Two Cards for Challenges

First up today is a card for the Color Challenge:

There's something kind of muted about those colours that really appeals to me.  Here's my card:

I applied various Distress inks with my Clarity brushes. I'm really happy with the blend of colours. I flicked some water on it to add texture and interest, and when dry, stamped two of the three sentiments. The third sentiment I stamped on a scrap of white cs, die cut it, and threaded ribbon through the die. The panel is bordered with black and popped up on fun foam.

Next up, The Flower Challenge "Use Your Favourite Flower":

Being a keen gardener, I have many favourite flowers so this is my second entry for the challenge (could do many more if I had time!!).  This time I went with poppies:

I love all kinds of poppies.  This image makes me think of the bright orange California poppies that grow in a patch of leftover soil out in my back lane - every year they reseed themselves and look so lovely and cheerful.

I stamped and heat embossed the flowers and sentiment, then watercoloured and splattered with a bit of the orange.  I trimmed the panel and went around the edges with Distress Antique Linen.  For a background panel, I stenciled dots with Antique Linen on white cs, then used a cream cs for the base.  The focal image is popped up on fun foam.  A few stick-on pearls are in the centres of the flowers and scattered among the dots.

Thanks for coming by today!

Supplies for card 1:

Stamps - Chocolate Baroque sentiments

Ink - Archival Jet Black, various Distress inks

Paper - white and black cs

Size - A2

Accessories -  Rebecca Baer stencil, purple ribbon, label die, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:

Stamps - Penny Black poppies, Rosie's Roadshow sentiment

Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Antique Linen

Paper - watercolour paper, white and cream cs

Size - A2

Accessories - detail clear embossing powder, Gansai Tambi watercolour paints, dot stencil, fun foam