Up the Happy

Ellen Hutson has been having their February Pin-spired challenge. They posted this photo mood board, and challenged participants to create a project inspired by something in it, using at least one Essentials by Ellen product:

The colors & general "Spring-y" feel spoke to me. I used the "Up the Happy" stamp set for my card. I just received this set, and was glad to ink it up!

I used a sketch from Splitcoaststampers.com for my design. I began by cutting a piece of 140 lb. Canson XL watercolor paper for the upper panel. I stamped the butterfly from "Up the Happy" numerous times on the panel in Ranger Archival Watering Can ink. I masked as necessary, so that the butterflies have a layered appearance. Once I'd finished stamping & the ink had dried thoroughly, I watercolored the butterflies. Working one butterfly at a time, I coated them with clear water, then dropped in Cracked Pistachio, Worn Lipstick, & Shaded Lilac Distress inks (2 colors per butterfly). When I'd finished painting the butterflies, I dried the panel with my heat tool, then watercolored the spaces in between them with Tumbled Glass Distress ink.

I cut a piece of pink parchment patterned paper from my scrap stash for the greeting. I stamped the greeting, also from "Up the Happy," on it in Watering Can, using my MISTI. I ended up stamping it 3 times to get good coverage & a dark enough tone. Thankfully, the MISTI makes this very easy!

I cut a piece of dark teal patterned paper for the lower panel. I felt the card needed a bit of a darker color to ground it & provide some contrast. I took a scrap of paper, and adhered the watercolor & lower panels to that, so they were basically one panel. Then, after adhering my greeting panel, I wrapped a piece of ivory ribbon around the seam, taping it to the back. I tied a bow onto that ribbon piece, and squirted a little liquid glue behind it to hold it in place. When that had dried, I finished by mounting the card front to a white A2 card base. I will send this card to Send a Smile 4 Kids.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday: "Anything Goes"
Craft Your Passion #301: "Anything Goes"
Pile It On #102: "Paint" (I assume Distress watercolor counts!)