How does your Garden Grow?

This is my first entry to the Chocolate Baroque Colour Challenge #23 http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/.  We have some lovely colours to play with again, and I couldn't wait to get stuck in!  For this card I have used stamps from Punky Flowers, Punky Hearts and Steampunk Butterfly; Aqua Tints; Dusty Concord and Seedless Preserves Distress Ink; pink acrylic paint.  I started with a piece of white card and stamped a lovely Deco style flower twice, then heat embossed the images in black.   As I wanted to make them the focal images I used drawing gum to mask the flowers and let it dry.  I used Aqua Tints to create a wash as a base for the background, then used a wet sponge randomly to remove some colour and add texture.   I then stamped a solid flower several times with DI.   On the top third of the panel I stamped a hearts background image, first in pink acrylic ( second generation) then in DI ( second and third generation).  Next I added some pink paint to the solid flowers as highlights, and stamped some Gothic style corners to the top of the card.  Having finished the background I rubbed the drawing gum off the first images ready to paint.  I used the tints and the acrylic paint to colour them.  I stamped a border from the Peacock Parade set onto some acetate and heat embossed it with Midnight Sapphire Obsidian powder.  Then I stamped a butterfly onto white card and heat embossed  with black powder.  I painted it with tints and cut it out.  I blended DI around the edges of the panel, stamped a sentiment, then attached the panel onto a black base card.  I attached the butterfly with dimensional glue to complete the design.  I really enjoyed creating this card, I love these colours and the stamps.  I think this lovely design will suit several occasions, and could be adapted for a male card too.