Author: Bonnie

This bg was in my stash so don’t ask how I made it. Suffice to know that it was dry embossed with purple ink somehow. Colored the hearts in the poppy color and the leaves in green copics. Added silver punch outs from cheap ribbon. Dry embossed a strip of gray cs that was then sponged in black.Once these elements were mounted on purple cs I splattered white acrylic paint. Silhouette cut the new thank you sentiment and added the silver punch heart.

I think I like this cut out even better than the first one I set out to create. Just used the double font words and combined them with a welded heart.

I love to cut out my sentiments on the Silhouette. My thank you cutouts are a little tired so I created a new one. It comes with two fonts and a filigree. The dots are added at the very last with a glossy black gel pen. This bg was white layering weight paper that got dry embossed then added distress sprays. Layered on a piece of old paper sack with newsprint on it and pp with floral image stamped in black and water colored in gold by brushing on clear gesso in layers to act as glue. Next added some black stamped images and mounted all on white cs base.

Here is the new font if you want to use it:

I have been playing with my 3d embossing folder and most of the bg I created were ending up quite dark. So with this one I wanted to be sure and keep colors on the light side. Once I had dry embossed the white layering cs I smeared on the clear gesso and let that dry. Then added greens in water color. After that dried I swiped the grass green ink pad over the high spots creating even more contrast and another green shade. The next layer of paper is some green geometric pp that I tried to attach with dot runner but that did not stick so added a liquid glue. The next layer is white cs with white embossing paste through a stencil. When dry it was sponged with the grass green ink and a few details with white gel pen. Now for the cake, this is actually a digi printed on white copy paper and trimmed close. Then smeared oil, yes oil, and let soak in and rub off excess. Then used copics to add hits of color. Attached with liquid glue. Sentiment is stamped in black on tissue that also was trimmed very close and attached with a thin coat of clear gesso on both sides. Added some white Silhouette cut butterflies and stamped geometric in medium gray. All is mounted on white cs base.

I doubt I will ever tire of this stamp. Used black to stamp on layering weight cs then water colored. Once dry, dry embossed with new folder from SImon Says, trimmed and mounted on gold sticker paper then on pp with gold flecks in it. All is mounted on white cs base.

Tip: I heard a saying the other day: “Don’t think you are going to be perfect when you first try something new”. That is my thinking when I water color. Use a decent brush, good set of basic paints and play. If you don’t like it, trash that one and try again. Or, like I have found, keep adding colors and layers. Then you can call your creation mixed media instead of water coloring. I added white gel pen to these tulips once I thought the project was all done only to find that was too stark. Then used a water brush to remove most of the white gel pen. Plus I added copic in green to darken some of the leaves. Both of these last minute adds could have spelled disaster but I am pleased with the end result.

The challenge over at Double Trouble is to use embossing, heat set or embossing folder, then use something to express how I keep warm these winter months. I went with the embossing folder in leaves and berries but before I embossed I stamped and water colored these tulips form Holly Berry with gold paints. Then added the sentiment which, of course, was printed with the ink jet on tissue paper that is adhered to card front by layering clear gesso then tissue then another layer clear gesso. I was amazed how well the whole thing dry embossed. The panel was then layered on black cs and then white cs base.

What keeps me warm all winter long is the image of spring flowers in bloom that I see only in my minds eye.

For The Card Concept challenge, I took the shiny gold and all the white then black accents from the inspiration photo.