"The Delicate Cottage Rose"

I discovered a new (to me) challenge at a blog called The Shabby Tea Room this weekend.  Just take a look at this gorgeous inspiration room!  Wow!  If anyone hadn't already noticed from my use of flowers on nearly every card I make, I have a passion for flowers.  My favorites are pink roses and stargazer lilies. 

So I set out to try to make a shabby chic card worthy of this inspiration room.  At first I thought I'd use a dp background that would imitate the wallpaper in the picture, but then I remembered that I wanted to try a scored background card sometime.  There have been lots of beautiful cards that I've seen that use this really easy technique, and if anyone is not familiar, there is a great tutorial with lots of pictures on how to execute this technique at the Our Daily Bread Designs blog. 

So, here's my card for the challenge.

I scored my center panel at 1/2" intervals.  The center panel is 5" square and the finished card is 6" square.  I added various mats that are 1/16" in width to provide some depth.  I decided to use pearls rather than rhinestones as I wanted the card to be more serene.  I took the strips of pearls I found at Michael's, cut them apart so I had individual pieces rather than a long strip, and placed the smallest pearls on all of the scoring mark intersections using tweezers.  I placed the flowers first and then added the pearls, so the pearls are not all the way under the flowers.  I used medium sized pearls for the sides.  I think it helps to frame the panel.

The sentiment is part of the new Verve release, a Plain Jane called "Psalm 46:1."  I really like this verse as it is so versatile and could be used for get well, thinking of you, or sympathy cards.  The font is also very pleasing to the eye.  I stamped the image in Versafine Onyx Black.  I recently discovered this ink and love it for sentiments.  It gives a crisp outline even for finely detailed stamps.  Then I used Nestabilites to cut out the 2 panels and embossed them.  On the inner panel, while the die was still around my panel, I sponged the edges with SU! Pretty in Pink.  The inner panel is directly adhered to the larger one.  I mounted the larger panel on foam tape.

Then the final touches were of course some roses!  I just found some new flowers at Michael's on Friday.  They had tins of these gorgeous large pink and white roses that are a new item.  The leaves are punched with my MS leaf punch and inked with Vintage Photo distress ink.  I used to just leave my leaves uninked, but I have found that the addition of the brown ink really lends a more realistic appearance to the leaves.  The biggest leaf came in the package with the new roses, and it already had the brown edges.

Finally, I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has stopped by my blog over my first two weeks of blogging and left such kind comments.  Also, a huge thank you to those of you who have signed up to be followers!  I hope you'll continue to enjoy my creations.

Have a blessed Sunday!  Thanks for visiting!
Sarah