Simon Says Stamp Beautiful Flowers (How I turn my hot mess into a beautiful card)

Today I am using the gorgeous Simon Says Stamp Beautiful Flowers Stamp set. I am absolutely in love with these flowers and the versatility of this set.

I am also going to show you how I make a mess....and then clean it up.

I start by using a standard A2 base (5 1/2" x 4 1/4") using Strathmore Bristol Smooth Cardstock in 100lb. I use my Tim Holtz Tonic Stamp Platform to stamp the large Beautiful Flowers image using Versafine Black Onyx...this is my first mistake! I should have used Memento ink in Tuxedo Black because I am colouring with Copic markers and I don't want the stamped image to bleed or smudge...I tried heat setting the Versafine to see if that would help set the ink.

I grabbed my Copic markers and started colouring my image. I am using 3 different shades from each colour family (pinks, purses and yellows). When I moved my hand during the colouring process I smudged the ink. But that is okay....I can fix that later! I continued colouring the images and during the last flower I dropped my yellow Copic marker onto the card base and got yellow where I didn't want it! UHG!! Now what!!?? I tried lifting the colour with the colourless blender. That did not work...so, I continued colouring the image and started brain storming some solutions because let's be honest, I am not going to waste good craft supplies and start over!

Once the colouring is finished I bring back my stamp platform (thankfully, I did not remove the stamp yet) and inked the stamp up again using my Versamark ink and stamped over the image again. Slight mistake #2....I forgot to use an antistatic tool before stamping with Versmark. This is not a huge problem, I will use a brush to clear away any excess embossing powder from my card. I then heat embossed the newly inked image with Recollections clear fine embossing powder and heat set it. This give a bit of an "edge" around my image that will come in handy when I use my next technique.

I grab my Distress ink cube in Mermaid Lagoon and stamp it on my Tonic Glass Media Mat and using a Water colour brush I grab some of the Mermaid Lagoon from the media mat and start painting it all around the image. The clear embossing now acts as a bit of a barrier so that the watercolour does not flow overtop of the stamped/coloured image.

Once I get the small detailed areas done I will grab a larger flat brush to finish off the background. Now, this gets rid of or "hides" the black smudges...but, it does nothing for the yellow Copic smudge. This is where I grab another Distress ink cube in twisted citron and I will stamp it on the media mat again, pick it up with the water colour brush and use an acrylic block to splatter some of that ink onto the background and dry it with my heat gun. Voila!!! It now looks intentional and you cannot see where the marker is!

Now I am ready for the sentiment. I lay out my sentiments on my stamp platform and use my T-ruler to make sure they are straight. This time I remembered to use my antistatic tool!! I will again use the Versamark ink and will heat emboss using Recollections gold embossing powder and heat set that.

To finish off the card I used Buttons Galore and more Sparkletz ice embellishments and adhering those down with some Gina K Connect Glue and trimmed down the panel. I then adhered that on to a craft (light brown) A2 side folding card and stamp a coordinating envelope.

The second card I made I used my antistatic tool and stamped the same large floral image with Versamark ink on dark navy blue cardstock cut down to a 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" base.

I then used Recollections Silver embossing powder and heat set.

I coloured the images in using my Staedler coloured pencils. I started with the white to lay a base layer and then chose 2 shades of pink, yellow and orange. I coloured the darker colour first and then blended it out with the lighter colour. I also used some mineral spirits and a blending stumps to smooth the pencil colouring out.

I lined up the sentiments again using my T-ruler to ensure they were straight and stamped again with Versamark and this time used Ranger Snow white fine detail embossing powder and heat set.

I finished the card by attaching it to an A2 side folding care and embellished with some half-round imitation pearls from Aliexpress and some sequins I picked up at my local dollar store. I also stamped a coordinating envelope.

And that is it! Here is the finished card.