Give Thanks Bouquet

This stamp is meant as a winter season stamp, but I love a good challenge, so I challenged myself to make a fall card with it.  

This gorgeous stamp is from the Winter Wonderland clear 
set from Power Poppy; the verse is as well.  I love beautiful floral stamps, and this one is a beauty, full of lots of details and color possibilities.

Card development:
I stamped the image onto bristol card stock with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink.  For my coloring, I used Arteza watercolor pencils.  I have to be honest here, I have tried many different watercolor pencils, and until now, have not been happy with lower priced brands and sets.  I say 'until now' because this watercolor pencil set by ARTEZA really impressed me with it's performance.  The colors go on smoothly, and blend effortlessly.  And the color range is superb.  They are a fabulous value for the money. 

I colored each flower and leaf using the pencils directly onto the image.  Then I added water, using the Arteza water brushes.   I repeated this process for each petal and each leaf, adding deeper colors and shading by touching the water brush to the tip of the new color, and applying it to the image.  

When colored to my satisfaction, I added white highlights with a Prismacolor white colored pencil.   Finally, I used a micron pen #2 to trace around the images details.  This really brings the image details out and makes it 'pop.'  

The verse is from Power Poppy's Olive & Oak Expanded clear set.  I embossed it onto a panel of eggplant card stock from my stash, and added a shiny gold frame, which I cut from Altenew's Fine Frames Cover die.  This one die cuts multiple thin frames at once.

I fussy-cut the image, and added it with foam tape to the eggplant card stock panel.  I layered that onto a slightly larger green card stock panel, the used craft foam to add it to a kraft A2 card.  

 
Full disclosure - I am an affiliate for Arteza, and get a small incentive when someone purchases their products using my blog links.  You pay no additional money for the products.  I do NOT write about anything I do not personally love.  My goal with my blog is to help other stampers and artists by writing about my cards and projects, and sharing ideas and inspiration.  When I use products, it is because I love them, and have found them to be a good value and high quality.

I do enjoy coloring, so I didn't mind spending the time on this.  I find coloring with colored pencils, watercolor pencils, and watercolor to be relaxing and comforting. The Daily Marker is hosting a 30 Day Coloring Challenge this month.  Hop on over and check it out.  You don't even have to make a card, just color! 

Challenges:

The Card Concept - Rustic fall
Crafty Creations - Anything goes
Craft Stop Make It Take It - Anything goes
Dragonfly Journeys - Thanks/Thanksgiving
The Flower Challenge - Thanksgiving
Power Poppy Creative Confetti Challenge - Just color! 
Power Poppy Power & Spark Challenge - Give thanks
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Thanks
Watercooler Wednesday - Feminine anything goes


I hope you find time today to do something that makes you feel relaxed and comfortable! 

Blessings,