Card from start to finish plus 2 how-to's

As promised, here is my instruction post!  It's been a while since I have done one like this, so it feels pretty good to get back into it.

Also, on Friday, I will be hosting the CDS PCP weekend color challenge, so be sure to check back then.

HOW I GO FROM NOTHING TO A CARD

First I usually start with a stamp set. Occasionally it might be paper, but that is seldom, and only if a design in the paper reminds me of a particular stamp set.
This stamp set is a level 1 hostess set from Stampin' Up! called Organic Grace.

I have stamped my images to color on watercolor paper since I knew I was going to watercolor them. I used the basic masking technique.  I stamped the middle flower first, then created a paper mask for it and stamped the other two large flowers. Then I masked all the flowers and stamped the fern and filler foliage.

I knew I wanted to pop up the middle flower, as well as add a dragonfly to the card, so I stamped those images separately.

Next, I hold my uncolored images up to some papers.  I selected 3 papers from my stash that I will choose 1 from.

I first eliminated the green paper as it's design was quite complicated, so I was left with large floral designs and a more subtle repeated floral pattern in pale yellow and white.  I ended up choosing the paper on the right, Basic Grey Wisteria Finch paper (pre-released).

Now it's time to color the images to match my selected paper.  Since my paper is just mainly the pale yellow, I knew I wanted some yellow in my images, but not too much.  I really like the colors in the middle paper, so I pretty much took those colors, even though I used the pale yellow paper.

The general colors I used are guava, saffron, and celery, however I used lighter and/or darker shades of those colors to achieve more drastic effects in the images. I used blush blossom and really rust to compliment the guava, and more mustard to compliment saffron, and olive to compliment celery. I used a touch of artichoke to add contrast in the ferns.

For the dragonfly, I used an amethyst color on the wings for a touch of a different color, and that helped me in the end pull the card together with ribbon.

Have you ever seen those panels on cards where the images are popped out the edges?  Adds a nice appeal doesn't it?  The easiest way I have found to do this, is to lay your images on a grid and line up your ruler on the lines on either side of your CS. Lightly pencil your straight line ONLY inbetween the images. Do this for all 4 sides keeping your CS stationary so that you can be certain to pencil straight and 90 degree angles. VARIATION: You could hold up a circle or oval cutout and trace along that too, but those are harder to cut around.

Now you will have a nice guide to cut out along and anytime the images cross over the lines, you just cut around the images until you get back to the lines you drew in.

Once I cut out the panel, I held it up to my paper selection.   At this point, it was clear that my panel needed to be layered with some darker CS to set it above the patterned paper.

 

 

I grabbed some colors of CS that I knew were in my image and held them up.  Sometimes it takes some time deciding on the order of the CS layers for each panel and for the base.  I usually use scrap pieces and I hold them under one corner of the panels, reordering layers until I find an order I like and think best helps the image pop.

Decide on the layout. For this card, I decided I wanted to use the pattern paper on the entire base of the card and divide the card using ribbon.  The images are so detailed and so intricate, that if I had tried to add a lot of other panels to the layout, I felt as if that would distract from the beauty of the images.  I really want to focus on the image panel.

Once I have finalized all panel layers and layout, I will cut and adhere the panels together, or sew together, but I will not yet assemble the panels to the base.

A NEW TAILORED BOW

Before I finish the card, I will show you a variation on a tailored bow.  

First take a 3"-4" piece of ribbon and folder the ends over until they overlap slightly. Secure with either glue dots or sew them together.

Then, follow steps 1- 6 on this knot tutorial.  The steps are not numbered in the tutorial, I am counting each photo as a step.

Once you are at step 6, complete the steps below.

This is generally how the ribbon should look at step 6 from the tutorial.  Hold ribbon leg (tails) in place with one hand.  The legs might be reversed depending on which end you slipped under the straight ribbon base. You should be able to get the same result no matter which leg is pointing upward/downward.

Taking the bow loops you made prior to starting, slip it under the middle ribbon loop you ended up with in step 6 of the ribbon tutorial.

Gently pull as instructed in the original ribbon knot tutorial, EXCEPT pull both tails down slightly as you pull, and watch your bow appear.  Trim legs/tails to desired lengths.  It does take practice, so practice on scraps before you attempt your final project.  Once you get the feel for how the ribbon should feel and the amount of tension you need as you pull, it will be a cinch!

FINISHED CARD

Once I have put all the panels on, AND the ribbon, then I decide on my final embellishments, if any.  For this card, I wanted pearls to adorn, but not too many so as to overload the image panel.

The large bow and pearls on either side help to balance the larger image panel, as well as the placement of the dragonfly off to the left.

 

As you can hopefully see in the close-up, I used shimmery watercolors on the dragonfly. 

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS: SU organnic grace Hostess level 1

CS: watercolor, groovy guava, elegant eggplant, always artichoke, Basic Grey Wisteria Finch paper

INK: Brilliance black, so saffron, more mustard, blush blossom, groovy guava, really rust, certainly celery, old olive, always artichoke, almost amethyst, elegant eggplant, baja breeze

ACCESSORIES: waterbrush, shimmery watercolor palette, SU dimensionals, sticky pearls, purple satin ribbon, snips, sewing machine

I hope you enjoyed this, and I will be back Friday for the CDS color challenge over at PCP!

Hapy Stamping,

Laurie

Comments

[Sarah T]

Fabulous card. Who ever receives this in the mail will be thrilled!

[america]

Wonderfully designed. Beautifully cut and colored. Thanks for the bow tutorial. I always have issues with tying mine so this really helps. :)

[Cassie]

Wow, Laurie, this card is so beautiful. Thanks for sharing the bow tutorial.

[Kerry D-C]

WOW! this is a stunning card! The purple in it really makes it!

[Candyf]

Nice card and great tutorial.

[Elena]

Your card is so beautiful! Thank you for the bow tutorials and all the interesting information!

[MakiJ]

This is just gorgeous!! I love the set and this is the most beautiful card I've ever seen with using the set! TFS~

[Colleen]

This is stunning! I haven't felt like stamping for ages, and this just made me want to get into my studio and stamp!!!! Thanks.

[Jackie]

That card is just beautiful and the bow tutorial is awesome! I am so bad at tying bows but I bet even I can do this one!

[Cheryl B.]

Your card is beautiful! Thanks for the bow tutorial. I will definitely have to try it out the next time I need a bow for a card.