Gouache + Stitched Background: Simon Says Stamp's Botanical Split Background Cling Stamp

I feel as though background stamps are under-appreciated.  Or maybe that's just me.  I admired them from afar on other people's projects, but I was never sure if I wanted to make the investment in one.  But I now see how not only can background stamps enhance other striking focal point images, they can stand alone and shine in their own right.  This gorgeous new Botanical Split Background stamp from Simon Says Stamp is such a beauty and quickly earned its place as one of my favorite stamps.  

This ingenious stamp splits into three wavy shapes, allowing you to easily stamp the segments in different colors to achieve gradients or bold color changes on your projects.  I decided to keep mine together and make it shine on its own.  I stamped my image in light gray ink (Simon Says Stamp Fog ink is perfect) on light pink cardstock.  I then brought out my gouache paints and did some quick, simple painting over the stamped images.  Acrylic paint would also work beautifully for this.  This took me about an hour and was like doing a paint-by-number.  So relaxing! 

I die cut the CZ Design Hugs sentiment three times from 110# white cardstock, layered them together with liquid adhesive for dimension, and adhered the stacked sentiment to my card.  If you're familiar with my projects, you know that I love adding stitching for extra texture, interest, and handmade detail.  The little dots on the stamp were the perfect excuse to do some french knots.  I pulled out some white embroidery floss and got to knotting.  This process was, again, very methodical and relaxing.  Some little floral sequins with dots of Nuvo Drops finished this card.  

I may add a sentiment strip later when I know who the recipient of this card will be, but I love this card just as is.  I just love this background stamp, and I hope this project inspired you to give some pretty background stamps their moment in the sun.  :) 

Links to the products I used are below.  Thanks so much for stopping by today and I'll see you again soon!