Stamping the Seasons: Fall
Posted: November 26, 2015 Filed under: Joy to All, Stamped Landscapes | Tags: Bister, Canson watercolour paper, Penny Black stamps 5 Comments
Here is the final instalment in my Stamping the Seasons collection. Although I have added a few extra stamps here and there each design features the tree and twig stamps from the ‘Joy to All’ set.
The earthy tones of my bister powders were perfect for an autumn scene so I began by painting a green and blue sky then painted the brown and red landscape below. While the brown area was stil wet I stamped the twig stamp in three colours of brown over and over filling the foreground with both blurred images and later sharper ones. I positioned the tree on the left this time and bent the trunk a little on the acrylic block. To create leaves I sprinkled bister over the branches and under the tree then added water to activate it.
I didn’t set out to make these four cards so similar in layout and but it has been a interesting challenge to change the colour scheme each time to convey the feeling of each season. I did a similar thing a few years back using the Berry Branch stamp from Penny Black. (Spring & Summer, Fall & Winter, Winter tutorial)
Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall
Supplies:
Stamps: Joy to All, Enjoy Life (PB)
Inks: Rusty Hinge, Barn Door, Gathered Twigs, Vintage Photo distress inks(Ranger)
Cardstock: Canson 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Burgandy cardstock, Neenah Natural white cardstock
Also: Bister powder
Stamping the Seasons: Summer
Posted: November 24, 2015 Filed under: Brusho, Joy to All, On the Town, Stamped Landscapes | Tags: Brusho, Penny Black stamps 3 Comments
It’s a little ironic to be posting the summer tree on the day I woke up to the first snowfall this season! Let’s just consider this scene a happy memory or if you are in the southern hemisphere a glimpse of what may already have arrived. I worked with Brushos again to create this scene; I might return to the bister for the fall one. I began by taping down my watercolour panel and painting the sky in mix of several blues. While that dried I painted the paler green strip then finally the darker green hill. I let it all dry before stamping several trees on the left hand side and the tree from ‘Joy to all’ on the right hand side. I sprinkled green brusho over the empty branches and spritzed to add water. Between spritzing and painting with a brush I filled out the trees with a couple of green tones. The odd little flowers at the front I drew onto the stems which I stamped with the twig stamp. Finally I painted a path and added a white sentiment.
I haven’t done the autumn scene yet but watercolour powders seem to be the perfect medium for blend of colours I see in fall so I’m looking forward to that one. The rest of the Penny Black design team are sharing their ‘stamping the seasons’ projects on the blog this week and next.
Supplies:
Stamps: Joy to All, On the town, Special Wishes (PB)
Inks: Versamark, Memento Rich Cocoa, Cottage Ivy (ImagineCrafts/Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Canson 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, yellow cardstock, Neenah solar white
Also: Brusho watercolour powder , white gel pen, white embossing powder
Stamping the Seasons: Spring
Posted: November 19, 2015 Filed under: Flower tags, Joy to All, Stamped Landscapes | Tags: Brusho, Canson watercolour paper, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps 9 Comments
I am back as with a spring card today using the same stamp set as yesterday, Joy to All. Some of my process was the same as for my winter scene but I definitely changed my colour palette. The muted tones of bister powder worked well for yesterday’s chilly scene but the spring scene required the brighter brusho tones.
I began by taping the watercolour panel down then painted water over the whole area. I sprinkled blue and green powder over the wet panel and moved it around with a paint brush until I had a soft background with clouds and trees suggested. Next I stamped the tree in a pigment ink and masked the area around the branches so I could sprinkle red powder over the branches without getting it on the rest of the scene. I spritzed over the powder and watched the grains transform into blossom.
I cut a hill shaped mask which I positioned across the bottom of the panel then stamped the twig stamp to create some flowering bushes with orange brusho. I removed the mask and darkened the edge of the hill with a paint brush and some green brusho mixed with water. I spritzed a fine mist of water over the panel which resulted in some little spots of lighter colour here and there.
To complete the card I added a brown mat and some brown thread to tie a tag stamped and painted to match the sky.
Supplies:
Stamps: Joy to All, A bunch (PB)
Dies: Flower tags
Inks: Versafine vintage sepia (ImagineCrafts/Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Canson 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, dark brown cardstock
Also: Brusho watercolour powder , brown embroidery thread
Stamping the Seasons: Winter
Posted: November 18, 2015 Filed under: Joy to All, Stamped Landscapes, Watercolour | Tags: Bister, Canson watercolour paper, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks, Tsukineko Versafine inks 13 Comments
Stamps that can be used all year round are winners in my opinion and I am always happy to see new tree stamps to use in my stamped landscapes. The ‘Joy to All‘ set contains a tree and some twiggy foliage stamps that I will be using winter, spring, summer and fall. This week and next you can see the Penny Black design team using new products to ‘stamp the seasons‘.
To create today’s wintry scene I splattered some masking fluid over the watercolour panel, let it dry then taped the panel to a firm surface to prevent warping. I used blue bister powder to paint the sky and snow banks then added the background trees in memento nautical blue ink while the sky was still damp. I stamped the tree from Joy to all in black ink then added shadows for all the trees in blue ink. To finish the scene I stamped the twig stamps from the same set in the foreground in black. Once all the ink was dry I removed the masking fluid then chose one of my favourite sentiments from the new release and a narrow black mat to frame the panel.
If you come back tomorrow you will see my spring scene using the same ‘Joy to All’ set.
Supplies:
Stamps: Joy to All, Season’s Gifts, Prancers (PB)
Inks: Memento Nautical Blue & Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black (ImagineCrafts/Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Canson 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Neenah epic black
Also: Winsor & Newton masking fluid, Bister powder
Twilight Trees
Posted: November 12, 2015 Filed under: Joy to All, Stamped Landscapes | Tags: Canson watercolour paper, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress inks 12 Comments
When I first featured this tree stamp I said I would be back with more designs but then forgot this one was waiting in the wings. I started this one with masking fluid, quite a bit, splattered over the panel. Once the masking fluid was dry I stamped the trees in brown dye ink then painted masking fluid on some of the branches. When that was dry I positioned a mask two thirds down the panel so I could brayer the sky with blue and pink inks. I removed the horizon mask and used smaller masks below the tree trunks to sponge some snow drifts. I looked for a place to add a sentiment but decided to leave it blank on the front and add something later inside.
I am happy to report here in Ottawa there are no scenes even remotely resembling this. We have made a start on leaf collection but still have half the backyard to finish. The weather has been kind.
Supplies:
Stamps: Joy to All (PB)
Inks: Chipped Sapphire, Worn Lipstick, Vintage Photo distress inks, (Ranger)
Cardstock: Canson 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Neenah natural white
Also: Winsor & Newton masking fluid
All is calm under a brusho sky
Posted: November 9, 2015 Filed under: Brusho, Gleeful | Tags: Brusho, Canson watercolour paper, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Versafine inks 13 Comments
I have painted quite a few expansive coloured skies lately. On Saturday I taught the last of my Merry & Bright class which included a bister night sky over a die cut tiny town. As I demonstrated the technique all of my skies were different and class participants also created unique and beautiful skies. Today’s card is similar in layout to the class card but instead of bister I used brusho and instead of die cutting I painted the little street with the help of a stamp from the ‘Gleeful’ set. I stamped the town first in versafine vintage sepia then added brusho and water to the sky area. I didn’t need to use much because the powder is so potent. I blended the blue and green with a brush and painted right up to the roof tops then let it dry. I used brown, blue, green and yellow brusho to paint the buildings and trees then finished the foreground with black brusho which separates into several colours. I added a tiny sentiment in versafine onyx black, removed the masking fluid to reveal stars then matted with a couple of co-ordinating colours.
Thanks for dropping by; I hope you have a great week.
Supplies:
Stamps: Gleeful, Holiday Snippets (PB)
Mediums: Brusho powders, Versafine Onyx Black ink
Cardstock: Hotpressed Canson watercolour paper, Neenah avon brilliant white, brown and teal cardstock
Brusho Northern lights
Posted: November 7, 2015 Filed under: Brusho, Prancers, Stamped Landscapes, Watercolour | Tags: Brusho, Penny Black stamps 10 Comments
I have another brusho card to share today with a different look. I blended all the colour on this panel rather than leave the speckled patterns of the previous cards. The brusho colours are intense so I didn’t use much to create this sky. I sprinkled some blue, green red and purple over a panel splattered with masking fluid, then blended with water as I would with other watercolour paints. I stamped the trees and sentiment in black then, once the ink was dry I removed the masking fluid to reveal a scattering of stars or perhaps snow.
Supplies:
Stamps: Seasons Wishes, Prancers (PB)
Mediums: Brusho powders, Versafine Onyx Black ink
Cardstock: Hotpressed Canson , Neenah Solar White, Epic Black
Silver wreath
Posted: November 6, 2015 Filed under: Winter moments 7 Comments
On the PB blog this week the designers have been sharing favourite colour schemes. I mix up the Christmas decorating at our place by choosing a different colour scheme each year. I have a collection of silver baubles and gold baubles so I usually pick one or the other then add a colour. We have had red and gold, red and silver, green and silver, etc. One of my favourite combinations is blue and silver. I love the way blue sets off the silver accents. It is like the night sky.
My card features a silver embossed wreath and greeting on a blue watercoloured background. I used three blues from my gansai tambi watercolour set, layering and blending them over the embossing.
By letting the paint dry a little between applications I was able to build up more colour in some places to accentuate the edges of the pretty silver wreath.
Supplies:
Stamps: Peace & Harmony, Winter Moments (PB)
Inks: Versamark ink (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Canson 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Neenah patriot blue cardstock
Also: silver embossing powder
Hide, Seek and Paint with Brusho
Posted: November 5, 2015 Filed under: Brusho, Hand drawn, Hand lettered | Tags: Brusho, Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Hand lettering 11 Comments
The brusho magic continues as I said it would! I keep referring to it as magic because you really don’t know what is going to appear when you spritz water and add the brusho powders. How much water, how much powder, which you do first, how much you continue to add – all these factors will affect the outcome. The unpredicability of the medium did make my live brusho periscope yesterday a little nerve wracking but I still enjoyed myself with those who were able to join me live. It will be available for a bit longer on Katch. (wish you could fast forward through the clumsy beginning; I promise it gets better!)
My process for arriving at the finished leaf card involved several steps beginning with the random scattering of warm toned powders plus a little green. I spritzed, sprinkled powder and repeated until I had pretty patterns appearing then I left it; I walked away and went and ran errands so there was no temptation to fiddle with it before it dried. When I returned I looked for leaf shapes or sections of leaves that had occurred randomly in the panel, then enhanced and completed those shapes. The painting step did take quite a while and involved stopping and starting. I tried to move the existing colour on the panel with a brush as much as possible but sometimes added a bit more brusho where needed. There were two small brown leaves that emerged in the bottom right hand corner so I painted a couple more to make a little pile. I add veins to one leaf with a craft knife then added brown paint which settled in the cuts but it turned out darker than I wanted so I switched to a watercolour pencil to add the veins to the other leaves.
The sentiment is hand drawn with pen and ink, something I have been practising lately. Unfortunately it is not easy on my hands so I can’t do too much. I did learn traditional calligraphy years ago so some of the concepts are familiar and others are new and tricky!
You may have heard that Jennifer McGuire is hosting a Share Handmade Kindness Campaign during November at present and challenging card makers to send their cards out and make a difference to someone’s day. I don’t need the reminder to do the handmaking but the actually sending through the mail is a challenge I am taking on; I want to get this card in the mail today! Susan Raihala is challenging us to make and send Gratitude cards right now also. And if you’re forging ahead with your Christmas cards don’t forget the Caring Hearts card drive.
Thanks for dropping by. There will be a break from the Brusho tomorrow while Gansai Tambi paints take the stage instead.
Supplies:
Medium: Brusho powders & Faber Castell Albrect Durer watercolour pencils, Brown ink
Cardstock: Hotpressed Fabriano paper, Epic Black Neenah cardstock
Brusho is in the house!
Posted: November 4, 2015 Filed under: Brusho | Tags: Brusho, Kuretake Zig clean color real brush markers 14 Comments
When I started experimenting with bister powders there was perhaps a slight overload of bister projects here on the blog. I am still really enjoying the colours, the texture and watching the magic when the bister reacts with water, but I have some Brusho in the house now and I have to say it is also much fun. Blog readers and some of my class members have been asking whether I prefer Bister, Brusho or Colorburst. I am happy to be undertaking the creative research to answer that question.
All that to say; I’ll be sharing Brusho projects for the next few days! Today’s brusho experiment involved a little magic, some searching and painting. Sandy Allnock used this technique a while back but I can’t find the technique on her blog which makes me wonder whether it was a periscope. (Here is a link to a post where she shared a wonderful amount of information about working with Brusho and Colorburst)
I started by creating a random pattern of colour with Brusho powders. I sprinkled some of my favourite colours on watercolour paper then spritzed with water. I waited, watched the magic, added some more powder, more water and watched more magic. I did several different panels then went to bed. The next day I worked out how to use my panels. This one was a speckly one because I did not move the colour around with a brush while the panel was wet; I just let it dry. The result is lots of little coloured shapes and feathery patterns. Because of the concentration of blues and greens at the top of the panel I decided to turn that area into trees by painting on some branches and trunks. 
The blue speckles to the right looked a bit like delphiniums so I added more paint with a brush and some extra definition with a zig brush pem. I also painted leaves at the base of the delphiniums with more green brusho. I was working with patterns of colour already on the panel and adding more definition with sprinkles of powder, a wet brush and a few zig clean color real brush pens. This is only part of the panel; perhaps I will pull a picture out of the left over scrap too.
To finish I added a sentiment, then matted with watercolour paper and added it to a watercolour card base.(you know I am all about the matchy-matchy!)
Supplies:
Stamps: Special Wishes (PB)
Paint: Brusho powders & Zig clean color real brush pens
Cardstock: Hotpressed Canson & Fabriano paper
Heather Telford 