Card Concept with beloved Spiro and Starfruit

Have you ever seen something so striking that you can't get the image out of your brain?
That's what happened to me when I saw the current photo inspiration over at The Card Concept challenge 17.  I loved at first site and knew that I wanted to create with Stampin' Up's Starfruit colour...but what stamp to use.  I have a Dahlia stamp, that would do, but I wanted something a little more interesting and challenging to me.  Something that I could build the design with.
Enter my beloved Spiro Garden set from Technique Tuesday.  This little baby had been missing in action for a little over 6 months and two weeks ago I found her!
That's what happens when you commit to a partial hour a day in the craft room for "organizing"!  I am so pleased (insert happy face)

I was inspired to create the large flower in the left hand corner.  I started to build with the 8 petal image and then used the single petal and masks to build out.  one end of the single petal has a natural "shadow" when you stamp it, so that determined which end of the petal I would use to align with the one before.  I really had a blast making this and I attribute the challenges, like this one,  that I have been following for several months now for the influence.  I would also like to add that taking the Stretch your Stamps 2 classes the last couple of weeks has given me a different direction and confidence!
I am finding that I am embracing the "white space" more and more these days...along with distress inks.  I had 1 distress ink for a couple of years and yesterday I purchased 9 more :)  yipee!
So, I think the white space on my card allows me to tag as CAS...don't know about the seed beads I added.  The sentiment, a SU favourite of mine was stamped in Memento Dove Gray ink.
I am also entering this into the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge "Anything Goes"

So, that's it for now!  I am working on creating a Smoking and Grilling journal/scrapbook for my dear hubby.  I love that man and today's his birthday!  Mine is a few months away, so I get to say I am the year younger for a little while longer !
Thanks for your visit, I sure do appreciate every one of them.
hugs,
Chriss