It's Spring at Stinkin' Inkers!

** Two Posts Today - if you are looking for the CCC April Reveal, click here**

When I think of spring, I think of flowers and rain.  We don't get nearly enough rain here in Colorado; by August there is typically a water restriction and everything dies and turns brown.  But, while we CAN water, it's beautiful.  Right now I have tulips popping through all over the place.  This is my first spring in the new house and I am looking forward to seeing what comes up. The theme at Stinkin' Inkers this month happens to be spring so I created this little card, I hope you like it! 

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
White Card Panel
Watercolor Paper
Spellbinders D-Lites Petite Labels One, S3-205
Clean Color Brush Markers (Zig) in Carmine red, Pink, Blue, Orange, Violet, Green, Yellow & Cobalt Blue
Hero Arts MMK February 2017
Distress Ink in Pumice Stone and Hickory Smoke
Hero Arts Intense Black Ink
Green Card Scrap
Pop Dots
Craft Mat (enabler alert!!)
Detail Water Brush

I used the kit from February that Hero Arts sent out (My Monthly Kit) - I've been so busy, this is the first time I've had to use it!  If you are on Pinterest there are some amazing examples on how designers have used the kit; so inspirational!  Anyway, the first step for me was getting the white card panel (it was sized 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" because I knew I'd have to cut it down to fit onto the front of my card base) all set.  I stamped the clouds using hickory smoke and the rain using pumice stone.  There isn't much difference between the two but when they were wet they looked different.  I used my craft mat and smooshed some pumice stone onto it, then used my water brush to pick up the ink and filled in the clouds. I then stamped the 2 small clouds on watercolor paper (again, using hickory smoke) and used the pumice stone to fill them in.  I trimmed the white panel and die cut the clouds from the watercolor paper.

I stamped the little girl with the umbrella onto watercolor paper as well using the intense black ink; I knew I wasn't going to watercolor her, but the texture just grabs the color so nicely and the intense black ink is truly intense! This was

my first time using it and I will be keeping it on my desk for further use.  I used my clean color markers to color her and the umbrella (I have to confess, I set out the primary colors from the marker set and, as I colored in the umbrella, I realized there were more sections to it than I had colors! I had to improvise and pull out the violet and cobalt blue,) let her dry a bit and die cut her.  I saw a die cut in the kit that I wasn't exactly sure how to use.  Thank goodness that people post their

Another Peek

creations and due to that I figured out it was a mountain! Well, I made the mountain a hill, die cut out of green for a pop more of color.  

Lastly, I stamped the sentiment on some light gray cardstock I found in my stash.  I then die cut it using the Spellbinders die.  I wasn't sure how this card was going to work but I really like the outcome.  The colors are so vibrant and the pop dots are the perfect embellishment.  I hope you consider entering the challenge at Stinkin' Inkers this month. It's a just for fun, low pressure challenge, and my teammates are extraordinary.  Thank you so much for reading my tutorial.  Come back soon! Fondly, Christi

I am entering my Spring Card in the following challenges:
Crafty Calendar Challenge - M, April Showers/Spring
Pammie's Inky Pinkies - Anything Goes
613 Avenue - M, #196, Spring Has Sprung
Penny Black & More - M, April Challenge - Spring
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - The Great Outdoors