A Perfect Little Card Set

I decided to make some cards for the stash to be used as gifts in the coming weeks/months as birthday season and the holidays come roaring in.  I couldn't resist the urge to break out my Altenew Peony Bouquet stamp set.  The inspiration for these cards is this Pinterest pin.  I was enamored by the soft colors of the card and wanted to try a few different techniques.  Here's my result.  I hope you brought a strong cup of coffee or tea, because this post is picture heavy.

I stamped each image using the outline version of the flower and the two different shaped leaves using embossing ink and white embossed the images onto Strathmore watercolor paper.  I did this multiple times on a sheet of paper approximately 5 x 8 in. and scraps leftover from other projects for the leaves.  This is a great way to use up those scraps and make something pretty with them. Each image was watercolored outside the lines using my Mission Gold watercolors.  I used a lot of water and tried not to fuss over where the color moved to.  As such, some of the flowers are prettier than others, but I like them all.  After the watercolor is completely dry, I die cut the images using the matching dies.

For the background, I die cut some Strathmore Bristol paper using my SSS Stitched Rectangles die.  I stamped the sentiment using my Concord and 9th By Your Side stamp and Memento London Fog ink.  I used my MISTI stamp tool to stamp repetitively until I had a crisp, grey sentment. I knew I wanted to watercolor the background so I cut another piece of Bristol paper ;and did a wash of color in each corner of the paper.  This seemed to light and plain, so I splattered some gold watercolor from my Gansi Tambi Starry Colors watercolor set.  That was just the look I was going for.  

My only remaining problem is that the card base was a more brilliant white than the Bristol which is a bit off of white.  I decided to edge the white cardstock base with some of the gold watercolor.  At first I didn't like the "splotchy" nature of the edging, but it has grown on me and now I think it the perfect, sparkly accent to my centerpiece flowers.

This card set is going into the stash and will definitely be a gift to someone in the near future.  I'm so pleased that I see more peonies in my future.  Stay tuned!

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Wendesday Challenge: Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday's Weeks 254 & 255 Anything Goes

Altenew's October Inspiration Challenge - I linked up the yellow flower since the colors fit the inspiration.

Come join the fun!