A trio of Blooms!

I loved the "Blooming with Beauty" set from the Spring Mini catalogue as soon as I saw it, and at our stamping retreat a couple of months back, I got to play with someone else's set - thus cementing it's place on my wish list!! I had stuck with traditional pansy-type colours until now, until my clever team member Carolyn Gibbs told me she'd discovered using it with the In Colors for 2008 with great effect.

With my newly arrived set, it dawned on me that this bunch of blooms could well be hydrangeas, which definitely allows scope for the blues! I still wasn't sure I'd heard her right when she said Soft Sky, Bayou Blue and River Rock, but here's the proof - I hope you'll agree this is a fine bunch of hydrangeas! Next time I'm going to try some lovely pinky/mauve shades, in an effort to re-create a pink hydrangea my mum grows. Thanks Ryn for the inspiration!

I have used Aquapainters and the inkpad puddle technique to colour these images, stamped on watercolour paper in Stazon Black ink. I first coloured all over the blossom area in Soft Sky, building the colour intensity until it was right, then I added Bayou Blue in the areas where the stamped image suggests depth, such as the shadowed areas at the centre of the florets. Wild Wasabi was just right for the leaves, and the River Rock pot makes a nice 'sandstone' alternative to traditional terracotta type colours. Having made the first card, I decided to play with the colour combinations to see what kind of variety of looks I could create with essentially the same image, by mounting on different coloured bases. I have used another recent aquisition, the lovely "Weathered" background, and I have stamped in the respective background colour - River Rock, Soft Sky or Bayou Blue. Different greetings and stitched grosgrain finish them off. The River Rock card is off today to some very special garden loving friends, hope they like it :)

All products available to purchase through me, CONTACT ME to order today! Remember the October promotions of 20% off Simply Sent Kits (ends Saturday) and 20% off 5 selected sets for the 20th Birthday celebrations make it a great time!