Floral Merci

The latest challenge at Incy Wincy Designs has been "Nature and All of Its Beauty." I decided to create this Spring-look floral thank you card. I used the "Twisted Triple Panel" technique for the design.

I first die cut a panel of 140 lb. watercolor paper with the largest of Lawn Fawn's "Small Stitched Rectangle" dies. I stamped the Essentials by Ellen "Mondo Hydrangea" a few times, including the leaf & individual blossom images. I used Hero Arts Soft Granite ink, since I didn't want harsh black lines around my images for this card.

To get the "Twisted Triple Panel" effect, I die cut the panel with 2 smaller stitched rectangle dies, angling them in opposite directions. To help my watercoloring be consistent, I then nested all 3 panels in place on a piece of Glad Press 'n Seal. This held them together while I painted. I used my Mijello Mission Gold watercolors to paint the images. I applied a wash of clean water to each blossom, and then dropped color into the center. I guided the color out with my brush into the petals, to give a blended/shaded look. I made sure to let each flower dry before painting any blossoms right next to it, so the color wouldn't bleed all over. I just worked my way around the panel until all the flowers were painted. Then I set the panel aside to air dry.

To paint the background, I again applied clean water to the panel, going around the flowers, and dropped in a darker green color. I moved the color some with my paintbrush, but mostly let the water do the work. I did paint in sections, making sure to keep the edge where I stopped wet while I reloaded my brush with pigment, so the "new" color would blend into the "old."

Once the panel had dried completely, I removed the sections from the Press 'n Seal. I matted each with a light yellow cardstock, leaving a 1/8" border on all sides of each layer. I adhered the background layer to a white A2 card base. Then I adhered the other 2 layers, placing them so the lines of the flowers matched up. They are at the same angles as when I die cut them, so the image appears continuous. But the matting helps emphasize the angled sections.

For the greeting, I stamped "Merci" (from Stampabilities--no longer available) onto a scrap of Essentials by Ellen 40 lb. vellum. I heat embossed it with Ranger Princess Gold embossing powder, and then die cut it with the smallest of Lawn Fawn's "Large Stitched Rectangle" dies. I applied adhesive to the back with my Xyron Sticker Maker, and adhered it to the center panel.

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

Die Cut Divas: "Anything Goes"
613 Avenue Create Challenge #208: "Anything Goes w/Optional Twist (Use Vellum)"