FAITH IN NATURE

I've never really considered myself very good at coloring and shading images.  Honestly, I tend to shy away from open image stamp sets but I really am drawn to the stamp images in Stampin' Up!'s Faith in Nature hostess set.  This is my first attempt in inking up this set.  I sat down with my trusty Aqua Painter and my Stampin' Up! Watercolor Pencils.  Instead of filling my Aqua Painter with water, I used mineral spirits.  (A nice tip I learned from one of my customers.  Thanks, Dee!)  The mineral spirits work better for me.  Who knew???

I designed this card to be a masculine get well card.  I'm not sure why, but designing masculine cards always throws me for a little loop and creates a bit of a challenge for me.  Why is that???  I guess the challenge explains why I went a little "overboard" with the distressing elements of the card.  Sigh!

Believe it or not, I have quite a few more projects to share with you.  We're in the hurry up and wait stage of my father's battle with esophageal cancer and I have an immense amount of nervous energy right now.  I'm not sure how much time I'll have to create once his chemo and radiation treatments begin.  As I've said before, that's a part of the journey I'll have to wait to travel.  Thanks for all the kind words, encouragement and prayers you've said on his and my behalf. 

Thanks for peeking in on me and thanks for your patience during my father's illness.

Supplies: (All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless noted)  Stamps - Faith in Nature (Hostess set) and Sincere Salutations; Ink - Jet Black Stazon, Basic Gray Marker, Watercolor Pencils; Paper - Neutrals Collection Patterns DSP, Play Date DSP (retired), So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Watercolor Paper, Basic Black, Old Olive; Accessories - Very Vanilla 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Antique Brad, Sponge Dauber, Color Spritzer, Cutter Kit