A Springtime Thank You!

Hello Everyone!

I hope where you live you are seeing positive signs of spring!  Not so where I live after 2 wild snowstorms!  But, I have faith that spring will get here soon!

Today I wanted to share with you how I created this beautiful Spring Thank You card using digital stamps from Wyxzyt Digitalstamps.  It's easier than you think!

The supplies I used:

• White A2 card base
• Sentiment Stamp - mine was from The Ton - Thanks a Bunch
• Roses digistamps from Wyxzyt Digistamps (Wyxzytdigistamp on Etsy) - I used all 3 different rose images
• Printer
• White cardstock
• Stamp Positioning tool
• Embossing ink
• Anti-static powder bag/tool
• Heat tool
• Gold superfine embossing powder
• Scissors
• Foam Tape/squares
• Alcohol ink colorless blender pen
• Black Brush Marker
• Glue
• 3 Shade of green cardstock  - Light, medium & dark ( used patterned paper)
• Leaf dies (I used one set of mirror image leaf dies)
• Berry sprigs/branches die
• Gold mirriboard
• Sequins from Doodles Paper Playground - Spring Fling Mix

Colored pencils: Faber-Castel polychromos in the following colors: #225 dark red, #107 cadmium yellow, #124 rose carmine, #111 cadmium orange, #115 dark cadmium orange, #125 purple...just a note that any wax-based colored pencils, like Prismacolor, would work just as well for this technique.

The first step is to computer print the rose images on white cardstock.  I sized my images so they would be between 3/8" and 1".  I repeated them so I had at least 6 of each image.

Then I colored the roses.  I used the lighter colors for the outer edge of the petals and the darker ones for shading near the centers.  I used a variety of color combinations: pinks/purples, yellow/orange/red, yellow/pink/red, pink/red, yellow/red.  After all of the color was done I blended it with the alcohol colorless blender pen.  I didn't color the images in very solid.  I was more concerned that I had the color up to the edges and in the right place so there would be a nice gradation of color.  I blended them going into the lightest color first and blending towards the dark color.

Next I cut the roses out right up to the black outline.  These are not complicated shapes so the cutting went along quite quickly.  When I was done, I ran a black brush marker along the edge.  

I die-cut out all of my other bits at this point.  My leaf dies are mirror images of each other and I die-cut 2 each of the 3 green papers.  I also used a berry branch and pine bough die and cut those out of the gold mirri-board.  Here are all of my pieces ready to assemble:

Before assembling, I stamped the sentiment onto the card, but first I traced a circle die in pencil so I would have a guide as to where to put my sentiment and also where to adhere all my bits so I would come out with a nice round wreath.  I adhered the 2 darkest leaves first. Then the medium green ones were cut in half before placing them down.  And the lightest/brightest ones I cut into 3rds.  So when I was done gluing them down, it looked like this:

Next, I tucked in the roses, popping up the biggest ones on foam tape.  The others I laid in and around always mindful of how the colors looked.  I ended up using all but one of the roses I colored.  Then I cut both berry branches into much smaller sections and tucked those in around as well.  I topped it off with pretty sequins!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.  There could be so many variations to this.  Put your own spin on it and see what a beautiful spring wreath you can make!

In next week's post I'll be giving my review of the new Stamping' Up Stamparatus and there will be a giveaway!  Don't miss out!

Have a great week!...and remember...it's only paper!

Betsy