Vintage Mermaid Card

I just purchased Bubblies Lostlagoon-Sweet November (CC Designs)  from All That Scraps.  I have to admit I have been eyeing the Sweet November mermaids for a little while!  I thought she would be perfect for the latest ATS challenge.  This card was a lot of work...but definately worth it!  Some of the techniques I used were a little messy!  Of course in all honesty-my creating style is pretty chaotic.  Somehow even though I begin with a decent sized workspace-as a project continues I find the area I am working in steadily grow smaller and smaller...

I will enter this card into the following challenges:
atsblog.typepad.com/wednesdayschallenge/ -Lace
diecutdreams.blogspot.com-Soft shades of vintage
thecraftypad.blogspot.com -Simply pearls
paperplaychallenges.blogspot.com-In Stitches

I colored Bubbles and her Octopus friend with my Copic Sketch Markers: B00/12/14, R20/22, E55/53/50/17/13/11/00/000, RV91/93/95.  I used a white Marvy gel pen to highlight her eyes and I used my new baby blue spica pen to go over her entire tail, bikini and the pins in her hair.  I have to say-the spica pen was worth the hype.  (Crud-that just means I will have to get more!) I then colored some pearls with my Copics to match and glued them into her hair.  I used my Pebbles Chalks to create a softer edge around the sides of the image, then using a technique borrowed from Annika Clare (anothermessycrafter.blogspot.com) I inked the edges with my distress inks and paper stain, then I rubbed the edges with versamark and embossed it with a mix of UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Powder), Perfect Pears (Turquoise and Smoke Blue) and MS Glitter (Turquiose and Lapis Lazuli). At this point the image looked like this:

Not too bad-but I wanted to use this card for the challenge at diecutdreams.blogspot.com which was to use soft shades of vintage.  Soooo...I decided to try a technique that I hadn't done in a while.  Using lots of layers of UTEE and then freezing the paper for a few minutes-you can create a cracked class effect.  It took three layers of UTEE and I probably could have done another layer or two and about 7 or 8 minutes in the freezer.  Much more vintage-don't you think?

I distressed and inked the edges of some Vintage Shabby patterned papers by Tim Holtz, used a Fiskars corner punch on the corners of the music note paper.  I stitched part of a flourish on the top left side of the card and layered cardstock, blue lace ribbon and a string of pearls down the middle.  Then I attached my mermaid image matted with coordinating patterned paper using foam adhesive.  I added three pearls to the top and two flowers with one last pearl.  Cause really can you ever have enough bling?  (My husband certainly thinks so-after I added the flowers and pearl he told me that I should stop before it became too busy.  Expert that he is-I decide to follow his advice!)