Making Someone Happy with Avant Garden

I'm excited to share a fun way of creating a subtle shadow around your images.

In today's tutorial project you'll see a light shadow around the flower. The shadow was created using the new Watercolor Pencils. Color is easy to apply and then lightly blended in using an Aqua Painter (as was done here) or a Blender Pen.

The result is a beautiful, subtle shadow that appears to make the image pop off the page.

I'm including written instructions below for those of you on a mobile device. I also have a downloadable PDF tutorial for those that wish to save this project and layout for future inspiration.

Enjoy!

Supplies:

Stamps: Avant Garden (143272 – Sale-A-Bration 2017)
Paper: Crumb Cake (120953), Early Espresso (119686), Blushing Bride (131198), Very Vanilla (101650
Inks: Blushing Bride (131172), Early Espresso (126974), Soft Suede (126978), Crumb Cake (126975)
Misc: Big Shot (143263), Hexagon Dynamic Embossing Folder (143231), Very Vanilla Lace Trim (141672), Linen Thread (104199), Watercolor Pencils (141709) Dimensionals (104430), Glue Dots (103683), Stamping Sponges (141337), Aqua Painters (103954)

Measurements:

Crumb Cake (base) – 8 ½” x 5 ½”, folded in half
Very Vanilla (layer) – 3 1/4” x 4”
Blushing Bride (layer) – 2 3/4" x 5 1/2”
Early Espresso (layer) – 3” x 4 1/4”

Instructions:

Wrap the lace trim around the Early Espresso cardstock, adhering it on back. Adhere this piece to Crumb Cake card base.
Emboss the Blushing Bride cardstock using the Hexagon Dynamic embossing folder. Adhere to the Early Espresso layer using Dimensionals as shown.
Tear about 1/4" from the left side of the Very Vanilla cardstock. Sponge the torn cardstock edge using Crumb Cake ink.
Stamp the stem of the flower using Suede ink, stamping off on scrap paper first. Stamp the flower image using Blushing Bride ink. Stamp the flower center using Soft Suede ink.
Color around the flower image with the Early Espresso watercolor pencil. Blend the watercolor pencil using the Aqua Painter. Be careful not to oversaturate the cardstock or the paper will pile.
Stamp the dotted/splatter image along the top and left side of the Very Vanilla cardstock using Crumb Cake ink. When repeating this image, stamp off on your scratch paper so you will have some splatter lighter than others.
Stamp the greeting in the center of the flower stem using Early Espresso ink.
Make a small bow using the Linen Thread. Adhere to the flower using a Glue Dot.
Adhere the Very Vanilla layer to the card base using Dimensionals.