I started with a wash over my whole panel, then dotted in purple where I wanted the lilac to generally be, and let that bleed into the water. As it dried, I continued to dot in paint, a little darker each time, to add depth.
Over the dried lilac base, I created some negative flowers by painting an outline and then pulling the paint outward instead of in, and also used a Distress marker to sketch a few flower outlines. The leaf and stem are also painted in the negative.
I used a palette knife to spread some thin layers of matte gel medium onto the card, and pressed an embossing folder into the medium while it was still wet. When it dried I lightly rubbed white acrylic paint over the texture with my finger.