Hello, Friends! As I was pondering what to make for this week's TGIF post for The Greetery, I had been wanting to use the watering can from Sprinkled With Kindness, because it's just so cheery and hopeful, reminding me that Spring -- and my own garden and watering cans -- are soon on the way! But, I also felt compelled to pull out the BotaniCuts Sunflower dies and use them along with the blue and yellow color combo we've been seeing all over the internet, in support of the people of Ukraine. What's been happening is heartbreaking and has had me praying fervently. I decided what better time than now, to create some beauty inspired by the brave Ukranian people.
Lately, I've really enjoyed choosing a single color palette and some stamps and dies to work with, and then creating coordinating cards. It's so fun to do and it's an efficient way to craft, since you've already gotten all of those supplies out. Might as well use them in a few different ways!
I started out with a yellow card stock to die cut the sunflowers from.
PRO TIP: Even if you don't have the "right color" of card stock that you need for your project, starting with a color close to it and then blending on ink, allows you to still achieve the desired color without having to start all the way back at white card stock. What I mean by that, is in this case, my yellow wasn't quite sunflower yellow. It was a bit different shade than I wanted. I used it anyway though, and just blended some ink on it, to warm it up to just the right shade. I could have achieved the same color with white card stock and ink, but it would have taken more ink and more effort to blend on that rich of a color. Just a little time saver tip for you!
This watering can is the perfect image for using my old stand-by trick of using a single ink for all three layers that create this image, by stamping ink off first on card stock before stamping on the actual die cut. When you do that with each layer, you get that worn, weathered, almost vintage look that I love so dearly! The one exception is that on the top detail layer, I stamped it at full strength.
PRO TIP: Notice that on the card base, I stamped one of the out line images from Summer Sketches. This gives that bouquet a little depth, rather than just using all die cuts to fill the watering can! It gives the illusion of some flowers on the back side of the arrangement, that would be more in the shadows.
PRO TIP: When I finished this card, it still felt a little plain to me. Adding a simple strip of white card stock to the bottom of the card, added some brightness, balance and interest, as well as an anchor point for the watering can. If your cards feel like they need a little extra somethin', consider adding a thin strip or two of card stock! It's a simple but effective step you could take!
This time around, I used that same outline image from the first card, to stamp an all-over background pattern. It's such an easy way to add some interest to your card with just one stamp!
I used the same technique for stamping this watering can....I just used one color of blue ink instead of gray, for all three layers, stamping off first on the first two layers.
I changed up the sentiment placement and tucked the sentiment into the bouquet, since the background on this card is already so busy. I simply stamped the sentiment components on two strips of card stock and tucked them into the arrangement!
PRO TIP: You might have noticed that I often tuck leaves in floral arrangements at three different points, in a sort of triangle around the focal flowers. This creates some visual balance! I usually try to change up the leaves in each section though, so they're not all the same exact leaves, they're not all turned the same way, and they're not all the same size of leaves. Note on this card, there are two big leaves, one large and one small and then just two small leaves in the bottom corner. They don't need to all be the same (that looks way less organic) but creating that visual triangle with the pops of green, provides some balance.
PRO TIP: For maximum sunflower impact, be sure to fluff all those layers forward with your finger!
Hope those tips are helpful and I hope I've given you some inspiration to use in your own crafting!
{Blue & Yellow Card Duo supplies -- click on thumbnails}
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