Yesterday like so many people I was up early to watch the State Funeral for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I’m originally from the UK and lived most of my life just 4 km (2-1/2 miles) from Windsor Castle. As the funeral procession wound through London and later through the countryside I saw places that were all too familiar to me. It was a day that will never be forgotten. So today’s project was inspired by some of the flowers in her wreath and features the Hydrangea Haven Stamp Set.

HYDRANGEA IN PENCIL

One of the things that struck me as I was watching the coverage live via the BBC News channel was the colours. The uniforms of the guardsmen and the heralds were so bright and stood out against the more sombre attire of those attending the funeral. The wreath on the coffin was a mixture of deep claret and bright pink roses, with pale orange berries sitting among various greens. And tucked in among them were some hydrangea blooms. Not the bight blue or pink colour of summer, but the softer lilac hues of early autumn. So to reproduce this muted effect I decided to colour my flowers using dry watercolour pencils.

I began by cutting a 3″ x 4″ piece of Basic White Card. and chose Basic Gray ink for the stamping. Then from the Hydrangea Haven Stamp Set I found an image of a small mound of hydrangea blooms. I stamped this in the top right corner of the card layer and set to work using just four colours from the Watercolor Pencils Assortment 2.

I began by using the Gorgeous Grape pencil to add a little colour from the centre of each bloom to about halfway up each petal. Then I went over the whole of each petal with the Flirty Flamingo pencil. Next I used the Balmy Blue pencil to add a some more colour from the base of the petals. Finally after sharpening the Gorgeous Grape pencil I added some slightly stronger lines at the base of each petal. To finish I coloured the small leaves using the Garden Green pencil. And that was it, no water needed.

With that done I cut a 4″ x 5-1/4″ piece of Basic White Card and stamped the same hydrangea image in the centre of one long edge. I also stamped the flowers in the centre of the flap of a Basic White Medium Envelope. Then I coloured both images to match my first one.

SIMPLE LAYERS

Now I needed a sentiment and for that I went back to the Hydrangea Haven Stamp Set. I thought “the world is better because of you” was quite appropriate and stamped it onto a 1″ x 4″ strip of Basic White Card. Then using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow) I mounted it onto a 1-1/8″ x 4″ strip of Gorgeous Grape Card.

For the main layers I first cut a 3-1/8″ x 4-1/8″ piece of Gorgeous Grape Card and glued the small white layer on top. Next I cut a 3-1/4″ x 4-1/4″ piece of Garden Green Card and glued the layered floral panel on top of that.

All I needed now was a card base and for that I chose Basic Gray Card. Using my Paper Trimmer I cut and scored the card, then folded it along the scored line. After sharpening the crease with a Bone Folder I glued the larger white layer inside the card base.

Finally I used Stampin’ Dimensionals to attach the layered floral panel to the front of the card base. Then with more Stampin’ Dimensionals I added the sentiment on top and my project was complete.

So simple, but sometimes simple is just what you need don’t you think?

PRODUCT LIST

If you like the Hydrangea Haven Stamp Set you may be interested in the coordinating Hydrangea Dies. These are available separately, but sadly no longer as part of a discounted bundle. These dies will fit the Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine.