Well it's a lovely sunny spring day here in the UK today - what a lovely start to the week! As promised, I have another watercolour for you today - this time using the colours over at Colour Me...! and this week's Paper Craft Crew sketch:

Isn't that a pretty colour palette? I thought these colours were perfect for a soft and pretty, rather feminine card and perfect for some watercoloured roses - take a look:

I used Pistachio Pudding for my base and front, with a layer of Blushing Bride in between, then watercoloured a circle of watercolour paper with a blend of all three colours and my aquapainter, using one of the diecuts from the Artisan Embellishments kit as a stencil. The flower outlines aren't perfect yet I like this - I think it adds to the overall effect. I finished with a pierced border, a Blushing Bride rose cut from the trim that is also included in the kit, a thick baker's twine bow and a flag in rose red and a couple of banners, one of which I stamped with the 'love' from the 'Hello Life' stamp set - a perfect fit and it just so happened to be out on my desk from another project. 

If you would like to recreate this card, don't forget the Artisan Embellishment kit is on offer this week as one our Wednesday Weekly Deals - you can pick one up for just £6.71 and there are lots more bits and pieces in there too, including some rather lovely Blackberry Bliss velvet trim!

I'll be back tomorrow with lots of exciting news - tomorrow is the day that the Stampin' Up! retiring list launches - all of the products that will not be carrying over to the new annual catalogue, including the 2013-15 in-colours will be announced. Many of these products will then be available at a discounted price, only whilst stocks last. So do pop back then to check it out! 

Until then - happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

6 X 9 Watercolor Paper	Aqua Painter	Artisan Embellishment Kit	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Circles Collection Framelits Dies
Hello Life Photopolymer Stamp Set	Banner Punch	Paper-Piercing Tool	Stampin' Pierce Mat	Pistachio Pudding Thick Baker's Twine
Rose Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Rose Red A4 Card Stock	Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Pad	Card Stock A4 Blushing Bride	Pistachio Pudding Classic Stampin' Pad
Card Stock A4 Pistachio Pudding

Today I have not one but two cards for you! Both cards fit this week's colour challenge over at Pals Paper Arts, where there is a gorgeous colour palette to work with this week:

I absolutely love this colour combination and couldn't wait to create something pink and pretty with it. Here is my first card:

I layered the colours in two sections and in the central section used one of the lovely rose die cut panels from the Artisan Embellishment kit as a stencil and stencilled the roses in the two shades of pink, adding in touches of Basic Grey for the flower leaves. These die cuts are so beautiful - it's a shame there are only two in the kit! Here's a close up of the sponged area:

The form of the roses is just so pretty I think and looks really beautiful. I added a bow in luxurious silver satin ribbon and stamped my sentiment on the wide mat layer of Pink Pirouette, stamped in Versamark and heat embossed in pewter. This card is full of romance, but I think it would work equally well as a birthday card.

My second card today uses exactly the same colour palette, but is altogether a more clean and simple affair. This week the team over at Less is More is celebrating its 4th birthday and have a colour challenge of 'pink and grey'. Here is my card for this week's challenge:

My card started out as a two-tone pink and grey affair, with an inlaid split sentiment - I die cut the word 'love' using my Little Letters thinlits, then did the same with the cardstock the other way around top and bottom in order that I could paper-piece the reverse colours into the negative space. The more I looked at it though, the more it needed a little something else - I toyed with a scrap of Rose Red that sat on my desk leftover from the first card and the addition of the tiny heart with a tiny sparkle was just what it needed. You can see the detail of the die cut and inlaid letters below:

Congratulations to Chrissie and the team on their 4th birthday - you are an awesome bunch who run a most successful weekly challenge and are truly an inspiration. 

I'll be back tomorrow with another card; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Card 1: 

Artisan Embellishment Kit	Hello Life Photopolymer Stamp Set	Pink Pirouette Classic Stampin' Pad	Pink Pirouette A4 Card Stock	Rose Red Classic Stampin' Pad
Rose Red A4 Card Stock	Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad	Basic Gray A4 Card Stock	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad
Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool - Uk Plug	Silver 5/8" Satin Ribbon

Pink Pirouette A4 Card Stock	Rose Red A4 Card Stock	Basic Gray A4 Card Stock	Little Letters Thinlits Die	Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack
Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents