Simon Says: Fabulous Florals

This week over at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the theme is Fabulous Florals. Most of the cards I make are florals so this is always a good theme for me.  I've been wanting to try this stamp from Penny Black with a technique that I've used a few times before.  I must say, I have never met with as much success as I did today.



I've spent a lot of time over the last year learning about how various mediums work with the watercolor style of techniques I do.  Honestly, I was surprised at how well today's "test" image worked out. This stamp, "The Unfolding" reminds me of a Black Tulip Magnolia Tree like the one pictured above, and I'm sure that is what it's meant to portray. So I wanted to do my best to capture that color on my project.

To get my stamped image, I colored directly onto the rubber of the cling stamp in Gathered Twigs and Pine Needles Distress Marker and then used my Seedless Preserves Ink Cube directly to the stamp for the blooms of the image.  I wanted a heavier concentration of ink on the blooms so they would be the main focal point.  I misted (and I really do mean misted, not spritzed) the stamp with plain water then stamped that onto my panel of Canson Bristol Watercolor Paper.  I'm using a bottle that sprays a very fine mist and doesn't typically have any larger splatter.  It's one that had Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in it but I only have water in it now. I'm not retaining much of the detail from the stamp but that is the look I was going for i.e. a loosely watercolored, more organic feel.  It was very easy to achieve this look.  I think it is only a matter of practice.  Don't be afraid to waste some watercolor paper.  It will happen but the more you understand your medium the less that will happen.

I die cut the panel with the largest Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle Die and then realigned it in my die again to take a bit off the top and one side.  The next size down in the dies is quite a bit smaller and I just wanted a narrow mat so this is how I accomplish that.  It's important to line up the stitch marks when you do this. I cut another Stitched Rectangle for the mat from SU! Rich Razzleberry Cardstock and made a card base from Altenew's Spicy Yogurt Cardstock.

The greeting is a favorite from the Papertrey Ink's Friendly Flowers Stamp Set. I stamped it and heat embossed using Simon Says Stamp Antique Gold Embossing Powder.

I really love Altenew's Spicy Yogurt Cardstock and I'm planning to get another package soon. Because I like layers, this is becoming my "go to" cardstock for masculine cards or anything for a special occasion and you can order it from Altenew here.

I've been doing a little bit of research on the properties of some of the coloring mediums I use. Normally I wouldn't care much about a card but since I actually watercolor so many of my images, I want it to be fade resistant. Ranger Industries was founded in 1929 and originally manufactured an exclusive line of commercial ink products for the U.S. banking industry. In 1979, Ranger developed the first art stamp pads in unique, vibrant colors.  Until 1998, Ranger manufactured many private label inks but was able to begin developing it's own line of inks and eventually other products like the familiar Distress line of products and their embossing powders and is now known worldwide. There is no information on their website about the Distress Markers being "fade resistant" like the ink pads are, but I have submitted an inquiry and will let you know in a future post.

I'll also be playing along at the AAA Cards Challenge this week. Their challenge is Stitching - faux or real.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at today's project.  Have a really great day and please come back soon!

ETA: I just heard back from Ranger Industries and they said the Distress Markers are non-permanent and aren't fade reisitant.  I haven't had any issues but Kay Miller had mentioned a couple of weeks ago that she noticed the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers fade really quickly.