Sunflower Series – Holding on to Light 🌻

 

Some days call for drama and depth…
and some days quietly ask for warmth, softness, and a little hope.

Today was the latter.

After the intensity of my recent dark romance pieces, I felt drawn to something lighter—something that still tells a story, but with sunlight instead of shadow. And so this little sunflower trio was born.

🌿 The Process

As always, I started with 300gsm white cardstock, cut down to ATC size—my favourite little canvas.

The images were stamped onto white card using VersaFine Clair in Nocturne, giving me those crisp, rich outlines I love working with using using stamps from the Papercraft Society Box 22 by Ruth Mackie-McCartan.  From there, I coloured everything using my Spectrum Noir alcohol markers:

• BG2 & BG7
• AG4 & LG4
• CT2 & CT4
• IB1

I kept the colouring fairly natural and soft, letting the yellows stay bright but not overpowering, and adding gentle depth into the greens so the leaves didn’t get lost.

🌾 Backgrounds

For the backgrounds, I stayed deliberately muted and warm:

• Antique Linen
• Tea Dye
• Old Paper

Blended softly to create that slightly vintage, sun-washed feel.

I wanted the backgrounds to feel like late afternoon light—textured, warm, but never competing with the focal images. A few stamped details were added to give interest, but always with a light hand so the sunflowers could remain the stars.

🐝 The Story in Three Cards

Each ATC carries its own little message:

• “Keep a little sunshine”
  A soft, almost nostalgic piece with bees captured inside a jar—like holding onto small moments of light.
• “In a world of roses, be a sunflower”
  The bold centrepiece. A reminder to stand out, turn towards the light, and be unapologetically yourself.
• “Still reaching for the sun”
  A quieter ending. Gentle strength. Growth, even when it’s not loud or perfect.

Together, they form a simple story:

hold onto the light, choose your own path, and keep growing.

🌻 Final Thoughts

What I loved most about this set was the balance.

Not too busy.
Not too bold.
Just enough detail to support the feeling without overwhelming it.

After working with darker tones and heavier emotion, this felt like a breath of fresh air—proof that crafting doesn’t always have to shout to be meaningful.

Sometimes… it just needs to glow quietly.

More to come soon…
Bon 🖤

Dark romance… in ink and shadow

 Some colour palettes don’t ask politely.

They pull you in.

After working with softer tones, I found myself drawn back to something deeper… richer… a little more emotional.

This set of ATCs leans into that space.

Not bright reds or obvious romance… but something quieter, more layered. The kind of feeling that sits underneath the surface.

The palette

Everything in this set was created using Distress inks on white 300gsm cardstock.

The colours:

• Tattered Rose
• Tea Dye
• Aged Mahogany
• Victorian Velvet
• Black Soot

Soft warmth first… then depth… and finally that touch of black to pull everything inward.

The backgrounds

I built each background slowly, layering colour and texture until it felt like it had a history of its own.

Subtle stamping using VersaFine Clair in Nocturne added detail without overpowering the surface. The florals, script and marks are not meant to stand alone… but to become part of the paper itself.

Once the layers were in place, I added Black Soot around the edges.

Not to darken everything… but to frame it.
To give the pieces a sense of containment.

 The hearts

For the focal elements, I used heart-shaped dies from the Papercraft Society Box 29 by Christina Griffith at Card Making Magic.

Each heart was cut from the same white cardstock and then inked to match the palette, allowing them to sit naturally within the background rather than on top of it.

To lift them slightly, I added a soft shadow using a Spectrum Noir alcohol marker (BG2).

Just enough to give dimension… without breaking the mood.

The result

Each card carries its own feeling:

• One feels guarded… intricate, almost protective
• One feels open… centred and steady
• One feels fragmented… a little more expressive, a little less controlled

Together, they form a set that feels connected, but not identical.

 

 What I’m noticing

I’m starting to trust when to stop.

Not every space needs filling.
Not every layer needs explaining.

Sometimes the most important part of a piece is what’s left unsaid.

This set feels different.

More intentional.
More restrained.
A little darker… but in a way that feels calm rather than heavy.

A reminder to myself:

Not all romance is light.

Some of it lives quietly in shadow. 🖤