Fabulous floral tag folder - Polkadoodles Love2Create challenge

It's Challenge time again on the WeLove2Create blog! This time, my DT piece is a tag folder. I've gone for my beloved crazy bright florals again - but with a difference! When is a rose not a rose? When it's a carnation!

I've used just three sets of stamps to create the entire folder, including the tags!

First I made the basic folder. I cut A3 card in bright yellow to 24cm high, 48cm wide, then scored and folded at 12.5cm and 35.5cm to create the overlapping flaps.

Next, I die cut three panels in supersmooth white card using an old Bigz die from my stash (this may now be discontinued) but any similar die or edger die would work beautifully. Or cut a scallop edged pre-scored card in half. Allow about 1cm on all sides for layering.

I used Archival ink in Monarch Orange to stamp Rose #3 from the Honey Rose stamp set (a permanent ink, as I overpainted with watercolours).

Next, I stamped Rose #1 (also from the Honey Rose stamp set) using Adirondak Brights in Watermelon. This is a dye based ink pad, and I particularly wanted bright ink that I could also blend with a waterbrush (I later added some neon pink highlights). 

I over-stamped the Rose #1 shapes with the Rose #4 shapes, using Versafine ink in Black. I painted over the Rose#3 images (stamped with Monarch Orange) with the fluorescent yellow from my Neon watercolour set.

I spread a little Clover ink onto a non-stick craft sheet, to pick up the colour with my paintbrush and paint the background on all the panels, which I also edged with more Clover (sponged on with Cut'n'Dry foam). I also added leaves from the same Honey Rose set, using Brights ink in Citrus and Clover and the solid leaf stamp, not worrying if these overlapped the flowers. I also overstamped the Clover leaves with the leaf line stamp, using more Clover ink (so the lines just showed).

I stamped the bees from the same Honey Rose set onto the supersmooth card, painted with more Neon watercolours, and cut them out. I also stamped Rose #2 from the Spring Rose set onto more card (again with Monarch Orange) and painted over with the neon yellow. I cut these out very roughly, and then folded the pieces over and over, crumpling them. 

When glued onto the roses on the panels and scrunched into place with my fingers while the glue was still wet (I used Tacky glue) they very much resemble carnations! And of course I had to stick some pearls in the middle...

The tags are all stamped randomly with the bee, using permanent black ink. I painted over the bees on the tags and the yellow card (offcuts) with bleach (ordinary thick household bleach in a waterbrush) which lightened the images so I could go over with neon watercolour after, really making the colours pop!  I used the sentiments from the two Rose stamp sets on the tags.

FINAL TOUCHES

I stamped 'Life is a Celebration' twice onto white card, cut out as a flag shape then edges with the Clover ink. I also smudged it out with a little water, then added more fluorescent yellow in the centres to give highlights.

I splattered the tags with Neon paint, and added tiny pearls (yes, I'm addicted!) and used raffia to tie bows in the tags and the holes in the panels. I mounted the panel that forms the pocket for the tags with some foam tape, to give height (both sides and the bottom).

And that's about it! Whew!

I used
Polkadoodles Honey Rose Transitions stamp set
Polkadoodles Spring Rose Transitions stamp set
Polkadoodles Sentimentals stamp set 
Polkadoodles Ultimate Smooth card

I also used
Ranger Adirondack Brights inks in Clover, Lime and Melon
Ranger Archival ink in Monarch Orange
Versafine ink in Onyx Black
Neon Komorebi watercolour set
Sizzix Bigz XL die #656698 by Rachael Bright
Tacky glue
Pearls from my stash
Raffia