Today is my second guest designer gig at Mama Elephant. I have had so much fun working with their adorable stamp sets this month! I'll be showing you two cards with the new Organic Blooms stamp set and a card and tag with the Cub Cuddles stamp set. You can refer to this POST for my "one stamp, five ways" post using the Organic Blooms set as well.
My favorite set of their four new ones that were part of this release was Organic Blooms because a) I love flower stamps and b) I love watercoloring. They are the perfect flower to watercolor! I used embossing for both of these cards as the base for painting. I think I prefer this look to the ones stamped in black.
I stamped Organic Blooms using Versamark ink and white embossing powder overlapping the edges in three of the corners on watercolor paper (I used my highest quality Fabriano Paper as I knew I wanted to spend some time on this painting). I then painted in the flowers and leaves using my Daniel Smith watercolors. Yep, I was a watercolor snob on this card haha! I love mixing two colors on flowers, so I started with a rose color on the parts of the leaves that were closest to the stems and then I added yellow to the tips of the leaves letting the colors mix together where they met. THIS is why I love watercolors so much - watching them do their magic makes me oooh and ahhhh! After I painted the flowers, I did a light wash on the background of some greens around the plants and then a sparkly white in between the flowers blending the greens out. This paper, these paints in these colors, and these flowers are just YUMMY to me - I could stare at them all day. Nothing is more beautiful than watercolors in my mind anyway!
Ok, enough drooling over my own work - hahahaha (not really - it's the paints and the paper and the stamps that get the credit!). I die-cut the painted piece using a stitched rectangle from MFT Blueprints 13. I then stamped the words with SSS Intense Black Ink and cut around them. I attached them to the center of the card and added three sequins from my SSS May Card Kit (love these BIG ones!).
This card also uses the gorgeous Organic Bloom stamp set. This time I embossed the design with WOW Royal Crush embossing powder and it really is WOW! It is a purple shimmery color with specks of blue glitter. I watercolored the image using the same colors that are in the embossing powders - blues, purples, and pinks. I stamped the sentiment on white cardstock and added that to a label die and then added some sequins in both corners (large ones from my SSS May Card Kit and smaller ones are Pretty Pink Posh. I added a white frame around the blooms using the Framed Tags die set out of white cardstock and attached all to a bright pink card base.
I love these adorable bears in the Cub Cuddles stamp set. I decided to create a black bear family with a mom, a dad, and two kids (are black bears the ones that eat people?). I used the Landscape Trio die set to create the clouds and grass and die-cut the outside edges with my largest rectangle from the Lawn Fawn large stitched rectangle set. After I die-cut them out of watercolor paper, I rubbed Distress Inks on the grass and the background for a sky (colors are listed in the supplies below). I used no-line stamping for my bears and balloons on the card by stamping with a light colored Distress Ink and then watercoloring them so the lines didn't show. I created a scene where the little baby bear accidentally let go of his balloon, so he climbed on dad's back to try and catch it.
Last, I created this little tag using the Cub Cuddles stamps. The two tags I layered are die-cut from the Framed Tags set and then watercolored. I also watercolored a baby bear, a little teeny bird, and a pinwheel and attached them to the tag front. I stamped happy birthday and added some twine.
I'm so happy that I got to design with the adorable Mama Elephant products as a guest designer this month! I'll be back later this week with a "one stamp, five ways" post using the other flower set by Yoonsun for Simon Says Stamps called Sketch Ranunculus. Thanks for visiting today! Suzy
The flower cards are absolutely gorgeous! I would be bragging too!😘
Posted by: G Evert | May 03, 2016 at 07:48 AM
Oh my goodness!! The Heartfelt Thanks is beautiful!!! I would stare at those flowers all day too if I could paint something that pretty! You have earned the rights to brag!! I like the bear cards too, but flowers are my favorites. Love your blog!
Posted by: Carol L | May 03, 2016 at 08:41 AM
You definitely get the credit for creating these fabulous projects! All are wonderful! The combination of colors, blooms and the watercolor techniques you used on the first card are incredible! It's stunning!
Posted by: LC | May 03, 2016 at 08:41 PM
Shazam! I don't blame you for drooling over your watercoloring! These are fab! Saw the top card on your FB post and had to rush right on over to say "WOW!" in person ♥
Posted by: Rosy Newlun | May 03, 2016 at 11:41 PM
Drool away, Suzy because that first card is absolutely breathtaking! You saythe supplies do all the work, but I say you have to start with a vision and you knew what colors would work well together. I'd say this card is definitely frame-worthy! The pink flowers are very pretty, too. I adore all the shimmer! Those bears are very fun, too. Don't know about the black bear's proclivity for eating people, but you made them downright appealing on the card and tag. I keep saying it, but I truly admire your talents!! :)
Posted by: Jeanne | May 04, 2016 at 05:18 AM
Your cards are all gorgeous. My favorite is the first one, it is truly stunning, and I am drooling over it too!!
Posted by: Kathy Salido | May 04, 2016 at 02:52 PM
Oh my gosh you are such an enabler! I mean that in the very best sense. Did not know you could get a starter set of Daniel Smith watercolors for such a great price! I just ordered organic blooms from Mama E, now I'm really going to break my piggy to get the watercolors! I have a starter set from W&N, Sennelier, and I've really wanted to see how they compare to the DS. Very, very beautiful cards!
Posted by: Kathy | May 20, 2016 at 03:49 PM
You asked me what the difference was between the Sennelier and the others; I waited for my Daniel Smith sampler set to come in and try them so I could give you a really good answer! :-) The Sennelier is "creamier" (I think due to the honey base) and while you get a really good amount of pigment they are also transparent enough so you can layer colors and blend them to get that mottled effect in your first card (above) with one color or two colors etc. I thought the DS had richer pigmentation then the W&N (totally agree with you on that!). Honestly, I felt like I got the best results with the Sennlier which really surprised me because when I did my swatches, I thought I was going to like the DS the best, so much so that I ordered all four of their dot charts! I hope you try the Sennelier one day, its really beautiful to work with. I hope your daughter is feeling better! Thank you so very much for the awesome inspiration!! Take good care! x K
Posted by: Kathy | July 03, 2016 at 06:32 PM