faux watercolor scene

I used Jen del Muro's sketch challenge as the inspiration for this card...combined with the thought that I needed to make one more card with this saying for my smARTworks design stash. I liked the idea of having a cut out window. A hint for doing this so you can place your image where you want it - I stamped the image on my watercolor paper in Stazon ink *before* stamping the scene. That way I didn't put something really important where it was going to get cut out, and I could frame or plan around the cutout area.

I used Versamagic chalk inks for the flower background. The watercolor look is accomplished by inking the stamps then misting them with water before stamping. I used watercolor paper so the water and colors would absorb without warping my panel...but the technique works on regular cardstock too. There are a couple different smART flower sets represented here: Grow and Darling Duo. I filled in a little green below and the blue in the sky with a watercolor wash. I don't have any sage watercolor paint or pencils, so I swiped my Versamagic sage inkpad on an acrylic block and picked up the color using a waterbrush.

The square is cut out using a Coluzzle template. I stamped the saying on another piece of cardstock and positioned it on the base, attached the ribbon, then mounted the watercolored piece on double-stick foam so it's popped just slightly from the card.