OFF THE EDGE WITH A SENTIMENT

Hello friends.  I'm playing along with two different challenges today...the CAS Mix Up Challenge where they are looking for a water colored image that is "OFF THE EDGE", and also The Flower Challenge where they would like us to include a "SENTIMENT" along with a flower on our card.  

I have two cards to share with you today because my first card was an "oops" card.  Yep, finished up the first card and then realized that the CAS Mix Up Challenge is supposed to be water colored, and I just stamped the image...well darn!!  Back to the drawing board!!  I really liked the first card I made, so I re-did it using a faux water color technique where after inking the stamp, you spritz it with water to give the look of water coloring.

So here is my 2nd card using the same Poinsettia stamp from Stamplorations (Layered Poinsettia's) where I inked up my stamp with Real Red ink and then spritzed with water, and then inked up just the edges of the stamp with Cherry Cobbler ink and then spritzed again.  Once it was dry I added the black outline stamp and then stamped again with Versamark and heat embossed with clear.

 In this close up you can see how beautifully the lighter and darker inks blended together with the water, and how pretty the yellow prills that were gifted to me by my sweet friend Bonnie look in the center of my flower.  I love the look of the flower being off the edge and do this quite frequently with larger flower images.  The sentiment is from Penny Black's Yuletide Wishes.

Here is the first card I made where I just stamped the Poinsettia image and didn't use any water.  I used the same color inks (Real Red and Cherry Cobbler) but with out the addition of the water, the color is much deeper.  I also stamped the center of the flower instead of using the prills, because, well, I forgot I had them until I started working on the 2nd card!  The sentiment on this first is also from Penny Black but from the Rejoice with Joy stamp set.

Here are both cards together where it's easy to see the lighter (left) water colored version next to the darker stamped version.  They're both pretty and I can't pick a favorite...can you??

You can check out all the beautiful "OFF THE EDGE" inspiration from the CAS Mix Up DT right HERE (challenge is open till the 24th) and all the floral inspiration (with a sentiment) from the DT at The Flower Challenge right HERE (challenge is open till the 26th). 

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!