Orchid Sympathy

Unfortunately, I needed a sympathy card and worked on this one over the weekend.  It's a combination of a new-to-me Altenew stamp and products from my stash.  The stamp is Oriental Orchid, a layering stamp set from Altenew.  I bought it used because I don't have any other flowers like this in my collection.

To create the look I wanted, I had to search my stash for a pot or container and used PTI's Vase Collection 7 Mini stamp set with Speckled Egg and Broken China Distress inks.  I decided to heat emboss the flowers so I could keep them white and watercolored them with Spun Sugar, Pickled Raspberry, and Twisted Citron.  I didn't use all four steps of the layering stamps - and had to remember "let the water do the work". I came in with the last step and Picked Raspberry when the paper was still damp so the color would be vibrant, but the water still pulled the ink.  The yellow centers are done with Prismacolor pencils after the flowers were dried. The leaves are a combination of Peeled Paint, Crushed Olive, and Rustic Wilderness.  I needed to bend the stem to give it the angle you see here and all of the elements of the flowers, leaves, bucket and stem are fussy cut and layered together.  The flowers are popped out on foam squares and the leaves, vase, stem, and buds are glued right onto the background.  

I have been playing with foiling lately, so I got out my laminator and heat embossed my MFT's  Lined By Hand  background stamp and then foiled over the top.  It is hard to see in the photo, but only parts of the lines picked up the foiling.  I ended up ink blending the edges and actually love the look.  The sentiment is an old red rubber stamp from Verve - which I foiled as well. Pinkfresh Studio's Essential Blanket Stitch Slimline Die Set (mini slimline die).

I love how this card turned out, even though it took a lot of "playing around" and time to think/plan for me! I have enough leftover flowers and leaves to make another card - which is a side benefit from being willing to "play around." Thanks for stopping by my blog.                                                                   In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

613 Avenue Create-July / AG with optional twist/Black and White

NBUS #40/

Use Your Stuff #451 / Flowers

There's A Stamp for That FB Group Challenge #41/ Monochromatic; Brads/eyelets; flowers