Wishing You Joy - Day 15 Color Challenge

Here we are, over the half way point for the color challenge at The Daily Marker .  Today's card uses stamps from Marion Smith Designs - MS101058 Garden Rose Stamp set, and Jillibean Soup by Hampton Arts - JB0198 Hand Written Sentiments.  I love the flowers in the Marion Smith set, and the different scripts and phrases in the Jillibean Soup set.  And here's the card.....drumroll.....

I embossed the flowers (masking the first before stamping the one on the left) with white powder.  My painting medium was Tim Holtz distress inks.  I applied water to each petal and leaf individually, then added the ink and let it blend naturally, then went back and added some darker color to distinguish the petals from each other and show shadow.  I inked the phrase with Memento brown ink.  The little net thingie is a small stamp that came with the set, so I inked it up and stamped it randomly while masking the flower images.

I get a lot of questions about my soft backgrounds.  I actually have two ways to do these.  One is with the TH inks and the round ink applicator tool.  I rub the tool into the ink pad, then off on scrap paper.  Then I start applying the ink to the borders of the card.  I actually start off of the card, working the tool in a circular motion, and bring it from my craft mat onto the card.  By then, the color is very soft.  I take my time with this, as too hard pressure or going too quickly makes splotches.  So, the key is very light pressure, starting off the page, and circular motions, building color up as desired.  

The second, and quickly becoming my favorite when I am using card stock (the ink blends better on watercolor paper than on card stock) is pastel chalks.  I love these little bars of smooth, chalky color.  This is what they look like...

To create the creamiest, softest backgrounds using these chalk pastels, I put a sheet of scrap paper next to my project and shave the chalk onto the paper, using a craft knife.  Just run the knife gently along the edge of the chalk and it will make tiny crumbs onto the paper.  I use square makeup pads folded into fourths.  I rub the pad into the chalk pile, and then off to the side, gently rubbing the chalk into the pad.  Then, I bring the pad to my project, and, using circular motion again, I rub the color onto the project with the pad.  Viola!  Smooth, creamy, soft color.  I use alligator clips with tiny and small pom-poms for the small in-between areas.  I get these from the craft stores.  I am not concerned with the color getting onto the stamped images, at it is usually pretty light, and doesn't show.  If I do use a dark color, I simply mask off the image first.  If I want a darker color I usually shave the chalk right onto the project where I want it and rub it in.  Here are my supplies for this....

I hope this is clear.  If you have any questions, leave me a comment and I will get back to you.  

This card is also going to a challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - one layer, and, of course, the color challenge at The Daily Marker .

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Comments are always welcome and appreciated!  Thank you for stopping in.  I hope you find some time to create today, even if only for a few moments. 

Blessings,

lynda