Hi friends! It's one week until Valentine's Day and my craft room has been a flurry of hearts and flowers lately! I really got into Valentine's Day this year for some reason. Made lots of cards and had fun doing it too! I am also inspired by the 30 Day Coloring Challenge which is really making me think, and getting me to create something each day. It's leading to all kinds of fun. I'm rediscovering some of my older stamps and dies and trying new/old techniques. This card I'm sharing today took on a life of it's own last weekend. I thought - I'll just mess around with these cool roses dies. Well, before you know it, I was doing all kinds of Instagram stories and water coloring and inking and distressing and embossing...Oh my! And a card was born. I love it when that happens... When creativity takes it's own organic pathway. Something cool usually emerges. So today's card is a "more is more' creation full of techniques and stuff. It was a labor of love - literally! Ha! This post has lots of pictures, and I also saved the Instagram stories of my step by step process if you want to see that too. Let's go!
Here is my finished vintage Valentine inspired card!
The finished card is an A2 size white card base. I covered the top of the card with red cardstock. This way, the inside of the card will be white. Then I layered an embossed layer, then the heart, then the roses and love die! This card is heavy! Gonna need some extra postage for this one! LOL. I used loads of distress inks to 'vintage' it up. It was fun!! The roses are in pieces (you'll see later in the post) and I watercolored them, and the leaves. Like I said - SO FUN!
Here's a close up side view of the roses and leaves. Here you can see all the different layers. I glued them together using quick dry clear glue.
In this side view you can see all the card layers. The love die was glued on at each end and left 'free' in the center to float over everything else.
I looooooove these Tim Holtz Ideaology charms! This bird was perfect for a love letter!!
Each rose has four die cut pieces. I watercolored them in shades of dusty pink/rose. One rose is dark in the center and gets lighter and the other one is the opposite. I was experimenting to see which one I liked the best. I die cut all the pieces out of watercolor paper so they would stand up to my coloring. When they're dry, you glue them together! It's magic.
Here are my roses and leaves before all the splattering and distressing! The leaves are in two die cut pieces before you glue them together.
I splattered the roses and leaves with Vintage Photo Distress Ink mixed with water. Then I used a sponge and inked around the edges. YUUUMMMMM.
Now on to the card... I die cut a heart out of watercolor paper. I used the Tim Holtz Random Quotes stamp set because one of the stamps is a love letter in pretty script! It was perfect! I tried two different ones because I didn't like the first one - it was toooo blurry. On the blurry one, I sprayed the heart paper with water first and then stamped into it. For the second one, the one that I ended up using, I inked the stamp, then sprayed the stamp with water, then stamped onto dry paper. Just the right amount of 'messiness' for this project.
The next step was to ink up the heart and splatter it! (Of course)
I had this cool embossing folder from We R Memory Keepers in my stash. It looks like old wallpaper to me! I embossed it onto watercolor paper. Then I used Distress Inks and water to water color each of the roses! LOVE!!! Then I distressed the edges and inked everything up. Doesn't it look like I just peeled it off the wall of an old house!!??
Now it was finally time to assemble! I glued on all the pieces with glue and foam tape! Then I added a few pearls! I'm now thinking that instead of a Valentine, this might make a great wedding card?!
And some random photos of stuff! The light was so pretty the day I was photographing this project!!
If you're still reading along - yay! It was a long post! I was so excited to share this with you! Hope you have a lovely day! It's almost the weekend! XOXO
SUPPLIES FOR TODAY!
Just stumbled across your card on Pinterest, can I just say GOR-JUSS!!! This card is absolutely perfect, the right amount of vintage and roses and watercolor. I love everything about your card Wanda! I can't wait to use some of your techniques!
Posted by: Lisa | 04/07/2019 at 05:24 PM
This card is STUNNING!! I love everything about it. The distressed edges, the colors, the embossing folder of the flowered ‘wallpaper”, the four layered water colored die cut roses, SWOON!! Love, love, love this card. Thank you for the inspiration!!
Posted by: Veronica Fairbrother | 02/12/2019 at 01:57 AM
So gorgeous!!
Posted by: Dorlene | 02/10/2019 at 06:06 PM
Absolutely beautiful! Wonderful techniques to try.
Posted by: Rosa M. Vasquez | 02/09/2019 at 10:01 PM
So wonderful!! Love that stamp from Tim Holtz.
Posted by: Anne Sturgeon | 02/08/2019 at 05:52 PM
OH MY GOODNESS...........you are amazing! This card is FABULOUS!!!
Posted by: Marisela Delgado | 02/08/2019 at 02:38 PM
That card is absolutely stunning! Thank you so much for the detailed steps you shared showing how you created this masterpiece - it is truly lovely :-)
Posted by: Jo Anne Malicoat | 02/08/2019 at 03:35 AM
OMG Wanda!!! This is SOOO ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!!! There is so much GORGEOUS-NESS & FANTA-BULOUS-NESS just radiating from this card!!! Wherever did the inspiration for this card come from??? I love every detail in this card!!!!! And you're so right, this was a gorgeous day to take pictures!!! They are SO CLEAR!!!
Posted by: Jennifer Hovermale | 02/07/2019 at 07:36 PM
What a magical card! You should be so proud of this! Every element is perfect!
Posted by: Julie L | 02/07/2019 at 12:11 PM
Simply beautiful! I would buy a pretty frame and hang it in my bedroom.
Posted by: Martha H. | 02/07/2019 at 08:05 AM
Love all the layers and colors, really beautiful.
Posted by: Nancy Hassan | 02/07/2019 at 07:48 AM
Sorry Wanda... not a card - it's a masterpiece!! and belongs in one of those really chunky ornate gilded gold frames!!! LOve Tim's love letter - indeed perfect!
=]
Posted by: Michele | 02/07/2019 at 06:53 AM
This is just stunning, Wanda. And yes, would make the perfect wedding card. I like the dark rose and of course, the birdie. Love all the distressing and the 'wallpaper'! lol
Posted by: Becca Yahrling | 02/07/2019 at 04:46 AM