A reason to celebrate

Posted: January 6, 2015 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Skyline, Watercolour | 19 Comments

This is a repost of a card I made this time last year. After I had posted it I put it away for the right occasion. Today is the right occasion and my husband is the recipient. We are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary by spending four days in New York; the trip is a gift from our children. I am very excited!

All the details about the card can be found here. I hope to post a few picture of our trip on instagram and my other blog. Have a good week!

Warm wishes for a cold winter’s day

Posted: January 3, 2015 | Author: Heather | Filed under: CAS, Stamped Landscapes, Watercolour, Winter Song | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains | 35 Comments

These birch trees are my favourite element of the intricate Winter Song stamp so I decided to isolate them for a scene of their own. I inked them with a weathered wood distress marker and left the rest of the stamp uninked. Weathered wood is a pale grey which is perfect for painting and drawing over the top. As usual I stamped on Fabriano hot pressed watercolour paper. The background colour is distress stains painted on with a waterbrush. I defined the edges and markings on the trees with a black marker, painted some grey shading on the trunks then added the sentiment in black. I am fussy about the cardstocks matching so I mounted this panel on a thin burgandy card then made the card base from cold pressed watercolour paper which is the same colour as the panel but adds some texture.

Thank you for the kind Christmas wishes left on my blog and in my inbox. I appreciated them all. I hope your new year is off to a good start; mine has been pretty busy with a bunch of stamping and creating I can’t share with you just yet!

Supplies:

Stamps: Winter Song, Joy Filled (PB)
Inks: Barn Door, Dusty Concord, Victorian China, Aged Mahogany, Weathered Wood distress stains (Ranger) Tuxedo Black memento marker (Imagine Craft/Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Strathmore cold pressed watercolour paper, burgandy cardstock

Dressember

Posted: December 2, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: CAS, Watercolour | Tags: Dressember 2014, Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils, Penny Black stamps | 5 Comments

Today’s post is quite different from my normal posts for two reasons. Firstly, there is a person stamped and coloured on my card; that rarely happens! Secondly, and more importantly, this post is to let you know about a non-stamping challenge I have taken on during the month of December hoping to raise funds for a very important cause. The fact that the girl on the stamp is in a dress is significant. I have joined in “Dressember 2014” which challenges me to wear a dress every day in December. I am aiming to raise awareness and funds for the International Justice Mission which works all over the world to rescue thousands, protect millions and prove that justice for the poor is possible. The heart of Dressember is dignity for all women so I thought I would share it with my readers, all of whom I appreciate for their support and kind comments, their interest in paper crafts and the enjoyment I get from being part of such a great online community.

I have created a fundraising page. on the Dressember site, just click HERE to visit, look around and, if you are able, donate to the cause. Money raised around the world during Dressember will help stop human trafficking. I will be providing occasional updates on my other blog, Sentient, as well as posting my daily dress on Pinterest and Instagram.

Perhaps there will be more dress cards during December; I could do with the practice! The one above is my second attempt and I had difficulty knowing how to finish it as a card. You can’t tell in the photo but it is matted in a dark blue/gold paper which does co-ordinate with her dress. I even tried a few sequins but they didn’t make the final cut. The image is stamped in Memento Angel Pink and coloured with water colour pencils.

Thanks for visiting today, I appreciate you taking the time to read about a different interest of mine.

Supplies:

Stamps: Reflection (PB)
Inks: Memento Angel Pink (Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko)
Pencils: Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils (Faber Castell)
Cardstock: Fabriano hotpressed watercolour paper, dark gold paper, Neenah solar white
Also: gold wink of stella pen

Autumn Branches

Posted: November 5, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Etched Branches, Watercolour, Words of Gratitude | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Memento inks, Tsukineko Radiant Neon inks | 12 Comments

The etched branches stamp is once again the star of an autumn card; I have yet to use it on a winter scene. Using loose watercolouring I tried to recreate the colours I have been seeing against bright blue skies lately. We have had some beautiful clear autumn days and it has been a great year for gorgeous colours.

I began by dabbing Ranger Archival jet black ink onto “Etched Branches” stamp leaving some places un-inked. I then stamped onto watercolour paper and placed a stamp positioner next to the stamp before removing it to mark the position for subsequent impressions. As I was making several impressions it helped to tape the stamp positioner to the panel with painter’s tape. I inked small sections of the “Etched Branches” stamp with Mustard Seed distress stain and stamped onto panel using the stamp positioner to guide the stamp into the same place then repeated the same steps with other distress stains inking different sections of the stamp each time. With all the colour stamped I spritzed the panel with water to make the colours bleed into each other and the surrounding area. Next I splattered the same distress stains over the panel and let all the ink dry.

Before removing the stamp positioner I re-inked a few sections of the stamp with black marker to give some branches more definition. To colour the sky I sponged Radiant Neon Electric blue ink, for the foreground Memento Luxe Pear Tart ink and to finish Vintage Photo distress ink around border. I matted the panel with brown cardstock and stacked three diecuts of the word “Thankful” for my sentiment.

For more Thanksgiving inspired projects visit the Penny Black blog this week

Stamps: Etched Branches (PB)
Creative Dies: Words of Gratitude (PB)
Inks: Archival Black ink, Barn door, Vintage Photo, Mustard Seed, Crushed Olive, Spiced Marmalade distress stains, Vintage Photo distress ink (Ranger) Radiant Neon Electric Blue ink, Memento Luxe Pear Tart ink, Memento Tuxedo Black marker(Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Neenah Natural white cardstock, brown cardstock

By the lake

Posted: October 27, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: CAS, Stamped Landscapes, Watercolour | 17 Comments

I did a little watercolour painting today with a stamped image as my starting point. The image was stamped on a piece of acetate so I could work out the positioning for another card panel I was creating. I decided to stamp the acetate onto a scrap of watercolour paper I had lying around. Can you guess which stamp I used from the new Penny Black “Winter Wonderland” release? My image is of course a mirror image as it was stamped from the acetate. It is also a patchy imprint because the ink beaded on the plastic and did not transfer a complete image onto the watercolour paper. I ended up using half the stamped image, masking off the side which is now blue.

Looking at the incomplete imprint I could see a tree with spreading roots so I started by painting the trunk, branches and roots. I used distress stains, keeping them intense in some areas and blending in other places with extra water. I decided to keep the card base tall and thin like the panel and was in two minds whether to add a sentiment or not. I ended up choosing a little sentiment which helped complete a visual triangle with the rest of the black stamping.

Supplies:

Stamps:Woodland Wonder, Joy Filled (PB)
Inks: Broken China, Vintage photo, Mustard seed, Spiced Marmalade, Bundled Sage, Peeled Paint distress stains (Ranger) & Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 25% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper

Winter Song

Posted: October 22, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Watercolour, Winter Song | Tags: Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils, Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps | 10 Comments

It’s a winter watercolour week on the Penny Black blog and here is my contribution. This little scene works well as a watercolour with all that sky needing colour. I decided on a limited palette of blue, purple, black and grey with just a touch of mustard on the chickadee’s feet.

I started by stamping “Winter Song” on watercolour paper in versafine onyx black, a pigment ink which won’t bleed when I start adding water. Next I splattered some masking fluid on the paper and let it dry. Using an Indianthrene Blue #247 watercolour pencil colour I shaded all the sky area then blended the colour with a water brush. I tried to avoid colouring in the little white circles but some were too small. Next I started adding Delft Blue #141 by taking colour from the pencil tip with a waterbrush. Using the same colour and brush, I painted above the snow banks blending from dark to light up the panel. I also added both blues to the bottom of the panel with a brush. I painted the bird with colour from black #99, medium grey #97 and gold ochre #183 pencils. The trees on the left hand side looked too flat so I painted shading on one side of tree trunks with colour from medium grey # 97 pencil.

When all the watercolouring was dry I rubbed off the masking fluid and used a white gel pen to draw in any tiny branches or circles that were painted over. I matted with black, then periwinkle cardstock and attached it to a white card base to create a 5″x 5.5″ card. You can’t see in the photo but I did add a little shimmer to the snowflakes with a clear wink of stella pen.

Supplies:

Stamps: Winter Song (PB)
Inks: Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko)
Pencils: Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils Indianthrene Blue #247, Delft Blue #141, Black #99, Medium grey #97 , Gold ochre #183 (Faber Castell)
Cardstock: Penny Black Periwinkle mix & match paper, Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Neenah Natural White 110lb cardstock, Black
Also: Winsor & Newton masking fluid, Signo white gel pen, clear Wink of Stella pen

Harvest Moon

Posted: October 16, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Etched Branches, Nature's Gifts, No Card Left Behind, Stamped Landscapes, Watercolour | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains | 17 Comments

The lovely foliage stamps in the new Penny Black release are perfect for creating stamped landscapes. There are some new transparent sets as well as a couple of slapstick cling stamps that I will use winter, spring, summer and fall. Both these cards are very simple in design using only one foliage stamp to suggest the landscape.

The card above was a “no card left behind” project as it didn’t go quite as planned. I decided to paint a watercolour moon inside a negative mask cut from frisket film. The aperture was wider than the moon you see above. After I had painted the moon in golden orange distress stains I dried it completely (or so I thought). I swapped the negative mask covering the moon for the circle mask which left the rest of the sky to be painted in darker tones. When I started painting the darker distress stains onto the paper the colours seeped in under the mask. They didn’t spread over the whole moon just around the edges. When I removed the mask it did not look like a realistic moon any more. To save my scene I cut a smaller moon mask, stuck that over the watermarked moon then sponged a darker sky around it to cover the seepage. I finished the scene by stamping the branches from “Nature’s Gifts” several times across the bottom and tying on a little tag.

Having learnt from experience I placed the mask on dry unpainted watercolour paper for the panel below. I painted the sky with distress stains and there was no seepage. (I will do more experimenting with the frisket film and let you know what I discover) When I removed the mask the moon was too white and flat so I painted and sponged some pale yellow and brown ink around it until it looked more realistic. I stamped the gorgeous etched branches across the base in black to complete my scene.

Both cards are around 5 inches square so I have been having fun with a friend’s envelope maker making custom envelopes out of pretty designer paper in my stash from long ago.

These cards make me think of one of my favourite songs, Helpless, by Neil Young. It’s the line, Yellow moon on the rise that keeps popping into my head. I have liked that song for many years. Little did I know as a teenager back in Australia I would one day live in Ontario (also mentioned in the song) and see Neil Young in concert twice. Do you ever get inspired by songs or performers? I know Ardyth has a thing for David Bowie but I’m definitely more of a Neil Young girl!

Supplies

Stamps: Natures Gifts, Etched Branches, Special Wishes (PB)
Inks: Ripe Persimmon, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard seed, Vintage Photo, Antique Linen distress stains & Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Vintage Photo, Black Soot distress inks(Ranger)
Cardstock: Neenah Natural White 110lb, Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, rust cardstock

Walking Home

Posted: September 16, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: On the Town, Watercolour | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Memento inks | 38 Comments

I have been wanting to create a little scene ever since I received the transparent set “On the Town” from Penny Black. I took a break from stamping in autumn colours so I could pull out the masking fluid and create a snowy stroll. After masking a rectangle on my watercolour block, I flicked masking fluid onto my watercolour paper and let it dry completely. I then stamped the lamp post and the three trees in grey and black inks. I spritzed the stamp and the paper with water so the colour bled immediately into the surrounding area. I waited a short while before I added distress stains to the background and sky area. I didn’t want the stamped images completely dry so that the blend between trees and sky would be soft. I used two blue stains and a yellow for the sky/background area. (colours are listed below) I inked the stamp of the people in both grey and black ink so the right side would look more in shadow. I added some shadows to the snowy path with a paintbrush in both blue and grey.

To finish I rubbed off all the masking fluid flecks, matted the panel in navy cardstock and popped it up over a navy satin ribbon.

Thanks for dropping in today.

Supplies:
Stamps: On the Town (PB)
Inks: Chipped Sapphire, Broken China, Mustard Seed distress stains & Black Soot distress ink (Ranger) Memento London Fog ink (Imagine Craft/Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Neenah Natural White 110lb cardstock
Also: Winsor & Newton masking fluid, Navy satin ribbon

Simply Leaves

Posted: September 8, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: CAS, Lush & Lavish, Watercolour | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains | 4 Comments

I was working with new leaf stamps from Penny Black today; they are from the Fall 2014 release being featured on the PB blog all week. The panel I was making was more vibrant and bold than the one above (you will see it on the blog next week) but the images on the scrap paper beside me were muted and watery like these. I was using distress stain and stamping several impressions without reinking because the pigment is strong and a little spritz of water makes it go further. Before changing colour I stamped off on the scrap paper to clean the stamp. I decided to recreate the pretty pale leaf images on a card instead of a scrap.

For each leaf I applied a little distress stain to one side of the leaf image, spritzed with water and stamped on watercolour paper. The stain and water blended but not evenly. I didn’t clean the stamp between colours; that’s why there is a bit of yellow in each leaf. The little specks of colour you see on the panel were splats made as I lifted the wet stamp from the paper. Basically this prettiness just happened; I had very little to do with it. I was so happy with the simplicity of the three leaves I didn’t even add a sentiment. If I want one I can add it inside.

Supplies

Stamps: Lush & Lavish (PB)
Inks: Mustard Seed, Barn Door, Spiced Marmalade, Vintage Photo distress stains & Wild Honey(Ranger)
Cardstock: Neenah Natural White 110lb, Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Fall Festival mix & match papers (PB)

Leaves and watercolour

Posted: August 22, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Hot Rod, Watercolour | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains | 6 Comments

Same stamp as yesterday but a totally different look. I built this panel in layers starting with the background canvas stamp in antique linen. After stamping that four times across the panel I inked the letter background stamp with spiced marmalade, spritzed with water and stamped on the left hand side. I stamped the leaf stamp, Wondrous, several times in vintage photo distress stain which bled nicely into the canvas stamping. For painting inside the leaves I used distress stains, barn door and spiced marmalade, varying the intensity by diluting the with water. As this point I was fairly happy with the panel but realised that a bit of contrasting colour would lift the design so I added some blue shadow to the side of some of the leaves. I trimmed the panel and picked out some paper to create a border then had to decide how to add a sentiment. The cute little note page stamp from Life’s Journals in the same broken china stain that I had used for shadowing fitted on the corner and provided a background for the ‘Thanks’ stamp in vintage photo ink.

So there you are, two very different looks with the same “Wondrous” stamp. Thanks for dropping by.

Supplies:

Stamps: Wondrous, Letter Background, Life’s Journals, Textures, Hot Rod (PB)
Inks: Antique Linen, Spiced Marmalade, Vintage Photo distress inks & Barn Door, Broken China, Spiced Marmalade, Vintage Photo Distess stains (Ranger)
Cardstock: Neenah Natural White 110lb, PB Fall Festival mix & match paper, Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper