Thursday, March 27, 2014

Wild Geraniums

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a great week.  I've been extremely busy so I haven't had a chance to visit blogs recently.   Life will slow down again but once our snow melts, it will be time for gardening.  We can't believe it but it still seems like mid winter most days as we have a lot of snow and it's been very cold.   But soon it will start to warm up....we hope :)

I have a two card designs today using a beautiful stamp set, Chapel Road - Da Vinci Botanicals available from Class Act Inc.    I used a favorite colour combination for the first one.  I've used these two colours so often that a couple of my friends call them the 'Shirley colours' :)


To create the background I used Broken China, Mowed Lawn and Peacock Feathers Distress Inks using the acrylic block technique.    When dry I used TCW Ferns with Mowed Lawn Distress Ink.  Next I used TCW Circle Explosion stencil with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink & White Acrylic paint.

I cut a strip off the background and stamped the whimsical sunflower edge from Chapel Road's Large Sunflower set and 'hello' (from Impression Obsession) with Cobalt Archival Ink.

The background behind the Geranium from Da Vinci Botanicals is Mowed Lawn Distress Ink again using an acrylic block.   I stamped the flower with Cobalt Archival Ink.  I bleached the ink from the flower and coloured with Mustard Seed and Peacock Feathers DI using my craft mat, brush and water.  I distressed all the edges and sponged Chipped Sapphire DI before assembling the card.

The second card below uses the other Geranium from the Da Vinci Botanicals set:


The background was created with Shaded Lilac and Seedless Preserves Distress Inks using an acrylic block again.   I stamped the Flower Words background stamp with Seedless Preserves DI (I lightly spritzed with water before stamping).

I stamped the flower on watercolour paper with Cobalt Blue Archival Ink and coloured with TomBow Markers #685, 155 & 177.  

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day,
Shirley

34 comments:

Irish Cherokee said...

Both cards are great but I am partial to the second one. love the color combination there. Nicely colored on both cards.

Crafting Queen said...

Two stunning cards. Love the backgrounds, they are super. Sending purrs to Archie and Sheena.

Annette P.-L. said...

Beautiful cards! They are very elegant! My favorite is the first one! I love these colours!!

~*~Patty S said...

Your "Shirley Colors" suit me to a T...I am so drawn to them and also find myself using them alot and wearing them too :)

Both cards are so lovely...
here's hoping Spring finds you soon...
it has to be out there somewhere!
oxo

Little Artbee said...

Both cards are made so wonderful creativ. My favourite is the magenta one.
Greetings
Sabine

friemelchen said...

WOW, die Karten sind wundervoll Shirley! Die Farben und die Hintergründe absolut Klasse!

shirley-bee said...

Both fabulous, Shirley! Love the colour on the second one.

Petra Tillmann said...

Beautiful cards, Shirley!

Donna Ellis said...

Whoa! How lovely the textures and images are! Like carved wood! Shirley, I am really taken by these masterpieces - they really speak to my soul - GORGEOUS! hugs, de

Sue's Crafty Corner said...

Both of these cards are gorgeous Shirley, and must admit when I see these colours I do think of you and your wonderful creations. I do hope that your snow starts melting soon. I'm glad to say that the weather here is much better than it was a few weeks ago.

Sue xx

Willy said...

Beautiful cards, love the colors, I hope it will be spring soon!!

Valerie-Jael said...

Gorgeous cards and stamps. Love the colours of both, just wonderful. Sorry your weather is still so bad, sending you warm and sunny thoughts! Hugs, Valerie

Astrid Maclean said...

Oh wow, both cards are truly stunning, - so beautifully stamped and with great colours!!

Sorry to hear winter is still not letting off in your parts, don't give up, Spring will eventually come!...

Sue said...

Fabulous cards Shirley :) huggles Sue xx

Pat said...

Wow Shirley, these Chapel Road stamps are gorgeous, and so is what you have achieved with them. Both cards are lovely but if I had to choose the first one has my favourite colours and some lovely stencil work in the background. The image has some great colouring, and I like the dark card as backing. The second card has that word stamp in the background which suits it well, and also that lovely black die cut behind the image which makes it pop. x

Bonnie said...

The beautiful first card is definitely what I think of as Shirley colors! Love them! And I love the second card too! What pretty springtime colors they are! Love those garden words!

Margik said...

Both cards are fantastic, with beautifull colors and stamps.

Nan G said...

Love your blended blues and greens...definitely 'Shirley's color'. Both cards are gorgeous!

maria's knutselplezier said...

wow , these creations are great , I love them both , I love your colour use a lot , I wish you much succes today!!

Greetings
Maria

brenda said...

It's years since I heard mention of Chapel Road stamps Shirley, I have a few but we never see them in the UK any more. Both cards are gorgeous, I think perhaps the pink just edges it for me.

B x

Miranda said...

Hi teamie, wow such lovely stamps! Did not seen them here yet.....you've made beautiful cards with them and indeed your great 'Shirley colours' on the first one! Have a nice day, xx Miranda

chrissie said...

Wonderful backgrounds and glorious colours. Love the stamps you have show cased.

Chrissie x

Unknown said...

Brilliant Shirley, love the pink one...xx

Wendy said...

Both very pretty Shirley! I loved looking and looking at the first one and spotting all the different stencils you have used, gorgeous! Have a wonderful weekend. Xxxx

Gerrina said...

Beautiful cards! And I think those greens are you favorite colours... So much fun to see how you use them differently every time! Hope it is getting warmer, sending some sunshine for yoiur weekend (it is going to be 19 tomorrow and 20 on sunday..), hugs, Gerrina

Silvia(Barnie) said...

Two fabulous cards. Especially love the colors of the first one.

Shona said...

Gorgeous cards! You always seem to have the most fabulous stamps and the most amazing colours. Hope you have a great weekend!

Karin said...

borth cards are beautiful!
Have a lovely weekend! Groetjes Karin x

sheila 77 said...

Two really great cards. I like your idea of a small horizontal strip, as in the first one.
The second flower is so beautiful painted against the lovely text background.
I like to go to your references and see the black and white stamp, then come back to see what artistic miracles you have made on it.

Jeannette said...

Beautiful cards,love the flowers and colors and the wonderful backround,love it.

greetings jeannette

MaryH said...

As always, your background colors are simply lovely, and you've highlighted those colors with the focal image. Both of these cards are so brilliant & I'm loving the images. This is a new company to me, and just took a quick peek at their images. Love the way you bleach out the colors of the flowers - then go back to highlight with different shades & tones.It enhances the entire card with the way you use a tiny piece of the background for the mat of the focal image too. The text background is so pretty but I also really enjoy reading how you used the stencils to create the background on the Shirley colors. That's quite a compliment...enjoy it! TFS & hope you soon get some springtime weather. Happy Sunday & Hugs

Shirley said...

Both cards are so regal and elegant! Your colors maybe, but you really do them justice!! I have just started using mixed media in my latest card I am building and It is an art to be mastered!!! LOLOL Yours are wonderful, stencil or stamp!!.

PiaRom said...

Shirley diese beiden Karten sind besonders schön! Die zweite ist mein Favorit..liebe die zart helle Blüte gegen den kontrastreichen Hintergrund Mix It Monthly ♥ Conny

Greta said...

Your work is always amazing, Shirley! These are stunning!