Friend

Hello again! Thanks for stopping by... here's one created for this week's SCS color challenge where we are to use Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke and Basic Grey. I don't have any Basic Grey - I know, I can't believe it either ;) - so I substituted Going Grey instead.

I stamped the image in Basic Black on Vanilla cardstock and used an aquapainter to watercolor the main image from a hostess set called Serene Spring with only the 3 colors allowed for today. (Quick tip for new stampers - I pressed the inkpad lid carefully into the inkpad, flipped it open and used the ink on the lid as a palette of sorts.) I cut out the image with my oval coluzzle, then temporarily mounted this onto RHRed cardstock. I cut around the oval freehand giving about 1/8 inch border all around. I cut a larger Always Artichoke oval using the coluzzle and glued the three ovals together. Using my Grey marker, I inked up the word "friend" from one of the Serene Spring sentiment stamps and put that in the lower right corner of the oval. I did a small zig-zag stitch from the sewing machine on the vanilla/RHRed edges, then put 4 silver brads around the oval. I stamped the Posy background on Vanilla using Going Grey ink, then glued my oval panel onto this and zig-zagged around the oval again. Finally, I glued the posy panel onto RHRed and straight-stitched around the block one time. This was mounted on my Always Artichoke cardbase.

I cut out several flowers and leaves using the Big Shot/Birds & Blooms die in RHRed and Always Artichoke cardstocks. To add depth, I sponged the same color ink on the flower petals. I used a metal ball stylus to put "veins" in the leaves, then sponged the same color ink on them. The flower and leaves were curled on the edges for dimension. The flowers were layered and a brad added to the center. The flowers and leaves were adhered to the card with mini glue-dots.

Hope you enjoy today's card - till next time.....