Big Thanks, Metallic Watercolor Style

Hello everyone! It's Jenny here, with my first ever post as a DT member for Butterfly Reflections Ink - sqweeee! OK, now that's out of the way...

My card this week features the gorgeous Finetec metallic watercolor paints.  These are seriously shimmery watercolors, with plenty of mica to help them sparkle.  They come in a rainbow of beautiful colours, and the best thing is you can pick the singles you love and pop them into your palette, even though they're dry pans.  To get the most from them I recommend dripping/spritzing some water on them first, leave for 5 mins to soak in, then add a little more water and stir.  That really gets the mica sparkling.

I took a panel of watercolor cardstock and wet it liberally.  I then created a wash of fall colors going from brown, red, orange, and yellow with some basic watercolor paints (I used Peerless, but it doesn't really matter, use anything you have, it's just to create a base layer).  When dry, I used the Finetec paints to wash over the top to give a metallic fall ombre look.  (The colors I used were Chocolate, Arabic Gold, Bronze, Golden Orange, Red Violet, and Red Brown.) When dry, I flicked on some of the Gold too for good measure :D

While the panel dried, I created the leaf element.  These GORGEOUS stamps are from a set from Newton's Nook I have coveted for so long called 'Beautiful Leaves'.  They remind me of quilling which I used to do such a long time ago - but with a much easier way to achieve it.  I stamped all of the leaves using Versamark Ink onto  Bristol smooth white cardstock.  I used my MISTI so I could stamp twice for a clear impression.  I then heat embossed the images using  embossing powder in Copper and Gold.  I then colored them with a waterbrush, some Zig brush markers in co-ordinating colors, and fussy cut them out.

When the panel was dry, I diecut out the Big Thanks die from My Favorite Things.  I saved the inner part of the A.  I flipped over the panel and adhered some clear acetate over the thanks with liquid glue, and added the part of the A on the front with liquid adhesive.  I then used a double layer of foam tape to create a well for my 'shaker' bits (as well as applying the tape all over the back).   

The shaker bits are actually Prills.  Mine are chocolate colored but Butterfly Reflections carries all sorts of colors.  They are like tiny balls but in assorted sizes.  (Is it wrong that I really have to resist eating them ??!) I poured them into the center of the window and added gold glitter cardstock over the back to add more sparkle through the window.

The panel was adhered to a white card base.  I arranged the leaves in the corner and adhered them with glue runner and foam squares.   As a finishing touch, I added some Pretty Pink Posh Clear Droplets in 6mm and 4mm to the leaves. 

That's it for my first card.  I hope you enjoyed.  If you have any questions just leave them here in the comments and I'll answer them as best I can!  I'll see you all next week.

Jenny x