Watercolor Markers, Distress Inks, and Easter

For my card today, I incorporated Stampin Up as well as some of my many other crafting supplies! My card actually started as an entry for a "yellow" color challenge but became something else entirely!

I started by creating an ombré effect using my yellow toned distress inks on Watercolor paper. I used squeezed lemonade, mustard seed, scattered straw, fossilized amber, and wild honey but in the end, I had to rework my ombré so the final lineup was mustard seed, fossilized amber, wild honey, rusty hinge, spiced marmalade and ripe persimmon. To give some definition to the edges, I added walnut stain.

Next, I decided to use my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers to color a focal image. I chose to use the Hyacinth from the Helping Me Grow stamp set and stamped it in Basic Black Archival ink on watercolor paper using my MISTI. It is often difficult to get an image stamped perfectly on watercolor paper in one go; the rougher texture of the paper seems to either absorb or deter ink. MISTI to the rescue!

I zapped the image with my heat tool to be sure it was dry before beginning my coloring. I used the following: Lilac, Light Violet, Purple, Mid Green and Olive Green. I just LOVE coloring with these markers because it seems so effortless!

The Big Shot along with a die from the Circles Collection Framelits was used to die cut the colored image as well as a die cut a matte from Old Olive card stock. I used a sponge dauber with Walnut Stain distress ink to give some definition to the edges of both. The colored image was then adhered to the matte with Dimensionals.

I used the Fluttering Embossing Folder to emboss the ombré matte (the only one that would fit since I was making a non-standard card size). I adhered the embossed background to a very thin Elegant Eggplant matte and then attached both to an Old Olive card base. The focal image was adhered to the matte with Dimensionals.

I chose a piece of Whisper White Seam Binding to color with distress inks to match my project. On my craft mat I dabbed wilted violet, dusty concord and seedless preserves. I spritzed them and my ribbon with water and then proceeded to dab my ribbon into the colors until I was satisfied with the results. I kept crinkling the ribbon into a ball in my hands (I wore disposable gloves so my hands would still look like hands when I finished!) and then dried it with my heat tool.

Cutting a small piece off one end of the ribbon, I wrapped the rest around three fingers. I tied it in the middle with the piece I had cut off to form my crinkly bow. I adhered the bow to my card front using Glue Dots.

I stamped my sentiment from the Crazy About You stamp set onto a strip of Basic Black card stock using Versamark and then heat embossed it using White Stampin' Emboss Powder. I used the Banner Triple Punch to flag one end. The sentiment was adhered to the card front with Fast Fuse Adhesive.

To complete my card, I used (for the first time!) some Rainstones that I had purchased from Papertrey Ink some time ago after watching a video tutorial that showed them being used on a card. I thought they looked gorgeous! I adhered some to my card front using a combination of Multi Medium Matte (for the small ones) and Zots Clear Adhesive Dots-Bling Tiny for the larger ones. I got my Zots at Michaels for $7.99 for 325. They work really great! I think I may try them for sequins or other tiny embellishments in the future.

I did not embellish the inside of my card but may do so before giving it out for Easter. Thanks for checking out my post today!