Happy Anniversary

Evening folks.

It's time for another challenge over at HLS Anything Goes with Dies.

Here's my card for your inspiration.

It's over a year now since the inaugural HLS craft retreat. It was a great weekend with lots of crafty time with fellow minded crafters. We all got stuck in and there was lots of swapping of techniques, stamps and dies. My MB Glorious Gardenia got a lot of love and web buying activity amongst some of the attendees and it was this project by Sarah of Sazzle Dazzle Crafts, that inspired this card, together with the latest challenge at CAS Watercolour and Allsorts. We have another coming up in November up in Manchester and I can't wait to see everyone again. I wont get to see everyone as some are attending the Swindon one a week or so later.

I started by making my red panel, using my watercolours and some rock salt. On a piece of HP watercolour paper I washed in a couple of reds and then added the salt crystals. The large crystals of the rock salt absorb the water and some of the colour to create an interesting texture. Don't be too keen to remove the salt as it is best left to dry fully. After carefully removing the salt, I added the die cut Gardenias. I trimmed the panel and then mounted it on a slightly larger panel of black card. 

I struggled with the sentiment as the anniversary sentiment I wanted to use had a different font for the happy and I wanted to use the same, so I decided to hand print it to match up. Using a v pale ink I stamped the Anniversary part then sketched in the happy, then inked over the whole with a black fine liner. It brought back a few memories of teaching the kids to layout printing for posters etc., drawing planing lines and spacing marks.

OK, that's it from me but be sure to check out the rest of the team and join in.

I'm joining in over at:-

Colours of your flag (England)