Day #1: Blue Knight Rubber Stamps New Release Week and Giveaway!

Hello my crafty and creative friends!

I'm always excited when I have the opportunity to dedicate a week, here at my blog, to a Blue Knight Rubber Stamps New Release! ...And this week, is one of those weeks!
Plus...at the end of the week... I've got a Blue Knight New Release Giveaway for blog visitors with USA mailing addresses who share a comment here at my blog!

(*Giveaway details shared at the end of this blog post)

I am LOVING the Blue Knight July release and am looking forward to sharing  a week's worth of cards with you. This new release is very much about floral images which kicked up my card-making-joy-factor a million+ notches!

I'm kicking off Blue Knight New Release Week today with a card created with the HONEY BEE and SUNFLOWER stamp set!

I really love large floral images that fill up a card front...and the HONEY BEE and SUNFLOWER stamp is one of those stamps!

I started by stamping the image with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink onto Spectrum Noir Ultra Sooth card stock using a stamp positioning tool. I left the stamp in position...because I would be using it again while creating this card.

Then the fun began!
I got out both of my Blue Knight Select PanPastel Palettes, and began coloring his image.
I started with the image first...choosing colors from the SUNRISE and SUNSET palette for the sunflower petals.
I blended colors from both the SUNRISE and SUNSET Palette and the DAY and NIGHT Palette for the remainder for the image.
I used multiple colors to create the Tuscan colored background.

After the entire image piece was colored, I used my stamp positioning tool to re-stamp the image one more time...this time with Versafine Black ink.
Doing this makes the image pop off of the page and adds definition that may have become muted or softened when adding color with the  PanPastels

This card was so much fun to create!
PanPastels are full of wonderful color blending possibilities and creating this background was a cinch...so quick...and easy.

I want to share a little bit with you about sealing a PanPastel colored piece:
To seal and finish the colored image piece, I misted it lightly , at an arms length, with Nexxus Comb Thru hairspray.
Yes...you read that right...Nexxus Comb Thru Hairspray
After visiting a local art store ...consulting with their PanPastel expert...and having her demonstrate multiple sealants...I went with hairspray. The sealants, except one, were toxic...and most left spotting on the colored piece.
I chose Nexxus for sealing my PanPastel pieces not just because it's been my fave hairspray since forever ago...(because when you use it...you never know there's hairspray in your hair)...but also because it has a great aerosol mister. It produces a very fine consistent mist...it leaves  a nice finish on my PanPastel pieces and it's not toxic ...dries quickly...and doesn't require spraying outdoors, as recommended by most of the art shop sealants.
(*Note...without sealing, PanPastel pieces will smudge and leave a residue behind.)

When the image piece was finished and sealed...I added some Ink on 3 Liquid Pixie Dust to the honey bee's wings for a little bit of subtle shimmer.
 I cropped it to size...saved the little strip of card stock that I had trimmed  off...and stamped part of a sentiment from one of the Birthday Wishes stamp set stamps to create the sentiment banner.
I matted the image and sentiment banner with LCI METALLIC CARD STOCK.
The matted image piece was positioned with craft foam for added dimension.

So there you have it...a PanPastel colored card created with the new HONEY BEE and SUNFLOWER stamp and BLUE KNIGHT SELECT PanPastel PALETTES!

Fun Fun Fun...from start to finish!

You'll find the HONEY BEE stamp and the PanPastel Palettes HERE,  at the BLUE NIGHT STAMPS web store.

The LCI metallic card stock can be found HERE, at the LCI web site.

Now it's time for you to leave a quickie comment below for a chance to be in on the Giveaway!
Thanks to Blue Knight Stamps...I have the beautiful HALF BOUQUET stamp to giveaway to one lucky winner who will be chosen at random!
(*Giveaway is opened to USA residents and the winner will be announced here at my blog at the end of Blue Knight New Release Week.)

Thanks for visiting today...
Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday!
Michelle.