My blog is called "Creative Smiles" because my designs are the result of incorporating mistakes. With fumble fingers that drop whatever they are holding - repeatedly, it takes a lot of giggles, smiles and creative patience during my crafting process. xx

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

PSX Botanical Iris {Beautiful Blossoms Challenges} and freebies

 Hello, blogging friends! Thanks so much for visiting! I have an invitation for you -- to join us at the Beautiful Blossoms Challenge beginning today!


We are a
fun "mood-board-inspired" monthly challenge which features Flowers as the main focus.  

 The Mood Board is a starting point, and your artwork is where your imagination takes you! 

 I was inspired by: 

  1. The colors purple, pink and green.
  2. The Iris flower.
  3. The vintage feel of the Bouquet in a Vase.

Both cards feature the same colors with the exception of the shading around the frame, and the shadows around the image. Just that little bit of refinement changes the appearance of both cards!

I'll start off with the backs of the cards. The sentiment below is also being offered to you as a freebie gift in three versions. Just scroll down for it.



I have only made one other Z-fold card. But seeing so many Double-Z Fold fun fold cards recently, I felt inspired to make these simple creations. They are 5x7 size. Here is the front of the dark purple:

It was colored in Copic Markers after being stamped in VersaFine Clair Monarch Purple and heat set in Clear Detail embossing powder. This version is highlighted in the jade colors. On the left side of the card are three torn strips from Coordinations cardstock, which have been dry embossed, sanded and distressed. The image basically hides the details, unfortunately.


I am ashamed to admit this stamp is well over 20 years old and has never been inked. The interior has room for a handwritten message in a frame I doodled:

Next is the same image, colored in the same theme colors, but a lighter card stock, and purples around the edges rather than the jade greens. It completely changes the look of the colored image:

The horizontal green lines are ribbons. The "Double" part of the card has been dry embossed, as has the front left:

These were really fun to color and assemble, AND I learned a lot about coloring, embossing, and testing adhesives prior to using "unused" stash! (giggle)

QUESTION TIME!

When you color an image with any medium, or make a background, or add color to any project...  

do you often wait for several hours or even overnight to see how the colors set? I do that to determine if a strong enough tint was achieved (not that I'm a colorist), or if a few additional touches are needed. But then, I am a very slow crafter, and also have to correct boo-boos the next day (giggle), so I tend to start out too light, and progress to darker hues or tones after. What about you?

Thanks for stopping by. Hoping to see your amazing floral creations in the challenge!

Products: both cards use: PSX K-3131 Botanical Iris Stamp, VersaFine Clair Monarch Purple, Clear Detail embossing powder, Copic Markers, EKSuccess Dragonfly Punch, Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Rectangles S4-317 (one of my first ever SB dies!)       Dark Purple card - Cracked Pistachio Distress ink, Craft Concepts Secret Garden EF, Coordinations Dark Purple "Sandable" cardstock, Dies: Impression Obsession Grass DIE038-J,     Lavender & Green card - Seedless Preserves Oxide, Tattered Lace Victorian Rose EF, Ocean Mist Really Reasonable Ribbon

Freebies - A little late for Spring this year:

My gift to you - Arrangements of the same sentiment for use on the inside or outside of your projects. Please do not sell these Sentiments. Use on any of your projects, including projects involving any design teams you might be on.

Click on the image to bring it to full size. Because of the changes Google Made with Blogger (June 2020), your image will appear to be solid black. Don’t panic. Right click and do a SAVE AS PNG. Once it is saved on your hard drive, you can open it and it will have a transparent background. I create PNGs instead of JPGs so they can be placed anywhere on a scene or project, and so backgrounds can be made using them. Please let me know if you have any problems. I hope they serve you well!

Enjoy!


I would love to paraphrase this to say: Spring Flowers are Winter's Dreams revealed. Do you think that is acceptable, or do you prefer Khalil Gibran's exact and more beautifully poetic words?





this one is for a vertical setup:


Playing in the following fine challenges please!

  1. Worldwide Crafters and Colorists Challenge #6 AG (entry 1 of 3) 7/12
  2. A Perfect Time to Craft #6 AG (check 8/1)

  3. Classic Design Challenge #6 AG 7/1

  4. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2323 AG 7/19

  5. Craft Rocket Challenges #104 Use Dies 7/1 (Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Rectangles S4-317, Impression Obsession Grass DIE038-J multiple times)

  6. Creative Creases
    #59 Anything Goes with a Fun Fold 6/22
  7. Dragonfly Dreams Challenges (June 4 "June") Fancy Folds Challenge 7/1 (both cards are double Z fold cards)
  8. Ally's Angels #71 Anything Goes 7/10
  9. Bastel-Traum Challenges #124 Flowers-Plants 7/15
  10. Craft Rocket Challenges #104 Use Dies (Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Rectangles S4-317 - one of my first ever SB dies! - Impression Obsession Grass DIE038-J)  6/29


hugs,

28 comments:

brenda said...

Beautifully done in such lush colours Donna.

B x

Aimeslee Winans said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Aimeslee Winans said...

Beautiful Blossoms, Teamie! To answer your coloring question, I've never thought about colors setting before, guess I've been lucky with that, because I'm slow enough to have noticed. And I love your interpretation of that quote! Please make when you get a chance! And THANKS for the gorgeous sentiment freebies! XOX

Donna Walls said...

Donna, you have once again stunned me with your gorgeous card. And you are so kind to give us all the Freebie sentiments. Thanks so much for inspiring us all with your card for the Beautiful Blossoms Challenge.
Donna xx

Darlene said...

Both cards are just stunning my friend! What beautiful inspiration you continue to share! Nicely done!

crafty-stamper said...

Both fabulous card and love the beautiful Iris flowers -we have some very old white ones in flower at the moment,they have been in the gargen since my hubby was 2yrs allbeit in a different place but still thriving.
Carol x
Thank you for joining us at Dragonfly Dreams
Carol DT x

crafty-stamper said...

Meant to answer your colour comment-I am not a colourist-too impatient to take time over colouring-I like to colour and done lo not too good with the shading part,my son tries to give me pointers but am a lost cause lol
carol x

Donna said...

Fabulous card, like your z-fold and your coloring is exquisite also!

Chris said...

Gorgeous z fold cards Donna. The Iris stamp is so beautiful in those wonderful shades of deep purple and framed by your lovely designs.
I do sometimes add more colour to an image after I've considered it finished- but only if I finish it in artificial light and it doesn't look good in daylight.
Hugs
xxx

cuilliesocks said...

Absolutely gorgeous card Donna, beautifully coloured and such a pretty floral image, Kate x

Alice (scrAPpamondo) said...

Beautiful folding Donna, and both the cards are so elegant! Well done using that over 20 years old stamp, it's really fabulous and your colouring is just perfect. I go freely without thinking so much about colours, but my colouring skills aren't too much good. My boo boo instead are always SO much! LOL :D
Hugs

KarinsArtScrap said...

Donna you have made beautiful cards

gr karin

Shona Erlenborn said...

These are both gorgeous! I love the sanded, muted effect of the first one's background! I'd never thought about the coloring drying less intense, but it does make sense! The sentiments are beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

Verna Angerhofer said...

Your Iris cards are absolutely beautiful! I love the purple Iris flowers and although I had yellow ones too the purple ones were my favorites! And the frame you chose to show them off is perfect.

KraftyKoolKat said...

Such gorgeous creations inside and out sweetheart. Sorry I am not about much these days, I am doing so much with The S A now days, I have no time for myself. I hope you are OK
Hugs
Cathy
xxxx
.

KraftyKoolKat said...

Sorry sweetie, forgot to say thank you for the freebies.
Hugs
Cathy
xxxx

Regina said...

Donna, your cards look beautiful! I love the colors together!
Thank you for your lovely comment on my blog! I'm your new follower!
sending hugs Regina

Elizabeth Hart said...

Gorgeous card - love the fold and the deep rich purple hues. Thanks so very much for joining us this time at the Dragonfly Dreams Challenge.

Debbie Mageed said...

Absolutely gorgeous card, Donna! Wow! And then you make it a fun fold and take it to a whole new level of gorgeousness!! Thank you for playing with Creative Creases Challenge, and I hope you can join us again soon. We really appreciate your support!
Debbie, DT
Secrets To Stamping

Leslie Miller said...

Before I forget... thank you for sharing this lovely quote with us. You asked and I'm thinking -- "revealed" suggests winter is illustrating what it was dreaming about, and "told" suggests, perhaps, a little more of the story. Ha! Obviously Khalil Gibran is the poet, not me. You have two beautiful cards here, Donna. PSX stamps are timeless. Any little bit of your crafting that shows itself, even if only a peek at the corner, is worthy. You always go the extra mile. As for coloring, I'm ultra-critical of my own coloring but have been slipping lately, which makes me all the more critical. Things that look good with the naked eye don't always look good in a photo, so I need to remember to exaggerate the shading. Six of one, half dozen of the other.

Rae said...

Donna, you've definitely hit the mark with your Beautiful Blossoms. Fold, colors and display... all perfect. Thank you for joining us for Creative Creases Challenge #59. Hope to see you again soon.

Inkyfingers said...

I love the rich colours and beautiful texture on these gorgeous cards, Donna and your colouring is superb! I faff about with my colouring trying to improve it and then often mess it all up and have to start again lol!
Hope you are well.
Hugs
Carol x

Inkyfingers said...

PS I forgot to say thank you for the sentiments - they are just beautiful.

Conniecrafter said...

Little late on commenting, I have been out of state on vacation.
These are both gorgeous, love the coloring on both and like how you have changed up the framing! Like the touch of grass and dragonfly to go with them!
I don't wait to see how the colors set, unless I ran out of time after coloring to put the card together.

https://shinebrightandcreate@blogspot.com/ said...

A beautiful card and love the sentiments too Michelle x

Open Your Heart to Gardening said...

So beautifully made!

Marlene Atkinson said...

A beautiful card. Thank you for sharing with us at World Wide Crafters and Colourists. Marlene DT

wannabcre8tive said...

Wow, this is gorgeous . You have colored it wonderfully. A nice fold and I like the die you chose to showcase the Iris. I notice you have not been around in while,. I hope all is okay.