I love this stamp set from ‘Altenew’ Spring Daisy. When the image is stamped, it looks like a water colour effect. I tried stamping it in black, but the image was too severe, so I stamped it in grey, and I think it looks better that way. When the centre part is stamped – as it’s a two layer stamp – I found the image was a little too much like a water colour, so I took my water brush to it and added the colour separately.  I like the water colour effect after I have blended the colours a little more. I think it’s softer, especially around the leaves.

I used a masking effect, to make it look like the flowers are in two layers, and the same masking with the leaves I stamped, to look like the leaves are underneath the flowers, again using a little water colouring effect.

The sentiment on the front, and the phrase on the inside, are from another Altenew stamp set.

I sent this card to a couple of friends we had spent New Year’s Eve with, and wrote inside ‘thank you for adding to our collection’……(of happy moments).

I usually don’t do very ‘sweet’ cards, but am finding more and more that a simple card, sent just because you can, for no specific reason, is a great opportunity to make cards, and to send a personal and friendly ‘hello there’ instead of using text messages etc.

I have used this card to enter into the ‘Altenew’ inspiration challenge for January 2017, as the inspiration picture reminded me of spring, with the white and yellow colours, a darker background, and using the Daisy stamp just all seemed to fit.