I've Been MONKEY'ING Around!

Remember I told you yesterday that the mailman delivered a fun package to me Monday? Well, that package was from none-other than BEATE (Fresh & Fun)! Yep, this girl sent me an amazing birthday package filled with unbelievable May Arts ribbon that's to-die-for, AND some Changito monkey images! Woo-hoo! Now, I must say, I've seen these guys around, and I thought they were cute, but I wasn't like "I NEED THESE STAMPS"! After playing with them for a little while I now have to have them! Yesterday, I finished up my second monkey card, so today, you get to see TWO monkey cards!

I don't know about you, but these little guys inspire me to go ALL OUT! I just didn't feel right putting these fellas on the front of the card with no fun props! That's why I went so far as to give one of them a vine to swing from!!!!!! Yep, you heard me. A vine. What's a monkey without a vine? AND.....what's a monkey without a BANANA? A VERY HUNGRY MONKEY!!! So I did what was necessary to make my monkey's happy. That's me. Always trying to make sure everyone's happy. And I'm happy after having played with these guys! Looks like they made the list of "stamps I must have"!

To make my monkey vine card, I started with We Are Memory Keepers Precious Metal Collection paper. This stuff is beautiful! All my favorite colors! Next, I tried my hand at making faux wood. I had never done this before, but it appeared very easy to do. I wanted to convey a "zoo" feeling...wood posts with signs that say "do not feed the monkeys" on them.....I ran a horizontal strip of my "wood" near the bottom of the card, and on top of that I adhered my monkeys, which I punched out with my scallop circle punch, and mounted it on Old Olive. I colored the little guys with my prisma colored pencils, trying desperately to make them look as fabulous as Beate did on her card she sent me. Her coloring was amazing, and the shadowing around the monkeys even better. I shadowed my monkeys with a light blue prisma color pencil. Now, I just felt the monkey's needed a banana to complete them, so I cut a quick one out using More Mustard. I placed it right above their heads to make it look like one monkey was throwing it to the other!

The banana though, just wasn't enough. I needed a "vine" for the monkey's to swing from! I found some twine stuffed in a drawer and knew it was perfect for the job. I got a new set of Technique Tuesday stamps the other day called Petal Pushers and it had the fun leaves for me to use as a "tree" for the vine to fall from. The final touch was my wooden sign that says "Wild About You"! I have to pinch myself that this turned out so fun. Thank you Beate for your amazing and constant inspiration!!!!! I hope I did your monkey's proud!

My second monkey card is a bit more "reserved", but I basically used all the same elements, just in a different layout. Pretty self explanatory, so I'll refrain from saying it all over again! I know you have only so much time for your blurfing, so I don't want to be a "blog hog" and take up all your time!

Moving on, I was also the lucky recipient Monday of this Blogger RAK from Rachel Baird at Hope Stamps Eternal! What a sweetie she was to send it! I love the three panels on the front of the card. She embossed a star on TOP of the three panels, which looks so cool! It's very subtle, but modern. Thanks Rachel!