Splash Into Spring with a Froggy Pond Scene!
By Jyoti Adhikari

Hello, crafty friends!

Today, I’m excited to share a card I created for this month’s Poppystamps Challenge—and the theme for April is Make A Splash! I immediately pictured a playful scene in a mossy pond, complete with lily pads and a sweet little frog enjoying a springtime swim. This card was so fun to bring to life, and I hope it inspires you to join in the challenge too!

Let me walk you through the creative process!

Creating the Frog and Lily Pads

To start building my pond scene, I reached for the Lily Pad Frog die set from Poppystamps. I die-cut several lily pads and one happy little frog, then brought them to life with COPIC markers. I used varying shades of green to give the leaves and frog some dimension, blending out the colors to keep everything soft but vibrant.

Inky Watercolor Background

For the background, I wanted a loose, watery effect to give the illusion of a real pond. I used watercolor paper as my base and dabbed two shades of blue Distress Oxide inks onto a glass media mat. Then I smooshed the watercolor paper into the ink, focusing the color where I wanted the deepest parts of the water to be. I repeated this process a couple of times, letting each layer dry before adding the next, until I was happy with the dreamy, organic look.

 

Assembling the Scene

With all my elements ready, I started building the scene. I adhered the lily pads in small groups to give a natural, clustered effect, and perched my adorable frog on one of them. To ground the elements and add realism, I added shading underneath the lily pads—just as you’d see shadows in a real pond.

Finishing Touches

For the sentiment, I used the Hello Spring die, cutting it from crisp white cardstock and placing it along the bottom of the card. Then, for that final bit of sparkle and whimsy, I added a few clear sequins in varying sizes throughout the water. A few white gel pen highlights on the water and leaves really helped everything pop and added that touch of shine I love!

Join the April Challenge!

Now it’s your turn! The theme this month at Poppystamps is Make A Splash, and it’s the perfect prompt to play with water-themed scenes, inky backgrounds, or even just a splash of color. There’s so much room for interpretation, and I can’t wait to see what you create!

Head over to the Challenge Post for all the details and to link up your card. We’d love to have you join us!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you’re feeling inspired to make a splash of your own this spring!

Hugs,

Jyoti

 

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