Monochromatic With a Pop of Colour

Hi everyone, today's card was inspired by the current challenge over on Tracy Evans' FB page, where the focal image has to be one of Tracy's gorgeous AALL & Create stamps. Tracy is also posting a series of short tutorial videos called "Snippets" on Youtube which a lot of crafters are following along with. I'm not actually making any snippets as I don't have any of the recent stamps, though I'm planning on getting some in the next couple of weeks. However I have been watching quite a few of the videos which have made me look at using my existing stamps in new ways, and have given me quite  a few ideas for new-to-me techniques ... and I have used several of them in this card. Coincidentally this project is the same colour scheme as my last post, but I don't mind as I really like it!

First I created a gel plate background using Distress Oxide inks applied direct to the  gel plate with scrunched up cling film to create lines. I very rarely use my gel press as for some reason I don't seem to get on with it very well, but I was quite pleased with how this background turned out and also made a couple more "mop ups" which will appear at some future time.  I then did some background stamping in grey using parts of a larger stamp, then stamped my main flower in black. I stamped a circle from a different stamp onto separate white card, coloured lightly with Cosmic Shimmer watercolour paint, then fussy cut and attached to the corner. I also stamped the flower again onto separate card and heat embossed, coloured with Cosmic Shimmer watercolour paint and Distress Watercolor Pencil (Stem), fussy cut and attached to the card.  I stamped the leaf again in black, cut out and attached the letters from the word "Nature" to give a bit of dimension, then stamped part of a sentiment from a separate set in black and pink, cut up and attached. Finally I stamped a little birdie (the only thing that is not by Tracy on this project) and added some Posca pen spatter and Sakura Stardust pen highlights to the bird and leaf, then edged the finished panel with black marker pen and matted onto pink card stock.

I'm loving the shimmer of my long neglected Cosmic Shimmer watercolours.

Stamps: AALL & Create #531 Textured Florals, #449 Through the Meadows, #340 Paint Your Dreams; Lavinia Bird Collection;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink (Lost Shadow, Hickory Smoke, Black Soot); Distress Watercolor Pencils Set 1 (Black Soot); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Morning Mist, Charming Pink);  Cosmic Shimmer watercolour paint (Ruby Sparkle); Sakura Stardust pen (clear); Posca pen (white).

Challenges I would like to enter:

Flower Challenge #79 - Focus on Background Stamping

Let's Craft and Create #194 - Anything Goes with option Pink & Grey - TOP 3

Make My Monday #197 - P Is For ... (Pink, Posca)

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2313 - Anything Goes

Simon Says (Monday) - Add Texture

(stamp is called Textured Florals, and I have used heat embossing)

Stamping Sensations (April) - Anything Stamped

Word Art Wednesday #589/590 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

That's all from me for now. Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,