Belle
Posted: May 21, 2018 Filed under: A Pocket Full, belle, Foiling, Zigs & zags | Tags: Kuretake Zig clean color real brush markers, Minc, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, WOW embossing powders 4 Comments
The zigs & zags stencil has popped up again today as a background for this die cut and watercoloured flower. I applied deco transfer gel directly to my card base (neenah solar white 110lb) then ran it through my minc with white foil. The result is a subtle chevron background. I wanted my flower to match the white card base exactly so I used the same neenah solar white which meant I did not add much water at all when blending my zig pens after stamping. I used a mix of blue, pink and purple and a blue/green combo on the leaves and stem then just a damp brush to blend with water. I made sure the blending was dry before stamping the black centre several times then used the co-ordinating die to cut out the flower plus a white foam one to pop it up over the background.
The little black banner was die cut with one of the dies from the PB ‘pocket full’ die set. I have pulled out all my little label, banner and tag dies from different sets and grouped them together so I can quickly cut the right size for a sentiment. This sentiment from the handy ‘banner sentiments’ set is embossed in white powder.
Supplies
Stamps: belle, banner sentiments
Die: belle cut out, a pocket full
Stencil: zigs & zags
Paper: neenah solar white, neenah epic black
Markers: kuretake zig clean color real brush pens pink, blue, violet, cobalt blue, green, black
Also: transfer gel, white foil, foam, minc, white embossing powder
Alcohol ink splatter
Posted: May 18, 2018 Filed under: Alcohol Ink, branching out, cherry blossom | Tags: Penny Black creative dies, Ranger Alcohol Ink, Yupo Paper 3 Comments
I hope you have enjoyed my alcohol ink projects this week. I could have happily continued playing with colour combinations and different techniques but other projects beckoned.
Once again I used a colour combination curated by Ranger; this one is called ‘Cottage Path’ and includes slate, currant and meadow. I worked on the heavyweight yupo paper and dropped inks randomly over the panel to begin. Once there was plenty of coverage I used a small cheap paintbrush (plastic bristles) to flick rubbing alcohol as well as the ‘cottage path’ inks over the panel. The result is very fine circles over the top of the larger blobs of colour.
I matched my cardstock to the ink colours and die cut a tree from green using the Penny Black ‘branching out’ die then matted my panel with the same colour. On the other card I cut a couple of ‘cherry blossom’ die cuts plus a sentiment.
Supplies
Dies: branching out, cherry blossom, many thanks
Inks: Cottage path alcohol inks (Ranger)
Paper: heavyweight yupo (Legion) natural white (neenah), burgandy and green
Summer Glow
Posted: May 3, 2018 Filed under: summer glow | Tags: Kuretake Zig clean color real brush markers, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps 8 Comments
Yes, I’ve got more flowers to share today from the new Penny Black release, ‘Nature’s Art‘. This one is a large rubber cling outline stamp. I decided to try a combination I’ve heard about numerous times but never attempted: zig clean color real brush pens on bristol paper. I work on watercolour paper a lot of the time as you know but I’ve heard that blending the zig pens is easier on bristol. Well, it is. I embossed the image with clear powder on bristol paper then used five different colours to fill in the flowers and leaves. I started with purple pen at one end of each petal and tea rose at the other end (in this case the end closest to the centre of the flower). I blended the two colours together with a damp brush then added orange dots down the centre of the petals. I added a small amount of brown to the centre of the flower also.
I coloured the leaves in green then added brown here and there before blending with a damp brush.
As a finishing touch I die cut the ‘scrolls half edger’ decorative piece out of purple cardstock which had double sided adhesive on the back. I matted the panel in the same purple then snipped pieces of the die-cut to lay over the base of the panel.
I’m looking forward to seeing irises pop up in my snow-free garden before too long; there is no snow on it now!
Supplies
Stamps: summer glow 40-610 (PB)
Die: scrolls half edger 51-446
Ink: versamark
Markers: zig clean colour real brush pens (tea rose, brown, green, violet, orange)
Paper: bristol, neenah solar white, purple
Also: clear embossing powder, double sided adhesive sheet
You’re fantastic
Posted: May 2, 2018 Filed under: ravishing | Tags: Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress inks 3 Comments
Today I am featuring the new brushstroke stamp, ‘ravishing’. I have chosen to colour it with distress inks and markers in a couple of my favourite colours. Once again I worked in a stamp positioner so I could add one colour at a time. First I inked the petals of ‘ravishing’ stamp with tumbled glass distress ink and stamped. Next I added dusty concord ink to parts of the petals, spritzed them then stamped. The centre I inked with a mustard seed distress marker, spritzed and stamped then finally added some black details on the stamp with a black soot marker. Once all the ink dried I drew some more details on the panel with the black soot marker.
For a sentiment I die-cut ‘fantastic’ twice from purple cardstock backed with double sided adhesive. I stacked the die cuts together and attached them over the stem. I pulled out an older but very handy set called ‘word express’ and stamped a few words in black ink on watercolor paper. I popped them up with adhesive to create an encouraging message for a mother I know.
I cut the floral panel to exactly the size of my card base so it appears to be almost a one layer card.
Supplies
Stamps: ravishing 40-589 (PB), word express 30-106
Die: fantastic thank you 51-427 (PB)
Paper: hot pressed watercolour, purple cardstock
Ink: nocturne versafine clair
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Distress inks & markers: mowed lawn & forest moss inks, tumbled glass, dusty concord, black soot and mustard seed markers
Also: double sided adhesive sheets, foam adhesive, stamping platform
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Radiant blooms
Posted: April 30, 2018 Filed under: Peerless watercolours, radiant | Tags: Faber-Castell Polychromos Colour Pencil, Peerless Transparent Watercolors, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Versafine inks 12 Comments
I am sharing floral cards this week here and on the Penny Black blog. This particular one makes me happy. It took me an age to complete but I think it’s bright and sunny. I’ve been wanting to create a card where the design continues across the back and front; my next challenge is one where the design covers back, front and inside!
I used the large floral stamp from the transparent set ‘radiant’; it’s part of the new Nature’s Art release from Penny Black. I used my stamping platform and antique linen ink to stamp three prints across the panel. I wanted them to fit nicely together but not look like a repeat pattern so I changed the direction each time. If I had been really diligent I would have masked the first before I stamped the next but I just let them overlap a little. When it came to adding colour I decided which petals or leaves would be in front and painted accordingly. You can’t tell now can you?
I used quite a few colours but I mixed and matched a bit. Basically I chose a yellow and orange for the large flowers, a peach and a pink for the medium flowers then did some smaller flowers with the orange and the pink (not new colours) I added a purple to the mix but shaded with the pink used earlier. On each flower I painted the lighter colour first then dropped in some of the darker one where I wanted shadow. I painted half the leaves with green and the other half with blue green then added shading to all with a darker green. When the same colour pops up in a few different mixes on your design it keeps things cohesive and visually appealing. Once all the painting was completed I used coloured pencils here and there to darken shadows and add more definition
The set includes solid centres in two sizes for the flowers so I stamped them in black and created my die cut stacked sentiment in black also. And I almost forgot to mention I stamped and painted a couple of flowers inside too.
I’ll be back with more bright and breezy florals tomorrow.
Supplies
Stamps: radiant 30-481 (PB)
Die: congratulation 51-439 (PB)
Inks: antique linen distress ink, nocturne versafine clair
Paint: Peerless watercolours
Paper: hot pressed watercolour, neenah black
Pencils: Faber-Castell polychromos pencils
fantastic
Posted: April 20, 2018 Filed under: Alcohol Ink, curved stitch | Tags: Foiling, Minc, Penny Black creative dies, Ranger Alcohol Ink 7 Comments
Not long ago I learnt from a couple of friends that foil will stick to some alcohol inks. I posted a card at that time and continued to experiment with foil and alcohol ink panels. If the alcohol ink sitting on the yupo paper is a little sticky the foil will stick more readily than if the inks are long dried. I ran today’s panel through my minc not long after I’d created it and a lot of gold foil stuck. Foil doesn’t stick to all colours of alcohol ink and I’m sorry to say I have not done exhaustive testing to know which ones work. I just layer on some foil, run it through the minc and see what I get!
I was pretty happy with what I got this time there were some really pretty gold highlights, but a few more than I wanted. I decided to see whether I could add alcohol ink over the top of the foiling just to tone some of the gold down a little. I was pleasantly surprised to see the gold foil change to a dull silver when it came in contact with the ink. It is definitely hard to photograph the results but my blue and green panel has gold highlights as well as subtler silver patterns.
To turn my panel into a card I backed the yupo with white cardstock then cut it in two using the curved stitch die from Penny Black. I stacked some gold die-cuts to make the word ‘fantastic’ look a little more fantastic and added it all to a natural card base. I think this one might turn up as a graduation card this June.
Supplies
Dies: curved stitch, fantastic
Inks: ranger alcohol inks aqua, willow, denim
Paper: yupo, neenah solar white, neenah natural white, gold foil
Also: gold foil, minc, rubbing alcohol
Roses in bloom
Posted: April 18, 2018 Filed under: Brusho, Roses all over | Tags: Brusho, My Favorite Things, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps 8 Comments
The first card I made using this lovely rose stamp from My Favorite Things featured bister powder; this one was done with a couple of brusho colours. I used the same technique for both and have been asked several times about the amount of powder and the amount of water. I hope to do a video soon showing my method with paint powders.
I used two colours on this panel, a red and a yellow. You can see there are some specs of blue also, I think they were on the surrounding scrap paper and just transferred to my panel. I embossed the roses all over stamp with clear powder on hot pressed watercolour paper then sprinkled red brusho in the centre and yellow brusho on the edge of the panel. I spritzed with water then tilted the panel to activate the powder. Where there was too much water or colour I used either a paper towel or a ‘thirsty brush’ to sop it up. (A thirsty brush is a paintbrush dipped in water then squeezed or dabbed dry so that it can absorb water or paint from the painting.)
I cut three layers of the rusty red cardstock with the ‘bloom magical’ die and stacked them. The sentiment from the PB ‘friendship flowers’ set works perfectly with the die so I stamped in black and slipped it under the stacked die cut.
Have a wonderful day.
Supplies
Stamps: roses all over (MFT) friendship flowers 30-223 (PB)
Dies: bloom magical 51-420(PB)
Paper: hot pressed watercolour paper, neenah natural white, red cardstock
Ink: versamark, versafine onyx black
Paint: brusho
You’re spectacular
Posted: April 6, 2018 Filed under: Brusho, fantastic, Zigs & zags | Tags: Brusho, Foiling, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Penny Black stencils 6 Comments
Does that background look a little skewed to you? It’s that exact feature that made me use it for an ‘eye sight’ themed card, something you might have to look at with your head on the side.
I taped the zigs & zags stencil from Penny Black onto a piece of hot pressed watercolour paper then spread deco transfer gel over. I carefully removed the stencil and let the gel dry. Once dry I lay a piece of white foil over the panel and ran it through my minc foiling machine. The result was a white on off-white chevron panel. Because I had created it on watercolour paper I was able to use brusho and a spritzer to make a multicoloured pattern. Once the panel dried and I decided on the ‘spectacle & eyesight’ theme. I wanted the die cut glasses to look a little fancy so I added adhesive sheet to the back of black cardstock then cut three pairs of glasses. I was just going to emboss them with clear powder but thought sparkly clear powder might be even better. After adhering the three die cuts together in a stack I pressed the top layer onto my versamark ink then dipped it in WOW clear sparkle powder. Even though the powder is clear it ended with a slight green sparkle to it. It looks a little different depending what base colour you emboss over. I pressed the glasses onto my versamark again and embossed in clear powder over the top of the sparkle.
My sentiment is just one of the eyesight themed sentiments in the ‘perspective’ transparent set from Penny Black. To complete the card I matted the zig zag panel in a co-ordinating colour, attached the sentiment then the glasses and attached it all to a white card base. Not my usual style but I had a lot of fun putting it together.
Supplies
Stamps: perspective
Dies: glasses (PB), 2″ square die
Stencil: zigs & zags (PB)
Paint: colorburst turquoise, olive green, ultramarine
Ink: versamark
Paper: hot pressed watercolour, neenah epic black, neenah solar white, olive green
Also: clear sparkle embossing powder, clear embossing powder, double sided adhesive sheets, MINC, white foil, deco transfer gel
Painted Sunfire
Posted: April 4, 2018 Filed under: cherry blossom, Foiling, Peerless watercolours, stitched square & circles, Sun fire | Tags: Peerless Transparent Watercolors, Penny Black creative dies 11 Comments
When creating die cut cards I sometimes paint the watercolour paper first, as I did for the brusho card posted a couple of days ago. Other times I do the die cutting and paint each element separately. For today’s card I cut three lilies ( a Penny Black die named ‘sunfire’) from hot pressed watercolour paper then painted them with peerless watercolours.
I chose a pink, a red and an orange paint and used at least two of them on each flower which gave me variety in the blooms but a cohesive look overall. I let the petals dry before using the red paint to add dots and the yellow paint for the stamen. I used a blue-ish green on the stems and leaves. Once all the paint was dry I used a glue pen to add a vein down the centre of the petals and also dabbed the ends of each stamen. I let the glue sit and dry partially then pressed gold foil over it .
To create a floral arrangement I cut a circle and some cherry blossom from unpainted watercolour paper and glued down all the elements. It took me a while to work out a layout that looked balanced. The die cut lilies are quite large so I trimmed bits off in order to fit them all on the card front. I finished it off with a gold foil die cut sentiment.
Supplies
Dies: sunfire, cherry blossom, many thanks, stitched square & circles
Paper: cold pressed watercolour paper, gold foil cardstock
Paint: Peerless watercolour paints
Also: quickie glue pen, gold foil
Bodacious brusho
Posted: April 2, 2018 Filed under: bodacious, Brusho, CAS | Tags: Brusho, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps 8 Comments
This week I have a couple of painted die cut cards to share. To create this one I first sprinkled leaf green, sunburst yellow and rose red brusho over a piece of hot pressed watercolour paper and spritzed with water to activate the paint. The colours did blend together a little but I was able to keep some distinct red, yellow and green areas. Once dry I used the ‘bodacious’ die from Penny Black to cut several flowers. I also cut white flowers with the same die. When creating my layout I glued down a few white diecut flowers first then coloured ones over the top. I trimmed stems and buds so I could arrange the flowers at different heights and facing different directions.
I embossed a sentiment from the ‘smile today’ set in platinum, trimmed the white background panel and attached it to a white card base.
Supplies
Stamps: smile today!
Die: bodacious
Paper: hot pressed watercolour, neenah solar white, white linen texture paper
Paint: leaf green, sunburst yellow, rose red brusho
Also: platinum embossing powder
Heather Telford 