Orange blooms

Posted: August 4, 2015 | Author: Heather | Filed under: CAS, Promenade, Softly | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Penny Black stencils, Ranger Distress stains | 20 Comments

When I set out to create this card I knew I had stamped a similar layout with this stamp before but it wasn’t until the card was completed and I looked at the earlier card that I realised just how how similar! This one has a wee bit more going on and was painted with distress stains not watercolour pencils. I began by stamping the large ‘Softly’ stamp a couple of times. Each time I inked it I wiped off some of the antique linen ink so the two imprints would not interfere with each other too much. The antique linen ink is pale so I was able to paint inside the lines and have them disappear into the darker oranges and greens.

I had to repeat my mantra (walk away, just walk away) periodically through the making of this card because I was trying to follow the steps shown on this photo tutorial. I painted all the petals with a diluted wash of ‘dried marigold’ distress stain first. After it dried I added another layer keeping the colour undiluted. Once that dried I painted some darker areas with ‘spiced marmalade’, let it dry then finally added some ‘rusty hinge’. ( I have just discovered what a warm brown rusty hinge is; it works well with orange tones). After waiting once again for it to dry I added some details with the spiced marmalade and rusty hinge markers. I stuck with just ‘forest moss’ stain for the leaves but began by diluting for the first wash then increasing the intensity as I added shading.

When all the painting was finished I used the co-ordinating stencil ‘Promenade’ to sponge some background flowers before adding a sentiment and a green mat. This card is a little bigger than A2 (6.25″x4.75″) so I will need to hunt through my envelope supply to find a match.

Thank you so much for dropping by and for your kind comments. I have been interested to read about your opinions and experiences with the different watercolour powders I have been featuring.

Supplies:

Stamps:  Softly, Sprinkles & Smiles (PB)
Stencils:  Promenade (PB)
Inks:  Spanish Moss Versafine (Tsukineko) Spiced Marmalade, Dried Marigold, Forest Moss, Rusty Hinge, Antique Linen distress products (Ranger)
Paper: Canson 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Green textured cardstock

Softly, softly

Posted: March 29, 2014 | Author: Heather | 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