More butterflies
Posted: July 9, 2016 Filed under: butterfly charmer, Watercolour | Tags: Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress inks, Tsukineko Versafine inks 17 Comments
I didn’t intend for this week to be all about butterflies but that’s the way it turned out. To create this panel I coloured the little butterflies on the butterfly charmer stamp using what I am calling the colour drop method. I don’t think it is anything new but I needed a name for this little technique. I stamped the large stamp with wild honey distress ink then painted the butterflies with water one at a time. The water blended the wild honey ink to give each butterfly a warm yellow tone but it also gave me a pool to drop another colour into. I took colour from my water colour pencils and dropped it onto the wet wings and let it spread into the whole wet area. I moved from wing to wing so they could dry a little before adding a second colour to an adjacent area. I did video the process and have sped it up and posted it on my instagram
When the wings were all dry I drew over the butterfly bodies, legs and antennae with either a dark brown watercolour pencil or a distress marker then blended the brown with a very small paintbrush and a wee bit of water. The finished panels remind me of botanical books.
The first one I did using this method is below. I added colour to the little butterflies also and filled in the background.
I used Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer watercolour pencils over rusty hinge distress ink for this one
You can see on the close up that you don’t lose all the definition of the stamped image when you paint over it; there are faint outlines of pattern underneath.
Thanks for dropping in; have a great weekend.
Supplies:
Stamps: Butterfly charmer, Happy Snippets (PB)
Dies: Wishes
Inks: wild honey distress ink, rusty hinge distress ink (Ranger) Versafine vintage sepia (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Hot pressed Fabriano watercolour paper, brown cardstock, green cardstock
Also: Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils (Faber-Castell)
Limberlost card
Posted: July 8, 2016 Filed under: Butterfly trio, Color Burst, Time, Wondrous | Tags: color burst, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains 28 Comments
Earlier in the week I posted my art journal page inspired by ‘A Girl of the Limberlost‘. After completing the page I wanted to create a card with a similar feel. When I created my first book inspired journal page (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) I created the card first then expanded the scene into a double page. This time I am working the other way round.
I created the butterflies the same way as shown on the video but directly on the watercolour panel. I used gold embossing powder and changed the colour palette for the wings. I stamped the butterflies again on label paper and cut them out to make masks to protect the painted butterflies while I stamped and coloured the background foliage. This panel was my colouring for day#3 of Kathy Racoosin’s 30 day colouring challenge.
I used the large leafy outline stamp, Wondrous, inked with forest moss distress stain to fill the background with leaves then painted forest moss stain in and around the leaves. I painted extra layers around the edges of the butterflies to lift them a little. When that all dried I stamped on of the new ‘time’ stamps and spritzed it so it would bleed into the background. To finish the background I splattered some dark brown stain and some water.
The panel was already quite large so I decided not to mat it in a co-ordinating colour. Instead I chose to string some beads on a gold thread and attach that down the side of the card. Thank you for all your generous comments this week. I am thrilled you enjoy what I share here and always love to hear from you. I was very interested to read that several of you enjoyed ‘A Girl of the Limberlost” as much as I did.
Supplies
Stamps: Butterfly trio, Time, Wondrous (PB)
Ink: Versamark ink, (Tsukineko) vintage photo, forest moss distress ink and stain
Paints: Colorburst alizarin crimson, merlot, tangerine, phthalo green and liquid metal yellow gold, iron oxide (Ken Oliver)
Paper: hot pressed Fabriano watercolour paper, Neenah Epic black cardstock, vellum
Also: gold embossing powder, gold thread, seed beads
Limberlost Journal page & video
Posted: July 6, 2016 Filed under: Art Journal, Butterfly trio, Muse, Script, Tutorial, Verdure | Tags: Art Journal, color burst, Dr Ph Martin Hydrus watercolor paints, Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Versafine inks, Tutorial, video 21 Comments
It is over a year ago since I completed a page in my art journal so it was a good thing when I was asked to create an art journal video for the Penny Black blog. The latest release from PB, Artistic Endeavors includes some beautiful stamps designed with journaling in mind. The page I created last year was a Narnia page so I decided to stick with the literary theme and make another book inspired page. My inspiration this time is ‘A Girl of the Limberlost’ by Gene Stratton-Porter. I read the book quite a few years ago but really enjoyed it and could see the butterfly and figure stamp working well on such a page.
The main character, Elnora, catches moths to sell to collectors in order to support herself through high school. She lives on the edge of the Limberlost, a forested and swampy region where she finds the moths she later sells. I know these stamps depict butterflies but I chose to exercise some artistic license.
Because I wanted to watercolour both the butterflies and the girl I stamped them on watercolour paper, painted them, then cut them out so I could attach them to the page.
To add texture to the background I glued torn strips of tissue paper all over it then did partial stamping with a script stamp and a leafy stamp.
Journal pages take me a long time so despite the fact that I sped up just about all the footage, it is still on the lengthy side. I hope you enjoy it and, maybe like me, get inspired to pull out a neglected art journal. Or perhaps you’ll go and check the book out of the library…
Edited to add: In the video I mentioned learning a lot from Vicky Papaioannou; her videos are here:https://www.youtube.com/user/vickypgr
Supplies:
Stamps: Muse, Script, Verdure, Butterfly trio (PB)
Art Journal: Fabriano 24cm x 15.5cm
Art supplies: Faber-Castell gel medium , Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black ink , clear embossing powder, Ken Oliver Colorburst powders (merlot, violet, ultramarine blue), Ken Oliver liquid metals (platinum, verdi gris, ultramarine blue), Faber-Castell Stampers big brush pen, lead pencil, Pigma 0.3 micron pen, Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils (medium flesh, brown ochre, juniper green, ochre, burnt ochre, venetian red, delft blue, warm grey 3), tissue paper, Dr Ph Martin Hydrus liquid watercolours (Hansa yellow light, phthalo blue, phthalo green, carbon black) Art glitter designer dries clear adhesive, Ranger distress micro glaze.
Let the colouring begin
Posted: July 5, 2016 Filed under: Brusho, Sweet Perfume | Tags: Brusho, Canson Moulin du Roy watercolour paper, Penny Black stamps 32 Comments
Today is day 1 of Kathy Racoosin’s latest ‘30 Day Coloring Challenge‘. If you haven’t heard about it click on the link and read the details. It is a no pressure, loads of inspiration, tutorials and prizes type of challenge. Kathy is a colouring wizard and she shares her tips and tricks on her blog and in her very friendly conversational videos.
I had fun colouring this large scale floral design with brushos. I embossed the image on watercolour paper with silver pearl powder. I limited myself to four colours from the brusho range and I created different shades and values by mixing and diluting. The pink flowers are a mix of crimson and cobalt blue; some have little or no blue mixed in. The central flower is a mix of yellow and crimson. To make sure my greens blended in with the colours of the flowers I mixed some crimson with leaf green and created muted green-browns. In order not to loose too much of the panel behind a sentiment strip I embossed on vellum and added a half pearl over the adhesive. I didn’t have any black half pearls but a sharpie did the trick.
I have something quite new to share tomorrow. See you then.
Supplies
Stamps: Sweet Perfume, Special Thoughts (PB)
Paints: leaf green, cobalt blue, crimson, yellow brusho
Ink: Versamark ink
Paper: hot pressed Canson Moulin du Roy watercolour paper, Neenah Epic black cardstock, vellum
Also: black & silver pearl embossing powders, half pearl
OLS29 Christmas in July
Posted: July 1, 2016 Filed under: CAS, One-Layer Simplicity challenge, Spread Cheer | Tags: Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils, Penny Black stamps, Speedball elegant writer, Tsukineko Memento inks, Tsukineko Versafine inks 18 Comments
I am hosting the One Layer Simplicity Challenge this month and the theme is ‘Christmas in July’. I know some of you make Christmas cards all year but I usually start around now and keep going until December! If you haven’t even thought about Christmas cards then perhaps this challenge will be a motivator. Perhaps you want to enjoy the summer sun and not think about December at all – that is totally fine too!
To make this one layer card I tore a piece of painter’s tape lengthwise into two strips and positioned them on my watercolour paper card base. I painted some blue along the torn tape edge and faded it to white. Keeping the tape in place I stamped a few trees in Memento Northern Pine ink and added a few dabs of black elegant writer pen. After stamping I painted over the tree to blend the ink. Northern Pine separates into brown and green when diluted which gives the foliage some variety in colour.
I’ve been reading a book called ‘The Non-Designer’s Design Book’ which has made me think about layout in terms of alignment, repetition, contrast and proximity. The book is concerned mainly with text documents like business cards, menus, ads, etc but the principles are relevant to art layout too. I found myself trying to apply what I’ve learnt when working out where my sentiment would go.
Supplies:
Stamps: Spread Cheer(PB)
Inks: Northern Pine Memento ink, Versafine Olympia green (Imagine Craft/Tsukineko)
Pencils & Pens: blue watercolour pencil (Faber Castell), elegant writer pen (Speedball)
Cardstock: Canson Moulin du Roy 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper
Our graduate
Posted: June 27, 2016 Filed under: Pastoral, Spread Cheer, Stamped Landscapes | Tags: Dr Ph Martin Hydrus watercolor paints, Penny Black stamps 14 Comments
A week ago we had the privilege of watching our older daughter graduate from university. She has worked very hard, achieved excellent results and is off to undertake a Master’s in September. I chose her card from a selection I made last year; it could be a sunset or sunrise and the bird is flying off into it. My first chick is leaving the nest! As you can imagine I am very proud of her but not looking forward to her being miles away. It will be a great excuse to travel and see her though.
The background sunrise was painted wet into wet so I could blend the pink and yellow. I lifted out some yellow in the centre to make it brighter to look like the sun. As you lift the colour out it is important to rinse your brush and remove some of the water; you don’t want to return colour to your panel or create a watermark by dropping in extra water. I waited for the background to dry before stamping grey and black foliage in the foreground and a bird in the sky.
Supplies:
Stamps: Pastoral, Spread cheer (PB)
Inks: Hydrus Watercolour (Dr Ph Martin) I can’t remember which grey and black inks I used?!?
Cardstock: Hot pressed Fabriano watercolour paper, grey cardstock, Neenah solar white cardstock
Pastel Poppy Gems
Posted: June 16, 2016 Filed under: Poppy Gems | Tags: Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils, Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps 10 Comments
This week my colouring has grown softer each day. I changed mediums for this card and pulled out my tried and true watercolour pencils. I have added to my set lately but the originals are still the set I bought in university for my art subjects. I remember my parents thinking they were quite an expensive purchase then but I would say we got our money’s worth!
I embossed the poppy gems stamp in clear powder then painted each petal one at a time. I applied two pinks from the pencils and blended from dark to light, keeping some watermarks and blending others out. On yesterday’s card I kept the blending very smooth but sometimes I like to have a few watermarks here and there.
Colouring three times in a row is great practice for Kathy Racoosin’s upcoming 30 day colouring challenge. The next one starts on July 5th and lasts until August 3. I will share more details closer to the time but it is a great challenge, no pressure to colour every single day, plenty of wonderful inspiration from Kathy and some prizes along the way.
Supplies:
Stamps: Poppy gems(PB)
Inks: Versamark (Tsukineko)
Pencils: Pine green 267, Chromium green opaque 174, Dark red 225, Madder 142, True blue 148 (Faber Castell Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper
Bright Poppy Gems
Posted: June 15, 2016 Filed under: Poppy Gems | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Kuretake Zig clean color real brush markers, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Versafine inks 15 Comments
I’m sharing some more colouring today and yes, more poppies too. Poppies just keep on popping up on this blog don’t they!? Believe it or not I used the same medium on today’s card as yesterday’s very bright and bold card. The colours today are still bright but are blended out to much paler shades.
I stamped the large ‘poppy gems’ stamp in versafine onyx black and embossed in clear then used zig clean color real brush pens. Yesterday I pretty much filled the petals with colour and blended one colour over another. On today’s card I started with a little pink at the centre edge of each petal and a little yellow at the outside edge and blended the two colours with water to create a softer effect.
I spied the raised panel layout on a couple of pretty cards recently and chose to do it on this one with a piece of orange fun foam. I have an even paler more pastel poppy card up next. See you soon and thanks for dropping by.
Supplies:
Stamps: Poppy gems, (PB)
Inks: Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko) Zig Clean Color real brush markers (Kuretake)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper
Also: orange fun foam, spellbinders square die
Love art poppies
Posted: June 14, 2016 Filed under: CAS, Love Art | Tags: Kuretake Zig clean color real brush markers, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Versafine inks 12 Comments
My inspiration for this panel came from my garden. I only have one colour of poppy in my garden, orange. I didn’t quite capture the colour; but it was a good colouring exercise. To create the collection of poppies I had to mask several times then stamp over my masks. Fortunately the cutting required for a mask of this poppy wasn’t too fussy!
I used zig clean color real brush markers and worked with one orange, one yellow and one red. The colours remained bold and bright because I blended with very little water and just worked with a combination of red and orange or orange and yellow. The centres are purple and black. The background is also zig markers, a mix of blue and light green with water marks to break up the brightness and give a little texture.
When I photograph my cards I sit them on a piece of glossy cardstock; I like the strong reflection I got this time.
I fully intended to add a sentiment in that big empty space in the top right corner but didn’t notice I hadn’t until I was editing my photos. I will wait and see who I send it to and add a sentiment later.
Supplies:
Stamps: Love Art (PB)
Mediums: Zig Clean color real brush markers(Kuretake) Versafine Onyx Black ink (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Hot pressed Fabriano watercolour paper, Neenah Epic Black cardstock
Vintage sunbursts
Posted: June 10, 2016 Filed under: Nature's Paintbrushes, Sunbursts | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress inks, Speedball elegant writer 9 Comments
I have two last cards to wrap up my vintage watercolour week. These differ from all the previous cards as they were stamped with solid or ‘silhouette’ stamps rather than outline stamps. The technique used on all my other cards involved pulling brown ink from the outline either into the image or into the back ground.
With a solid stamp the inside of the image is already full of ink so I adapted my technique in order to get the same vintage brown & black effect. Because there were no petals or wings to be filled I didn’t incorporate watercolour pencils into these designs. On the ‘sunburst’ stamp above I inked most of the stamp with vintage photo distress ink but left the flower centres and the base of the stems to be inked with the elegant writer pen. I spritzed the stamp so the brown and black would blend into each other and the pink and green tones would bleed out of the black. I moved the colour around a little with a paintbrush.
On the ‘nature’s paintbrushes’ stamp I inked first with vintage photo ink then added the elegant writer black on the seed heads of the grasses. I spritzed with water before stamping and also on the watercolour panel so the colour and image would bleed into the surrounding area.
When I was looking for some ribbon or twine to finish the cards I spied my black gingham and was surprised how much I liked it on the predominantly brown card.
Thank you so much for leaving me such kind comments this week; I glad some of you have tried the technique or plan to. I know many of you are not in my area but for those who are, I have a June class where we will be using similar techniques to make a poppy themed art square. (My first mixed media class!) All the details are on my upcoming classes page. I am also offering it at Crop A While in Orleans.
Supplies:
Stamps: Sunbursts, Nature’s Paintbrushes, Happy Snippets, Treasured Sentiments(PB)
Inks: Vintage Photo distress ink (Ranger) Elegant writer pen (Speedball)
Cardstock: Hot pressed Fabriano watercolour paper, black and natural cardstock (Neenah)
Also: black and white gingham ribbon
Heather Telford 