Watercolour pencil cacti

Posted: August 30, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Happy together, Watercolour | Tags: , , | 12 Comments

I’ve worked with this stamp before, last time with bister powder to colour it. It took longer with watercolour pencils but the process was quite relaxing. I used my tried and true Albrecht Dürer watercolour pencils from Faber Castell and limited my choices to light green, dark green, light blue, purple and brown.

I stamped the image from the PB ‘happy together’ set in crushed olive distress ink then used a paint brush with my watercolour pencils to add colour. I painted shadows in a mix of brown and purple then matted with some purple cardstock.

Now, help me out here, what is the right occasion for sending a cacti card??

Supplies

Stamps: happy together


Paper: hot pressed watercolour, neenah natural white, purple

Inks: crushed olive distress ink
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Also: Albrecht Dürer watercolour pencils

You are pretty fantastic

Posted: June 21, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Happy together, perspective | Tags: , | 12 Comments

Our family is in the midst of a season of graduations as all three of our children are awarded diplomas or degrees. We enjoyed one last week, another yesterday and will attend one more next week. I will share some photos next week after our son graduates from high school. Today’s card is the one I made for my older daughter who has just received her Master of Teaching. As you can imagine I am exceedingly proud of her; I think she is pretty fantastic!

This card is also my only participation so far in Kathy Racoosin’s current 30 day colouring challenge. This month’s festivities have left very little time for colouring. I embossed the flowers from Penny Black’s ‘happy together’ transparent set in silver powder on hot pressed watercolour paper. I used four zig real brush pens for the petals colouring with a deep colour (purple or blue) near the base of the flowers and with a light blue near the tips of the petals. I then blended the two or three colours with a paintbrush and water until I had soft blends covering the flowers. I added a bit of violet to a few flowers for some extra depth and variation. I used light green and light blue for the leaves and sepals. To make the flowers pop a bit more I coloured around all the edges with a grey zig maker, blended it with water and a few dabs of light green. I was inspired by a few of Susie Lessard’s recent cards. (here’s the link to one on IG)

I completed the card with a purple mat and sentiment from the PB ‘perspective’ set also in purple.

Supplies

Stamps: happy together, perspective

Markers: zig clean color real brush markers (blue, purple, light grey, violet, light green, light blue)

Inks: versafine clair monarch, versamark

Paper

Also:

Happy Together

Posted: June 18, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Bister, Happy together, Tranquility | Tags: , | 19 Comments

I am quite happy with the way these little cacti turned out using only one colour of bister paint powder. Bister can create surprising results. I used blue bister powder on hot pressed watercolour paper over clear embossing.

Bister paint powders have an earthy tone to them which you can see clearly on this panel. I sprinkled blue bister over the panel and spritzed with water until the paint activated. I tilted and turned the panel until the paint pooled in certain places. Where there was very little colour I used a paint brush to transfer some from a darker area. Once there was good coverage I let it dry partially then picked up some brown from the panel and painted shadows below each of the pots. I matted the panel in brown and added the sentiment in vintage sepia versafine ink.

I thought it was very cool the way all those leaf shapes in the second from left cacti turned out different colours. This is why I love playing with paint powders.

Supplies

Stamps: happy together, tranquility


Paper: hot pressed watercolour, neenah natural white, brown

Inks: versamark, vintage sepia

Paint: blue bister (available in USA from ‘I Brake for Stamps’ and in Ottawa from ‘Crop A While’)

Also:  clear embossing powder