Shining lights
Posted: February 10, 2017 Filed under: African Trees, Hand lettered, Tribal | Tags: Darkroom Door stamps, Ranger Distress inks, Tsukineko Versafine inks 10 Comments
I’m still having fun with the African stamps from Darkroom Door, this time combining a loose watercoloured background with a sharp silhouetted tree in the foreground. I stamped the ‘tribal’ background first on watercolour paper in several colours of distress ink. Once the whole pattern was stamped I painted over it with water and the colours blended from into each other.
I let the background dry completely before dropping some water strategically here and there. When water comes in contact with distress ink it reacts and dilutes the ink. By letting the water sit for a minute then dabbing it up with a paper towel I was able to create light patches which look a bit like lights in an already abstract sky.
I stamped the tree over the ‘sky’ once it dried then painted the ground with black soot distress stain. My sentiment, inspired by the ‘watermark lights’ was handwritten in McCaffery’s Penmans black ink.
Supplies:
Stamps: Tribal, African Trees (Darkroom Door)
Inks: Distress wild honey, spiced marmalade, fired brick inks, black soot distress stain (Ranger) versafine onyx black (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: neenah natural white cardstock, neenah epic black cardstock, fabriano hot pressed watercolour paper
Writing ink: Mc Caffery’s Penman’s ink black
Nib holder: Exclusive handmade from Foiled Fox
Heather Telford 
Heather, this is absolutely amazing! I am certain you, too, struggle with creative dry spells once in awhile…but you never cease to amaze and excite me to the possibilities of ink on paper! You have expanded my creative ‘base’ and I have learned so much from you…thank you very much! Now, I cannot figure out how you got the ‘light element’ on the top of the tree canopy!?
Oh my, this looks absolutely stunning. Love the black silhouette against that gorgeous background. I don’t own any of these stamps, but I would love to try and create a similar look using the supplies I do own. Thanks for the inspiration!
This is a brilliant use of the stamps Heather and I love way you have blended the beautiful fiery colours, and then what a contrast the black silhouette tree and foreground is. Fabulous! x
Fabulous! Love the patterns and the tree makes it all just POP! TFS
Heather I love your ‘African’ series! I hope you will do many more. This is such a beautiful card, and beautiful handwriting to boot! Well done 🙂
A perfect background for this beautiful silhouette tree!
This is gorgeous! And I love the idea of having a patterned watercolor background behind a silhouette image.
Another stunner. You have gorgeous handwriting, I’d love to have a stamp of it! Mine used to be much better than it is….now, afraid it looks like a doctors handwriting, lol! Fantastic card!
I just love this. The background is amazing – what a great idea.
This is simply stunning use of the brusho-s over your initial stamping. In your case, the crystals blended to create such an unusually beautiful rose with such variegated petals. Your watercoloring is always wonderful, but think this might be one of your very best! TFS & Hugs