Make it Monday #125 - Defined Watercolors

Good morning friends.  I'm sure you can tell by my title today that I'm not continuing on with my "manly" series, although I have to say that I'm thrilled I came up with 3 totally different cards from just one stamp set!  I think that's the mark of a great stamp set, that it can be used so many ways!  "Calm Seas" may be a retired set, but I know I'll still get lots of mileage out of it! :0)

Make it Monday over at Papertrey Ink had a great video tutorial this week by Erin Lincoln on defining your stamps with watercolor, and since watercolor seems to be a medium that I'm really drawn to lately, I had to give it a try!  Take a look:

Nothing like a really BRIGHT card to wake you up in the morning right?!!  I used PTI's "Simple Sunflower" stamp set and blocked off the top and bottom 1 1/4" of my white card base, so my stamping would only be in the middle 3" of the card.  I watercolored my sunflowers and leaves first by using my Aquapen and ink that I had pressed into the inside cover of the stamp pad cover.  I used SU!'s Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, & Crumb Cake.  The next step to define the flowers and leaves was to roll the edges of the stamp directly onto the stamp pad and then stamp over the flowers and leaves...definitely defines them by sorta outlining them.  Fun technique and I love the outcome!  I finished the card by adding a strip of 1 1/4" Melon Mambo cs to the top (I also used the eraser end of a pencil and my ink pad to add some dots to this layer to give it a little definition too!), and then also added the chevron stripe (PTI die) in Melon Mambo to balance out the top half of the card.  I added a few iridescent sequins here and there, and the sentiment is also from the "Simple Sunflower" set.  (GREAT set for only $5 and also very versatile!!)

Lots of really pretty cards for this challenge over on Nichole's blog, so make sure you check it out! (http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/) 

Hope to have another Christmas card for you tomorrow, but we'll see if my mojo's working today!  It's one of those cards I was so excited about when I started, and now it still needs something, and I just can't figure out what it is!  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!  Anyway, thanks so much for stopping by today and have a terrific Thursday. :0)