Happy Friday, and welcome back to a new TGIF Color Challenge! This is a VERY exciting week, because it’s the third anniversary of TGIF Challenges!!! We want A LOT of you to play along with us this week … so we have prizes!!! We will be having drawings for those of you who comment on our blogs, on the TGIF Challenges website, AND a really cool prize for the winner of this week’s challenge!!! The winner will get the opportunity to be GUEST DESIGNER on an upcoming post!!!
The very first TGIF Challenge was a color challenge, so it’s fitting that we have a color challenge this week. We have some bright, vibrant In-Colors (Lemon Lime Twist and Berry Burst) paired with the very dramatic neutral Basic Black. The three colors together are visually stunning, because the black makes the other colors look even more brilliant.
To see all the designers’ amazing projects, go to the TFIG Challenges website.
For my card, I decided to use one of my favorite retiring stamp sets, Awesomely Artistic. This is a great set, because it includes stamps you can color, a label, a sentiment, and textures! Talk about versatility. I particularly love the fern stamps to make great backgrounds and embellishments.
I stamped the floral and dragonfly stamps with Basic Black Archival Ink on Shimmery White cardstock and then quickly covered the ink with Clear Stampin’ Emboss Powder and heat set it. This gives the stamped images both shine and dimension. It also makes it really easy to watercolor, because the embossing acts as a little dam.
I watercolored the flowers with Berry Burst and Lemon Lime Twist ink by squeezing my ink pads to pool ink in the lids. Then, I dipped my Aqua Painter in the ink to watercolor. I always start with either a clear or light wash, and then add extra color in the centers allowing the ink to bleed naturally.
Tip: When watercoloring, paint small sections at a time. Shimmery White cardstock dries much faster than watercolor paper. So it’s important to paint quickly and add additional colors while the water remains slightly wet. Also, clean your brush each time you start a new group of flowers. This is super easy with an Aqua Painter. Just squeeze until clear water runs through the brush.
For something different, I shortened the front flap of the card an inch and added a strip of Lemon Lime Twist cardstock to the right side of the bottom layer. This provides a little decoration to the inside of the card and showcases that pretty, delicate die cut from the Petals & More Thinlits.
I used a combination of several Layering Squares and Stitched Shapes Squares Framelits Dies on the central section of my card. I love how all these dies work so well together. The Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies also include ovals, which I used to pop out the sentiment.
I embossed both the sentiment and label in white on Basic Black cardstock. There are no coordinating dies to go with the Awesomely Artistic stamp set, but this set is easy to cut out by hand.
I created a couple background designs with the stamps. On the bottom layer, I randomly stamped the two ferns and embossed them in clear. Since Lemon Lime Twist is a water based ink, I needed to emboss quickly after stamping, so I only stamped a couple at a time.
For the nice “burlap” looking stamp, I used my Stamparatus to line up the stamp in order to fit across the entire card front. I practiced with some scratch paper first until I was happy with the placement, then stamped my card front. It’s not perfect, but good enough for me:) Since the Stamparatus is not available to purchase until June 1, I listed the Stamp-a-ma-jig in the supplies below as another option for getting good stamp placement.
To get that airy, messy look with the ribbon, snip off the edge of some Finely Woven Ribbon and fray into individual strands.
Supplies used on my card:
Such great detail, and I love what you did with the ribbon. What a neat idea. Gives is a whole new look. Super impressive. ☺
Thank you Patty!
I’m so sad that set is retiring. You created a beautiful card with it. Your watercoloring is perfect.
Thank you so much Karen!
Beautiful card. Love all the layers.
Thank you Pat!
Such a pretty card – I love that little touch of the black element on the side – these colours look so great I can’t wait to start to have a play
Thank you so much Fiona!