March Instant Garden: Cup of Columbine

Happy day to you! Are you ready for a new digi?

It’s always exciting to reveal a brand new illustration and share the Instant Gardeners’ creations with you all, I get such a thrill. Today’s new digital stamp set is an image that’s is a long time coming. Can I tell you how many people have requested Columbine through the years? 

And it’s no wonder — Columbine have the most interesting habit — arching and stretching and bobbing their beautiful heads. They come in zillions of colors and varieties — from massive flouncy blooms with loooooooong tendrils (called spurs) jutting out from the back, to very compact doubles loaded with bubbly petals.

Aren’t they precious??

Another thing I love about Columbine is their propensity to self-seed and cross with other varieties. You can go from a regular purple one, like these Aquilegia vulgaris in my garden above, a single variety in rich deep purple, to something totally unique:

I photographed these wine-colored double flowers in my garden a few years ago — the purple singles had crossed with a pink double that hadn't shown its face in the garden for years — but resurrected in a magical cross-pollination. I DO SO LOVE THE NATURE!!

And as much as I love, adore, and worship this incredible plant, the Aquilegia genus and all of her various species, I had yet to draw them!! What on earth? Something had to be done.

Introducing: Cup of Columbine

Yayyyyyy!! Columbine has come at last!

And here’s something really fun ... even though everything I’ve shared up there involves purple — these flowers come in nearly every hue imaginable, from white and pale yellow through the deepest reds and blues. You can take this thing and RUN WITH IT!

A Susie Cooper teacup is filled to overflowing with Columbine — and I tucked a few Hosta leaves in there to give you some ripply goodness to color. You get two designs — one with the flowers and teacup only, and a second, more challenging composition with a baby robin snapping up a few of the Columbine seeds. Both images have a lighter “no line” version included.

Come check out the incredible beauty created by the Instant Gardeners for today — and folks, I gave them about 2 days notice that this was coming out, so each of these creations is like a Columbine Release Day Miracle!

Elizabeth Zaffarano

Jessie Banks -- This is actually a video!

Rhea Weigand 

Nancy Sheads

Look for more cards featuring these images tomorrow for Bloomie Friday — and keep those eyes peeled for even MORE cards as the designers actually have a chance to work with this set. (Last-minute Marcella strikes again.)

P.S. I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOU, 

MY CLEAR STAMP LOVERS!

This stamp WILL be available in clear... quite soon, actually. Stay tuned and have an AWESOME day.