Happy Thursday!  I have Stamp Club here Saturday afternoon, and I’m trying to come up with ideas.  Because my mother is attending this month, and bringing a friend, I feel the pressure to make club special.  Now my mother is NOT a stamper!  I’ve tried to get her interested over the years and feel it is something she would enjoy.  She’s quite artistic and has an excellent eye.  Her friend she is bringing, IS a stamper.  She normally attends a stamp club somewhere else.  After seeing some of my cards that I’ve given mom, she has decided she wants to learn some of the things that I do.  No pressure there . . . .

I have had one idea in mind, and then when I saw the Ways to Use It Challenge on Splitcoast this morning, I knew exactly what one of my projects would be.  The challenge today is to use watercolor paper.  Now if you know me, and have followed my stamping for a while, you know that one of my favorite techniques is stamping on wet watercolor paper.  I may have bit off a bit more than I (or they) can chew, but hey . . . they are experienced stampers (well, except Mom).

Anyhoo, here’s the card that I will use as a sample for their project.  I will give them some leeway, like the sewing and maybe the initial background.  Those items will be their option.

Starting with my watercolor paper, craft sheet and Distress Inks, I created a background for the stamping.  I swiped a line of Broken China, Spiced Marmalade and Mustard Seed down my craft sheet, misted the ink with water, and then laid my paper into the ink mixture.  To dry the first layer of color I used my craft iron and ironed over the watercolor paper.  I continued this process until I had the desired color I wanted for the background.  Because I would be using more water, SU En Francais was stamped in Ranger Archival Coffee.  The stamps from Inspired by Nature were then inked, misted with water and stamped on of everything else.  I misted the grass a tiny bit to make it appear more in the background before I stamped the flowers.  For the finishing touch to this layer, I scored 1″ lines on the back of the panel and then highlighted the score lines and the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

The sentiment was stamped on watercolor paper that I had inked with Broken China Distress Ink.  The sentiment was then die cut using Petite Oval Nestabilities (the detail of the embossing on the watercolor paper is amazing).  A Tim Holtz Trinket Pin was slipped through the sentiment to hold my bow.

• Stamps: En Francais and Inspired by Nature from Stampin’ UP!
• Paper: Canson Watercolor; Prism Vibrant Teal; SU Old Olive
• Ink: Ranger Archival Coffee, and Spiced Marmalade, Broken China, Mustard Seed, Vintage Photo Distress; SU Riding Hood Red, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip
• Accessories: Sewing Machine; Spellbinders Petite Oval Nestabilities; Scor-Pal; Ranger Mini Mister, Craft Sheet, Inkssentials Blending Tool, Glossy Accents; Tim Holtz idea-ology Long Fasteners and Trinket Pin; SU Corner Punch, Stampin’ Write Markers and Riding Hood Red Ribbon; Clover Craft Iron; Venture Foam Tape

I suppose that’s all I have today.  Actually, the mailman just came and delivered this huge box of alterables that I ordered from eclectic Paperie . . . Oh My BADness . . . stamp club projects are going to have to wait just a bit longer!  Goodies galore!!!!!