Embossed Watercoloring with Distress Ink

This week's Color Throwdown #559 color scheme doesn't scream fall, but it still has a fall feel to it, which I love.

 I went with my favorite watercolor technique to create my card. If I am going to watercolor images, I always heat emboss the image before I begin painting. The raised edge of the embossing gives the watercolor a boundary and helps to keep the color inside that space. 

I started with a cream-colored card base. I wanted there to be a subtle pattern to the whole card. The bottom left was going to be so heavily embellished, I felt without a pattern it would feel out of balance. For the background, I laid the Simon Says Stamp Solar Burst Stencil down and sprayed it with Biscotti Perfect Pearls.  

The flowers and navy leaves are from the Simon Says Stamp Delicate Flowers Stamp Set. I stamped them in black ink and then clear embossed them. To add color, I chose two yellow Distress Inks- Scattered Straw and Fossilized Amber and two pinky coral Distress Inks- Tattered Rose and Abandoned Coral. The navy leaves were watercolored with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink. Once I adhered the florals and leaves, I stamped the sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp Thanks and Leaves Stamp Set in Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink and added a few sequins around the sentiment. 

I felt that the florals needed a bit more, so I used jute from Lawn Fawn and a small stamp from the Altenew Beautiful Day Stamp Set to add additional texture.  The small stamped images were embossed and watercolored with Antique Linen Distress Ink sprayed with Biscotti Perfect Pearls. To finish the card I added Biscotti Perfect Pearls to the flower centers, once dry, I coated the flower centers and small cream floral stems with Glossy Accents. 

Love how this color scheme turned out!