Monday, May 16, 2016

Orchid Flourish with Feathers: ColourQ #341 / Retrosketch #215

Good morning!  It's been a beautiful weekend here,
ups and downs included but altogether really refreshing.
The only thing to make it better might have been if I were up to some serious
garden work and could have planted something...preferably something BIG,
like an heirloom fruit tree.
But as-is, I'll have an extra year to do my research and make plans for the orchard.
 
 
I was also DELIGHTED by my first-ever VERY positive blog hop
experience, meeting some incredibly talented artists and discovering
a classy and oh-so-tasteful digital stamp design company,
She hasn't asked, but I thought I'd let you know that she's running a promotion
on her Etsy shop right now for any 3 stamp sets for $8.50.
Her designs remind me very much of the classy botanicals made by Flourishes
a number of years ago.  I see a lot in common with Gracie's style and Marcella Hawley's,
but Gracie brings a lot that's specially all her own.
I look forward to creating with some of her images soon.
It didn't hurt that I got lucky on that hop, but really I felt treated from the start.

 
Now on to this morning's card, inspired primarily by a couple of favorite challenges.


I masked off the diagonal area for the stamped splatters so as to keep them more controlled.
 

 
 

 
  (OKAY, I offset the sentiment.  I'll behave next time...)
 
 
 
 
At least once a year DH brings me an orchid.  Often it's on Valentine's day
in order to keep from getting in trouble, but the point is they are always lovely.
Breathtaking.  The room I place an orchid in ALWAYS feels more sophisticated.
Yet try as I may to read all the tutorials and do all the repotting steps and fertilizing,
they just do not survive.
I can get other plants to live... usually. 
Yet orchids are like another world entirely,
a world I have not been privileged to enter.
Orchids have been historical troublemakers, even--
have shaped the fate of individuals and
regions and nations.  Divas of the botany world, I tell you.  Divas.
 
At least these paper ones, made using a Spellbinders die set from JoAnn's,
won't need any special TLC.
 

If you love botany and you love reading, may I very highly suggest
Vanilla: A Cultural History
 
 Materials Used on this Card:
Cardstock {Rustic white - Papertrey Ink}
Stamps {Snow spatter - Altenew; Feathers - Art C}
Dye inks {Harvest Gold and Berry Sorbet - Papertrey Ink}
Clear superfine embossing powder {Ranger}
Spellbinders flower-builder Orchid dies
Feather dies {Art C}
Copics (to color orchid details)
Kraft sentiment sticker and pearl flourishes {The Paper Studio}
Cotton twine
Corner rounder {Martha Stewart}

 
 
Thank you for visiting today and I hope you will
enter for my Spring Giveaway before you go!
Inlinkz is so quick and I've opened the giveaway to both US and
International crafters as well.
Picture and link are on my right-hand sidebar. :)

Take care,
Be well,
and enjoy the sunshine,

--Kathryn
 
 

8 comments:

  1. Now I see that paper orchids are just as lovely as real ones! What a beautiful design with the splatters, the elegant orchids and the pearl accents. Thanks for joining us at colourQ!

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  2. Glorious Orchids and great background splatters, many thanks for sharing your pretty card with us at FSC this month.

    B x

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  3. Love your stripe of splatters! Great take on the sketch. Your flowers are super too! <3

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  4. Wow, your card is fantastic. Noble and splatters...ingenious. I love it.
    Thank you for sharing at FSC.
    Greetings Carola

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  5. I have the same problem with live orchids, Kathryn. Glad to know I'm not the only one. However, if I could do paper orchids as lovely as the ones you've made, I'd not worry about the live ones ever again! Beautiful card and delightful orchids. Love the 3D effect.

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  6. A fabulous creation! I love the orchids! Thanks for joining us at Stamping sensations this month and good Luck!

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  7. This is so pretty! Thanks for joining us at Stamping Sensations.
    Pinky

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  8. This is such an elegant card, Kathryn. I adore how you've created the flowers and teamed them with the other dreamy elements. Thanks for joining us at Simply Create Too Challenge Blog. Janelle (DT) :)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comments -- they add an extra smile to my day. I hope yours is happy and bright as well, no matter where you are visiting from!

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