African Charm

 The sunset blazes orange over the wide grassy plains.

The waterhole beckons to the thirsty animals. 

The midday heat of the African sun is tempered by the evening breeze. 

The animals begin to make their way towards the water.

A perfect setting for inspiration at it's best...

The Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga, South Africa.  The biggest zoological gardens of its kind in the world - right here on our doorstep!  There is so much there to serve as inspiration for making cards, it is hard to know where to begin. The rough textures of bark, soil, and rock, the earthy colours of browns, greens and greys, combine so naturally with the bright colours of the birds and flowers. The  turquoise blue and purple of the Lilac Breasted Roller, the true red of the Crimson Breasted Shrike and the emerald green of the Diederick's Cuckoo all blend together beautifully. 

Yet once I was home, the ideas did not flow as rapidly as I would have expected.  I have come to realise that once you are transfixed by the Park's magical spell, your brain and body just collapse into "ultra-relax mode" and all parts of your previous life cease to exist. 
Only once I found these delightful metal animal charms, some interesting textured wall paper samples and a mixed bag of coulourful beads, only then did some carding ideas (and memories) come creeping to the fore.   


Buffalo

Buffalo move in enormous herds.  Their movements are slow and deliberate.  Their coats are dark and grey. Yet they command respect and caution.  This greyness and tranquility is perfectly reflected in the simplicity of this card.

Elephant

Elephants, a symbol of great strength. The strong African earthy colours and textures serve as the background to the elephant charm, commanding a strength and a presence.

Leopard

In this card of the Leopard, the pale green accents allude to the leafy hide outs of the leopard. 

All the while, the bead detail, refers to the beauty of South Africa. The rough string detail, refers to the strong ties that bind us, as children of Africa, to this great country of ours.

Forever Carding
Michelle