Pretty Peonies by Janet

I love peonies. They are so pretty but unfortunately so fleeting. They bloom for such a short time, usually no more than about 2 weeks. Yet peonies have captured our imaginations. That's pretty amazing for a flower that comes and goes so quickly. Good thing we can make the magic and beauty of peonies last a long time in images like the 6164 Peony Margin Set from Art Impressions!

I made my card by stamping the ornate and beautiful margin stamps on a single piece of alcohol friendly cardstock. I left enough room in the middle so that I could put the golden words of loved and grace in the center. These beautiful scripted words come from the 6155 - Ornate Margin Dies set. 

I colored the peonies in dark pinks and reds. I filled in the delicate scrollwork around the peony images with a gold Signo Pigment Ink Gel Pen from the Ai Store. Then I used the most pale pink marker in my collection to create the light pink background on the panel. I used a very pale blue marker to apply the background surrounding the peonies. 

Although lovely, I thought a splash of gold over the panel was a nice final touch. To do that, I added water to Winsor Newton Gold Ink and flicked it on the panel with a brush. After drying, I cut out the words from gold metallic cardstock and applied them in the middle. I used the same gold cardstock as a mat as well and then applied the two pieces on my dark pink card base. Finally, I used a white Signo Pigment Ink Gel to add highlights to the peonies. I used it liberally and it makes the flowers seem to glisten. 

Thanks for joining me on the blog today. As always, find your favorite stamps, dies, papers, and accessories at the Ai Store!

Happy Crafting!