Wild Hibiscus for Paper Players #314

 

This is such a versatile sketch and I decided that I wanted to make a fairly monochromatic card. Using grey, black and gold.  A very unusual color scheme for me, but I really wanted to highlight my Kuretake watercolor shimmer colors.  I love the fact that you can use these watercolor paints on black cardstock and that they look amazing.

 

I stamped the butterfly from the Altenew Wild Hibiscus set multiple times onto black card stock using the 2nd darkest color of the Kuretake Shimmer paints.  I love the effect that it creates.   I created the sentiment from the Altenew Halftone thanks and added a single gold butterfly cut from my old Stampin' Up! butterfly punch and some gold metallic card stock.  I backed it onto some PTI pale grey card stock and my card was ready.

 

Here's my card:

 

 

Don't you love those shimmery bronze colored butterflies?  I do.   I also really love that watercolors work so well on black!  The open cut of the butterfly stamp from Altenew works really well with the watercolor paints.

 

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

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

On a personal note:

I am so pleased that so many of my team mates – and my readers – commented on my card from last week's Paper Players challenge.   I have to admit that I originally threw this card in the bin and decided not to finish it.  When I first completed the focal layer I thought it was just too bright and it just wasn't working for me.   I set about creating a more muted card and it was a complete and utter muddy disaster.  It was dreadful.   Because I was running against the clock I decided to have a Tim Gunn moment and make the original card work.  I took the water color layer from the bin.  Added a little more water and some more color and then spritzed it and let the inks run.   I did some splatters.  Added the sentiment and decided to walk away from it.   When it dried I was so much happier with it – but still wasn't sure.   So thank you – very much – to all of you who left such positive comments on my card.  It really was so gratifying and encouraged me to play around with the technique a little more.

The weather here has been amazing.  On Wednesday night we had over 9 inches of rain overnight.  The wetland is wet – but holding its own.  However, many areas around us were flooded including major roads and roads surrounding shopping centers.   We didn't take too much of a beating from the 9" of rain – but the woodland is pretty decimated.  The heavy rains and winds took most of the leaves off the trees and flattened what was left of the flowers.  However, that hasn't stopped the flowers from being a favorite place for many of the seed eater birds who are feasting off the seed heads.

Our SapSuckers are still sticking around!  However, they are still spending a lot of time on one of my favorite trees, so we think we are going to have to call in an arborist to check the health of the tree.

I have no idea what this guy is… I think it's a female housefinch

But I absolutely love the look on her face as she caught me trying to photograph her.  Seriously… how cute is that face?

We had so much of this amazing white snakeroot take… well… root… this year.  The prairie was full of it.

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It has the prettiest white flowers – take a look:

The deer will not touch it  – at all.  I found it it was highly toxic to horses, cattle and sheep.  Well, we don't have any of those in our woodlands, so we are happy to let it be.   Especially as multiple bees, moths, etc. love it!   It seems to thrive under wet/moist conditions, especially in shady areas.  It's the first time we have seen it since we started to cultivate our woodland and prairie, so there was obviously something "just right" about the conditions this year.

I'll be back with another card tomorrow.  In the meantime, warm hugs and prayers for those of you who need a little lift tonight.

Hugs

Jaydee

Card recipe:

• Stamps:  Altenew Wild Hibiscus.  Altenew Halftone thanks
• Inks:  Kuretake Shimmer Watercolors
• Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink.  Recollections Black
• Butterfly:  Stampin' Up! mini butterfly punch and gold metallic card stock