Thankful Sunflowers

Monday greetings, all! Hope you are doing well. I've had an ill-filled weekend, unfortunately. Finally got the medical ok to get the Covid jab, so got to do that Friday and at various times been battling chills, nausea, a bit of the runs, lethargy and a need for lots of sleep. I was able to do a little crafting to make my DT deadlines and just have a GD spot make to finish, then I can breathe a bit. I'm thankful to have these assignments, as they have kept me trying to focus on something other than my issues. Today has been an improvement on the weekend ailments, but I awoke with the sciatica screaming for attention and it's been one of those can't-get-comfortable days. I rotate the heating pad, gentle stretching and trying to not hear the screaming, LOL. 

At any rate, I realized I do have something to share with you in the meantime. I'd put this up under the ceiling fan in another room for the Stickles to dry several days ago. Honey asked me if I'd forgotten it. LOL, 😏yes. It began as a way to use some leftovers from previous projects on a card. The checkerboard is from a Gecko Galz collage sheet and the sunflowers are a Sandi's Samples digital image. I've added some green designer paper from Basic Grey's Sublime 12x12 collection (plus another sheet on the back). 

I chose Splitcoaststampers Sketch SC525 for my design mainly because of the arrangement of layers #2 and #3, as this would let me use the Gina Marie A2 vertical Wildflower cover plate die (with an A2 embossing folder underneath) and the horizontal Sandi's Samples digital image of sunflowers on top. However, I originally wanted to make a square card, so I stretched the sketch out on the sides a bit. Then, I decided I wanted to make it a hanging deco so the square card is on a 7x8" thin cardboard base. And element #2 on my piece is at an angle. So, suffice it to say that I did not follow the sketch religiously...more like very loosely. But to me, it looked better so that's where I went with it.

I edge-distressed the green BG pieces except for the top horizontal layer beneath the sunflowers digi. For that layer, I ran it through my Cbug inside a Darice Stripes embossing folder. It cracked the paper making squiggly little lines which then made it too delicate to edge-distress. I added trios of dull purple gems from my stash to each side edge and stuck in a couple of leftover Elizabeth Craft die strawberry vines. The Thankful sentiment is a Papertrey Ink die cut from white card twice, then glued together and adhered with dimensionals. The sunflowers digi was colored using my Zig Clean Color watercolor brush pens scribbled onto an acrylic stamp block and picked up with a wet paintbrush. The centers of the flowers are covered with Cinnamon Stickles (which is what was needing to dry under the ceiling fan). The fibers and ribbon at top are from my Black Hole of Stash.

Close-up of the middle section: I used a Gina Marie Wildflowers cover plate die to cut a sheet of TH Distress Watercolor card. Then I water colored the flowers going for an abstract look. How's about that Sennelier Orange, eh? It's like my favorite watercolor paint color, so I had to use it. The die cut flowers had to hold their own against the background behind them. Speaking of which...

Here's a close-up of that background. I took another sheet of TH Distress Watercolor card (rough side). For each color I used, I loaded my dry brush heavily with watercolor paint and quickly brushed one stroke in multiple places. Then after it dried, I went back over it with Twinkling H2O watercolors using a wet brush. I let that dry, then ran it through my Cuttlebug inside the Floral Screen embossing folder. I absolutely 💓LOVE💓 how this came out. The subtle embossed texture is really cool, as are the colors.

For the back, I raided my BG Sublime scraps, really just needing to cover my ribbon line at top. The checkerboard is some ancient 7G gaffer tape. 

And a final view. I just ordered some silk sunflowers for my entry foyer table and this will go quite nicely beside them as part of that display. I'm really pleased with how this came out and am happy I opted for something I get to keep! 😍 

Thanks so much for visiting today and until next time, please be well and craft-happy! xoxo

MY CHALLENGE PLAYLIST:

Splitcoaststampers Sketch SC525

Double D Challenge: Sunflowers

Art Journal Journey: My Favorite Color is October

More Mixed Media October: AG + Opt. Orange

MAWTT #135: Bingo Board 

I chose top row across & also left column down

Die Cut Divas October: AG w/Die Cut or EF

Dies used: Gina Marie, Elizabeth Craft, PTI; EF's used: CBug, Darice

Sweet Stampers #62: Autumn or Halloween

Country View October Challenge: Autumnal Colours or Halloween

Star Stampz #27: Halloween, Autumn or Thanksgiving

ABMTTC #146 Oct/Nov: AG

ABMTTCXtra #October: AG

Happy Little Stampers October WC: AG

I used Zig Clean Color watercolor brush markers and regular water colors and Twinkling H2O's

Happy Little Stampers October AG with Dies

Dies used: Gina Marie, Elizabeth Craft, PTI

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge Week 41: AG w/Colouring

I used Zig Clean Color watercolor brush markers and regular water colors and Twinkling H2O's

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #168: AAG

My Time to Craft #468: Halloween or Fall

Paint Party Friday Week 32, Year 11 Check In

613 Avenue Create #11 October 2021: AG

The Creative Crafters #45: AAG

We Love 2 Create MM #10: AMMG