WATER LILLY

Copy this pattern by Mary to create this pretty card, or why not use the technique for inspiration and create a card from one of your own photos or something you've seen.

Trace

• Fix plain parchment paper to the pattern with low-tack tape. Trace the lacy border with white pencil.

Colour

• Paint the petals of the water lily in a pale shade of pink felt tip pen. Rub the pen onto the surface of a palette or tile and pick up

on the tip of a damp No.2 Sable brush. Paint using the round and round technique.

• Mixing in a darker shade of pink felt-tip pen on your palette into your original colour, paint to add shade, build up with further layers as needed allowing the work to dry in between layers.

• Using the darker shade of pink alone, add detail and further shade with fine lines using the very tip of your brush.

• Paint the stamens in shades of yellow and yellow mixed with red, outline them with a darker mix of the two colours with fine lines.

Dorse

• On the reverse of the work colour with shades of green using a darker shade around the lily and blend.

• Use the same dark shade on the front of the piece around the bottom half of the lily and blend lightly with your finger.

Emboss

• Emboss the lily working those petals which appear concave from the front of the parchment. Protect the front of the work during the embossing by using a piece of plastic film over it (a cello bag works well).

• Emboss the lace border with a small ball tool.

Perforating and cut

• Perforate with the lacy border as shown in the example using a 2-needle tool and cut with scissors or snips.

Finishing

• Use a single needle tool to perforate a hole either side of the base of the inner scallops in the border

• Sew the parchment onto pink card cut to a square with invisible thread.

• Using white card, create a card blank slightly bigger then the pink square. Fix the mounted parchment to the front to finish.

“I used a photo I had taken of a pretty water lily to create this pattern. I thought it would make a lovely parchment project. The photo was taken back in 2003 when on a family holiday we paid a visit to Burnby hall Gardens in Pocklington, Yorkshire. It has a national collection of water lilies which are at their best from June to August. This particular lily is the Rene Gerard and was planted in 2000. Using the image brought back some memories.