Peony Bouquet for Paper Players #305

Hi Everyone.

It's the fabulous LeAnne's turn to host our Paper Players challenge this week and she has a great sketch for us:

I was really inspired by this sketch.  I wanted to make something clean and simple and that meant not using DSP, instead I decided to use a stencil to create the vertical element at the back of the focal image.

I started with a piece of Neenah White card stock and a small stencil from Simon Says Stamp.  I masked off the area that I needed and then went to work with my Clarity brushes and some Weathered Wood distress ink.  I love the blue/grey look of this specific color and knew that it would be a good backdrop to ground the very bright colors I was planning to use for the focal image.

Once the stenciling was complete, I started work on the triple image stamping for the flower, but wasn't quite finished.  I then used some Faber Castell pencils to add more detailing on the flower and stamped the sentiment.  All I had to do was assemble the card.

Here's my finished card:

I didn't have a card base that had that same blue grey color, so I colored the outer edges of the Neenah Solar White base, so used the same Weathered Wood distress ink to create a distressed colored edge and then mounted the focal layer on top of that, along with three silver sequins.

I hope you will join us this week.  If you are looking for some inspiration, you have to look no further than the fabulous cards from our design team:

• Claire
• Joanne
• Leanne
• Laurie
• Nance 
• Sandy
• Linda
• Hannelie
• Colleen

On a personal note:

Well, it was another warm, muggy and humid day yesterday.  Air temp was 100.6 in our neck of the woods – and much warmer with the heat indices.  Luckily it was wet and rainy for most of the day.  So rainy in fact that we had 3 inches of rain.  The wetland is certainly enjoying that 🙂

I have a couple of photos for you tonight, including one of our masked marauder:

These guys are so incredibly intelligent, although they do love jelly almost more than the Orioles do.  We have to make sure we bring the jelly in before Rocky gets to it, otherwise we hear clattering and banging on the deck as he devours the jelly and then drops the little containers they come in.

Something else that enjoys the oranges that we provide – along with the jelly – are the butterflies.  I saw the Monarch trying to compete with the wasps/bees and he was taking refuge just under the feeder:

We have planted so many pollinator plants, but still so so few Monarchs – or butterflies in general.  It still saddens me that the nurseries and home DIY stores continue to sell plants that contain neurotoxin pesticides that are killing the very pollinators they are attracting.  It's taken years for the EPA to finally admit that the massive amount of deaths of bees is a result of neonicotinoids. 

Keeping these toxins out of our gardens is important not just to the pollinators – but to the food that we eat.  So much of our food still relies on pollinators.  Here are a few of the plants that rely on pollinators: Almonds, apples, apricots, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupes, cashews, coffee, cranberries, cucumbers, eggplants, grapes, kiwis, mangoes, okra, peaches, pears, peppers, strawberries, tangerines, walnuts and watermelons.  If you are looking at those wonderful plants hanging in your local DIY store or nursery,  all I can ask is that you think about looking somewhere else – somewhere these toxins are not used.   If we all do our little bit – we can continue to see the bees and other pollinators that so many of us love to see in our garden. Just like this guy – I managed to capture him in flight just about to drink from the bergamot (bee balm)

Well, I am off back to my craft room to make a few cards – and also take a walk around the garden to see what I can find to photograph for you.  I'll be back with another card in a couple of days.  In the meantime warm hugs and prayers for those of you who need a little lift tonight.

Hugs

Jaydee

Card recipe:

• cardstock:  Neenah Solar White
• Stamps:  Sentiment – Avery Elle Bold Butterflies; flower – Altenew – Peony Bouquet
• Stencil:  Simon Says Stamp
• Inks:  Distress Inks – Tim Holtz.