Flowers and Berries

Hello Stamplings!

How was your week? I hope you are doing well! Isn't it nice to be able to work in the garden again or watch new growth coming up as bulbs or buds? Things are so unsettled in the world right now, especially here, which makes me appreciate nature more. On the other hand, I have to acknowledge that nature can be cruel and my heart goes out to all those impacted by the ravaging storms of the past week.

Here at the Playhouse, we hit on two seasons.

Onefer

It is the first Monday of April and if you're using the I.D.E.A.S. Calendar, that means I = Ink (any color medium). I did a faux watercoloring using the "direct to stamp" method of coloring the stamp, spritzing, and then stamping onto watercolor paper. The wildflowers are beloved wooden Hero Arts stamp sets called "Real High Country Wildflowers" and "Fanciful Filaments."

Hammy found an unmarked sediment which said "hello spring" and I unceremoniously cut the two words apart to use just the spring and Stanley added a few schplatters. I used a NBUS unmarked border embossing folder to add extra interest and create some balance.

It felt like it still needed something so I girded my loins (sorry for that imagery) and did that thing I see famous and/or brave card artists do and I added some sketch lines with my fine line Pilot pen. I was hesitate at first, but I like the results and had fun trying it.

Challenges

Allsorts: Spring flowers.

Addicted to Stamps and More: Any occasion.

The Flower Challenge: Use spring colors.

Behind the scenes: My wildflower panel above is an odd size for me. That's because just as I finished it, I decided the pink tulip needed a little juizz, so I took my waterbrush and touched it up. (Pink tulip? you might wonder.)

Then I famously looked up at a squirrel outside my window, looked back down, and, absent of mind, brushed a speck off the panel. Oops.

I tried wetting the schmear and blotting it up, but it was no go. Hence the cropped panel and the reason "hello" had to be removed from "hello spring." It was actually a happy accident because over at NBUS, we are sharing our April Fool's Boo-Boo cards if we have 'em! So it's all good!

Twofer

I made this card because I saw the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches and the image reminded me of my NBUS "Create-in-Quads" stencil from Taylored Expressions, called "Mistletoe." The sediment is NBUS from SSS "Holiday Greetings Mix 1."

There is shading on the berries, as well as winking by the lads, but the bright sunshine washed them out. I'm glad the gold schplatters still came through. 

This is another example of how fun card-making is when you want to follow a sketch and there are no mistletoe police to take away your artistic license.

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I.D.E.A.S. Calendar:  I = Ink

You will find a linky tool below for you to share your inky creations. Your card may help motivate and lift others out of their creative schlump or just give someone a design idea of their own! I love seeing what you create, visiting you, and pinning your designs! 

Thank you so much to everyone who shared designs last week! Mwah! 

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Enjoy your week! No, seriously, enjoy! LITS!*

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower! 

*Life is too short!

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