AECP Level 2 Card 7 - Colour Your Day

 My inspiration for this class came from video 5 and gave me another opportunity to practice my water colouring! 

I chose to use an image from Altenew Precious Peony stamp set 

https://altenew.com/products/precious-peony-stamp-set

I began by stamping the image using Versafine Onyx Black ink and applying clear embossing powder over it and heat setting. This forms a "well" in each area of the image which helps to contain any water laid down. 

I used my Altenew crisp die inks as a watercolour as they are water-reactive so make a great medium to water colour with - a great way to stretch your supplies!

I was careful to think about where natural shading would be required, mostly places under each petal or where the petals join the centre of the flower. I used the wet-on-wet technique, applying a small amount of plain water to one section at a time, dropping in pigment and allowing the ink to naturally bloom and create a gradient of colour. I found this so relaxing and really enjoyed the whole process.

I added a light grey wash of colour to the background and when that was dry, I splattered some black ink randomly, but covered the floral image with my hand. I love splattering and I think it creates a more artsy look.

The sentiment was cut from the Altenew Essential Sentiment Strips Die Set

https://altenew.com/products/essential-sentiment-strips-die-set using matt gold cardstock from my stash with a layer of black cardstock under the die cut to help the words pop. These were adhered using foam tape. To add more cohesiveness to the card, I added a layer of the same gold card stock under the image to create a frame before adhering it to the card base. A few yellow gems from my bling collection added the finishing touch. 

Here is a close up image of the finished card.