Softly, softly
Posted: March 29, 2014 Filed under: CAS, Softly, Watercolour | Tags: CAS, Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils, Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks 59 Comments
After a week of lovely features on the Penny Black blog I decided to continue playing around with the new large scale stamps. I created a panel with the Softly stamp on watercolour paper without a definite plan of how to use it. Once it was complete I turned it this way and that and used scraps of blank card to frame it so I could decide where to crop it to fit on a 4.25″x 5.5″ cardbase. It was at this point that I chose to have the image in landscape orientation rather than portrait. I like the flowers hanging down.
My watercolouring process began by inking the stamp with Memento Angel Pink and New Sprout markers. These colours are quite pale and when stamped made perfect outlines for me fill with colour. I used two pink watercolour pencils and two green, colouring first then blending with a waterbrush. I masked the leaves in the top left hand corner and stamped a couple more flowers.
I was tempted to add a pale watery border but I resisted. I was even more tempted to flick some pink and green droplets over the panel as that is currently my favourite thing to do . I was tempted to add a pretty organza ribbon but my inner Susan Raihala said, “Leave well alone.” She might have suggested bling, which of course she would have pulled off perfectly, but the bling-thing doesn’t come as naturally to me as it does to her so I just stopped. I didn’t want to risk spoiling what I had done.
Would you have added a little something more?
Supplies:
Stamps: Softly, Special Wishes (PB)
Inks: Memento Markers Angel Pink, New Sprout & Memento Luxe Pear Tart(Tsukineko)
Pencils: Albrecht Durer Apple Green 170, Moss Green 168, Middle Purple Pink 125, Pink Madder Lake 129 (Faber-Castell)
Paper: Fabriano 100% & 25% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper
Heather Telford 
Oh, Heather, this is absolutely gorgeous and stunning! Your colors are so soft and what a delicate feel to this card! Wow!!
I love how you share your thoughts. I lean toward the simplicity myself. Adding any of the touches you mentioned wouldn’t hurt, but I like it plain. Just beautiful. Thank you.
Absolutely perfect as is!!! , lovely coloring Heather.
Jan
It’s perfect just the way it is! I would not have added anything else… just gorgeous!
I agree, perfect as it is! Love the colours and the stamp looks gorgeous hanging down xx
When to stop. It puts me in a stew quite often. The only thing I know to do is make a second one ( if you can stand to) or a similar one and add another feature to see if you like it. Your card is beautiful as is! I love your blog!
I’m glad you stopped when you did, it’s simple, elegant and perfect. No bling required.
I think your card is exquisitely beautiful just the way it is !!!
Lovely as is! I have this stamp now, but I’m still waiting for my stencil to arrive. 😉
It is perfectly perfect. .. 😎
It is beautiful as is. I might try to CASE and add a bit of bling to give the illusions of water drops. Glad you left your beautiful card the way it is though.
Mmm, I like the water drop idea…
This card is absolutely beautiful just the way it is!!! You have an amazing talent!!!’
omg, no — it is perfectly beautiful, just as it is.
I love this one! Actually, I love all your cards and the techniques you use to create them. I agree with you that less is more. Appreciate the fact that you tell us how you created them and what tools and products you used. Thank you. Keep them coming.
Wouldn’t change a thing. It’s beautiful.
It’s perfect!!!
Your card is lovely, Heather, and just perfect as is!! I think adding anything else would take away from the lovely image and your beautiful coloring.
So often I don’t stop soon enough and end up spoiling my card! This card is lovely
how lovely, Heather. So soft, peaceful and feminine, with wonderful color technique!
perfect!
It looks perfect just the way it is.
Love this project.
craftymom205 at yahoo dot com
Love this!!
Sent from my iPad
>
This card is beautiful the way it is but I have to add bling or a card is not done. Maybe 3 pink gems of graduated size in one corner. I’m not sure it would work but I would try it and then take them off if it didn’t. I love your cards-so different from everyone’s. Keep up the beautiful work!!
Gorgeous. Not a card for bling at all. Perfect the way it is.
I think this is my personal favorite! It is so sincere in the colors, design and verse combination!
This one is stunningly perfect just the way it is.
Gorgeous flowers! Lovely card. 🙂
NO! It is exquisite!…and its simplicity took my breath away!
Wow Heather! Your card is stunning and I know exactly what you mean about stopping and I’m so glad you did because your card is beautiful. Thanks for sharing…
So beautiful, just as it is. Lovely!
I think this card is beautiful just the way it is
This is gorgeous! I absolutely adore the pale delicate technique which gives that translucent look of an early morning. Looking at it a few times, on and off, it may possible seem a little flat and maybe darkening the sentiment would just give it a little more depth. But honestly, I wouldn’t add anything to it, you will spoil it and art is so subjective anyway. I think it is gorgeous as it it . Remember don’t be tempted to tweak and tweak…that’s always my downfall and once done it’s too late……..
It is beautiful in its simplicity. So interesting to follow your thoughts about this.
As the name suggests, SOFT and LOVELY!
Gorgeous, Heather! So glad you restrained yourself LOL. I might have been tempted to add a little soft glitter with my Wink of Stella brush marker, since this marker is very addictive, as other card makers will testify…
I forget about my wink of stella especially if it isn’t a snow scene or Christmas card. It could make it look quite magical.
How subtle and soft looking. You knew just when to say enough 🙂
Love it just the way you did it. Since you didn’t mention wetting the paper , I assume it was dry. You always give the best directions of any of the bloggers I read.
Your cards are my favorites too!
Heather, you are so funny! This is lovely – just as it is. And yes, I probably would have kept going, and truly, it does NOT need one more thing! I never know when to stop..Love the soft colors – love this stamp. What you’ve achieved is just perfect. I’m glad you didn’t add another thing to it. TFS & Hugs
Beautiful card, per normal. I love your work and explanations. You’ve taught me so much. Only thing I might have added is a very narrow soft color border around the edge to define the space.
I definitely toyed with the border idea; I would have done it with pale watercoloured green and I think it would have looked nice.
This is gorgeous! Love the soft colors!
As always Heather your card is simply stunning…you inspire me immensely. Have a wonderful crafty week
Heather, it’s PERFECT just the way it is!! It’s soft, delicate and stunning! Your watercoloring is such an inspiration!
This is a beautiful watercolouring, Heather. I think it’s just perfect the way it is.
Oh, this is gorgeous!
It is simply beautiful as it is. Your creations are ALL ways stunning. Thanks so much for sharing your talent. I am inspired by you all the time.
simple elegance, no need to add a thing.
It’s Perfect!!!!
I am a stamper, you are an artist.
Enough said.
i love it just the way it is. its so lovely, it doesn’t need another thing. I love the idea of stamping with pale ink that doesn’t compete with the other colors you are using. your blending is so lovely. its really stunning.
With an image this large and beautiful I would have left it just as is. I might have been tempted to do something with the background, but I’m glad you didn’t and, therefore, showed us how beautiful it can be with the clean white space. It’s perfect for these delicate flowers. Love the downward, hanging orientation. I wouldn’t have even known this stamp was meant to be any other way. I love the large stamps for filling up the card and releasing me from my compulsion to fuss over the rest of the design. Sometimes I just want to color, you know?
lovely card, so soft and elegant and it doesn’t need anything added.
I’m glad you left it alone! It’sw simply perfect.
I’m so glad you left it alone, too. With such a beautiful image and such beautiful watery colors, anything else would take away, not add. You are amazing, Heather.
Complete bliss. A really good artist has the intuition to know just when to stop. I have a long, long way to go if and when I get to that point 🙂
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