Good Morning Magnolia Stampin Up Watercolor Card

Hi there!  Today I'm sharing my finished cards from one of my The Daily Marker 30 Day Coloring Challenge plays.  I had been itching to do a full panel repeat print with the background colored in.  I finally broke down and took the time.  Why is it that I don't make more little moments to follow my muse outside of a challenge?!  I am just so happy with how this turned out and wanted to share my tips with you.

I tapped a palette of Always Artichoke, Delightful Dijon and Soft Suede onto my glass mat (Mossy Meadow and Crushed Curry would be good substitutes for the two discontinued colors.)   The trick to watercoloring backgrounds around images is to keep your brush nice and wet so you don't get harsh lines.  I used small flat (stright) and angled natural bristle brushes, rotating the panel so I could get in the nooks and crannies. 

I kept every stroke nice and organic, and at the end made the stems and leaves more detailed to provide contrast against the background.  I used the leftover ink to make the splashes.  At this point, you could go in and added details with a sharpened colored pencil, but since I was using it for a background I didn't need to add that much detail. 

I cut the 6x4" panel in half to get two cards from it.  I used the coordinating stamp and die to make the sentiment and colored a couple more little blossoms, which I popped up as the main focus of the card.

I wanted to do another card with the large magnolia.  I colored it with the same inks, only tried to take more care with shading, etc.  I cut it with the coordinating die and then dipped a panel in the leftover Always Artichoke to make a background. 

My panel was 6x4", so I cut off the bottom section to make a card front.  I decided to use it for my sentiment.  To create contrast, I used the "Subtle" 3D embossing folder  on my background.  

I finished it off with some thin jute and glittered stickers/Stickles.  I hope these cards have inspired you today.  This is my favorite Stampin' Up stamp set probably EVER!  The designer paper is just as beautiful, but I don't have it yet. 

Make sure to select Carol Lee from South Carolina

as your demonstrator when shopping the links below:

 Good Morning Magnolia Bundle

Good Morning Magnolia Stamps Only

Magnolia Lane Designer Series Paper

 I'm sharing with:
Stampin' Up! Only Challenges: Coloring
Stamping Sensations: Spring Florals
Penny Black and More: Spring Flowers
Crafty Cardmakers: Green
Simon Says Stamp Monday: A Bit O' Green
Happy  Little Stampers Watercolor + Optional Flowers