Artisan Post #7 - Comforting Thoughts

There are four Groups in this year's Artisan Design Team. I am in Group Three along with four others. Our projects most typically post on the third Friday of each month. For April our assignment was to create two cards that would feature the Comforting Thoughts Stamp Set and the Dazzling Droplets Stamp. Both stamp sets are part of the Stampin' Up! Online Exclusives.

The wreath pieces that encircle the Comforting Thoughts greetings are from the Lifetime of Love Dies. I used Blackberry Bliss, Moody Mauve, Bubble Bath, Basic White, and hand-painted Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper. I created a wash of color using all the same colors on the Watercolor Paper to die cut all the flowers.

I combined two of the Comforting Thoughts greetings to give the salutation more impact. I stamped both with Blackberry Bliss and offset them to best fill the inside of the wreath.

In a style true to me, I finished this card with Wink of Stella splatters, Iridescent Foil Gems, and colored Linen Thread. I used a Berry Burst Stampin' Blend to create a custom color Linen Thread. It's such and easy way to make the thread match your projects--try it.

For my second card I used the Lifetime of Love stamps to highlight the Comforting Thoughts greetings. What's fun for this card is the background. I stamped and heat embossed the Drizzling Droplets background stamp on Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper. Then I painted a wash of Bubble Bath, Berry Burst, and Blackberry Bliss over all the embossed "droplets." With each color I painted less and less so there would be a variety of color levels.

I used one image for the three greetings on this card. For each saying I masked off the other two with tape and stamped them. then I die cut each with a rectangle from the Stylish Shapes Dies. The flower images and die cuts all come from the Lifetime of Love Bundle. For these flowers I used Stampin' Blends to color them. I wish you could see the beauty of these in real life they are striking.