IndigoBlu October Challenge Reminder - Monochrome

Hi all.  I was so excited to have been chosen as one of the Top 3 over at IndigoBlu and as a consequence they asked if I would be a Guest for the October Mid Challenge Reminder.  The challenge for October is Monochrome, so I chose to use reds and oranges, and their Peony Dinkie stamp which is beautiful. 

I started by stamping the flowers three times on to a piece of white card using Versafine Smokey Gray ink.  I then coloured the three flowers using a waterbrush and Distress Inks in Fired Brick and Spiced Marmalade and Adirondack Peach Bellini.  I started with the palest colour which is the peach which I used all over, then the spiced marmalade for lighter shading,  and finished with fired brick to deepen the shading.  I then fussy cut the flowers out.  I decided to heat emboss the flowers with Versamark and WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.  I did this twice to build a nice shine which probably doesn't show that much in the photo but in real life gives the colours more intensity.

For the background I shaded with the three colours using blending foam and darkened round the edges with a bit more of the Fired Brick DI at the end.  I then did some ghosting.  This is a fairly new to me technique which I tried on a recent card.  I sprayed the Peony stamp with some water and pressed down on to the background for a few seconds to allow the water to lift the ink.  I then used a piece of tissue to soak up the loosened ink.  As the stamp is quite detailed it only lifted it quite lightly but then I stamped over the top with Fired Brick DI to give the flowers definition.  I did lift a little more of the ink with a waterbrush to add a few extra highlights, and also spritzed some water lightly over the background too.

I found a piece of white lace which I coloured with the Fired Brick DI and after it had dried I adhered it to the centre of the background before gluing this to the front of the square white base card.  I then placed the flowers using Pinflair Glue Gel for dimension and decided that I would die cut the tag from a piece of vellum using the smallest die from a Spellbinder set called Labels 8 Decorative Elements.  I stamped the sentiment using the Fired Brick again.  I then adhered it by one corner just under the flowers using the Pinflair Glue Gel.  I decided to finish with a few sequins which were white and so I coloured them with a red Promarker.

I kept to just the three colours so the tones would all work together for this monochromatic theme, and although this colour combination is not one I use often the fiery brightness of these tones seems apt for this time of year.

Thank you for dropping by and do go and take a look at this latest IndigoBlu Challenge as there is always lots of inspiration from their wonderful Design Team, and a great prize each month for the winner, as well as a Guest Designer spot at the start of a new challenge, or a guest spot mid month if you make the Top 3.  So get out your IndigoBlu stamps and be lucky! 

See you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Take It Make It Challenge: November - Anything Goes.
Simon Says Monday Challenge - Shine Bright Like A Diamond.  (The flowers are shiny and also the added sequins)
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Thinking of You.
The Daily Marker 30 Day Coloring Challenge.
The Flower Challenge - No 2 - Occasion.