My TicTacToe Challenge Card

Good Morning Ladies,

After a lot of procrastinating I finally got a Challenge card made, I wasn't sure which of the Categories to go for this time, so I rifle through my stamps (some of which are still unopened)!
I decided on this Honey Doo Flower & Butterfly Flourish stamp, I chose it partly because it has two of the three categories I needed.
I started by smooshing some 'Wilted Violet' Distress Oxide onto my glass mat, spritzed it with water and used it to create my 'Watercolour' background, I dried it with my heat gun and then trimmed it to 41/4  x 51/2 inch, I then put it into my stamperatus and inked up the stamp with Versafine Onyx Black, I use Versafine for any image that has solid black areas (like the leaves on this stamp) as it's quite a wet ink and gives really good coverage, although I will say that the ink does seem to soak into the Distress Oxide ink, I wanted to emboss the image so it stood out, so I had the lid off my Clear Embossing powder ready to tip it straight onto the wet ink as it dries quite fast, I heat set the powder and set my topper to one side.  I stamped the image again onto white card and vellum so that I could layer up the flowers, I embossed those too as it helps with fussy cutting, I used a finger dauber to add the Wilted Violet to the front of the card flowers and back of the vellum. I fussy cut them all, gave them a little shape and layered them up ready to go on my card.
I backed my stamped topper with some black card and then coloured the next mat with the same Ink and Layered that onto a black base card.
I popped my topper back into the stamp tool to add my sentiment, something I would never have dared to even attempt a year or two ago, in case I messed up the whole topper.
I embossed the sentiment and then placed the 3D flowers over their stamped place on the topper, I then layered my card up and added some sparkles to the centres of the flowers.

The card looked way to dark as I was trying to photograph it in my craft room, so I ventured out into the garden to try and get so ''Arty' photos of my card in better light (although it still comes across darker than it actually it).
The first photo I nestled the card in between the leaves of the Sweet Mock Orange Tree that has the most beautiful smelling white flowers, in amongst those branches is the most beautiful purple Clematis, the frustrating thing is that the Mock Orange Flowers don't last quite long enough to have the purple and white together which would like so beautiful.
Anyway I thought it was the perfect place to photograph my card,  the second photo is taken with the card placed in one of the smaller leaves of the Caster Oil plant that we have growing in the border by the patio. it's huge this year, I thought that they were indoor plants, but it seems to be thriving this year, the heavy snow at the end of February 2018 damaged it quite a bit, but it has grown back the leaves it lost and then some!!

Anyway that is my card I used categories:  Purple/Watercolour/flowers.

While we are on the subject of gardens I thought it would be nice to see yours, we have some from a couple of years ago but it would be lovely to have an Update.
Our lawn is looking a little 'down trodden' after feeding our lambs for a month so I haven't photographed that, I did snap a couple of the most beautiful parts though.....

This Rose Bush  is tall, it climbs the wall up that trellis it's about 7ft high, this stem/branch grew this year and I can't stop looking at it, all of those roses on one branch, they pretty much all appeared at the same time, I have taken as side shot to show that it's 1 actual Branch, I am just amazed every time I look its beautiful x

This is the Clematis growing through the Sweet Mock Orange, I only wish that those white flowers would last a bit longer as I think that the Big Beautiful Clematis would look stunning dispersed through the Orange Blossoms.
It is also amazing on its own too,

I can't wait to have a peek at your gardens, especially as it sounds like you all put lots of work into them.  It doesn't have to be the whole garden, just share some of your best bits.

Anyway I hope that you all have a lovely day,

Love & Hugs to all of you,

Sandra
xxxxxx