabulous new Guest Designer sharing her first creation with us this week - so I hope you'll pop over to meet her and say 'Hi!'

Now, I need to get back to my new crafting project - I had a bit of a brain melt yesterday and ended up feeling a right fool when the penny dropped as to why something didn't work - just as I was asking my OH what I should do. I'd sat and looked at it on my own for ages earlier........ Ah well, at least, even after 24 years of marriage I can still make him laugh......

Have a great weekend!