How does your garden grow? (CIC253)

Our sponsor this week is DRS Designs!

DRS Designs is generously offering a $10 gift certificate (WOW!!) as our fabulous prize to our randomly drawn winner!

Thank you for sponsoring this challenge!

Here's a little background info about DRS Designs in their own words:

DRS Designs - a family owned company since 1950 - boasts hundreds of original rubber stamp designs. All images are available fully mounted, completely unmounted or mounted on cling cushion and are proudly hand crafted in the USA. Our rubber stamp collection includes a wide assortment of images including sentiments for all occasions, easy background designs and fun technique stamps such as our stained glass and plaid designs. The DRS Designs website features a huge card sample gallery, online demos and tips, a secure shopping area and more. Be sure to visit our daily blog with posts from our fantastic design team for inspiration and ideas.

Now to the challenge! Here's is this week's inspiration cupcake. Our challenge is GARDEN.  

Flowerpot Muffin Cases from Lakeland 

I decided that what better way to honor my mother than calling her the sunshine that helped me grow. Here's my take...

I used Harvest Garden and You Are My Sunshine from DRS Designs. These came unmounted, so I got to mount them just the way I like. They stamp like a dream. Even on watercolor paper there were no issues. 

I decided to try watercoloring for this challenge because I think it just naturally lends its self to gardening, and plants in general. This is the first time I have used the watercolor pencils I got from Terri. There is a learning curve but it was super fun to do. I took a couple days to get this card looking the way that I wanted it to. I layered the colors after the water dried from the previous coloring. I really like to bright colors I was able to achieve without losing the "watercolor-ness" of the medium on the image. (I'm making up words here.) 

I fussy cut my image out. I wanted this to be a one layer card but needed to use watercolor paper and I couldn't get the look I wanted without the fussy cutting. I stamped the image and my sentiment on my card front with Memento Tuxedo Black ink to use as a guide when I returned my image to the card front. I outlined the bouquet with my Copics hoping to create a lifting effect. 

Last, I added Diamond Stickles to the bow. I haven't added a sentiment on the inside because, though this would be a perfect card for Mother's Day, my mom's birthday is next month and it's perfect for her too. :) It's going to her either way. Sorry to spoil the surprise, Mom. (Maybe she won't read this far...)

Thanks for looking! Hope this finds you happy and healthy.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Moving Along with the Times - Photo Inspiration
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Glitter It
Inky Impressions # 151 - Think Spring
Divas by Design - Flower Power
Crafting for all Seasons #73 - No Designer Papers
Word Art Wednesday #124 - Anything Goes
Sweet Stamps #161 - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - For a Mom/Female
Pinspirational #99 - Spring
Catered Crop - Celebrate Spring
Sunshine Mail - Anything Goes
My Sheri Crafts #129 - Celebrate Spring
Curtain Call - Farm Fresh
Crafting by Designs: Monthly - Anything Goes