Peerless Watercolours and a video
Posted: October 10, 2016 Filed under: Grateful, Peerless watercolours | Tags: Peerless Transparent Watercolors, Penny Black stamps, WOW embossing powders 16 Comments
I have something new to share today, new to me that is. The Peerless paints have been around since 1885! Shauna from The Foiled Fox sent me the Peerless watercolour paints and they are beautiful. As the trees outside are turning stunning colours it seemed the perfect theme for my first peerless project. To read all the details about this card pop over to The Foiled Fox blog and read my guest post. Scroll down below to see how I set up a palette for my peerless paints.
Peerless watercolours are embedded in dry sheets. You touch the dry paint with a wet brush to pick up colour. To see how I set up my paints so I could access all the colours on one fold out palette, watch the video below.
Supplies
Forest grove
Posted: October 7, 2016 Filed under: gift card pocket, Serenity, Snowy Grove, Stamped Landscapes | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress inks, Ranger Distress stains 7 Comments
As you might know I use hot pressed watercolour paper 90% of the time because it is smooth and takes stamping so well, giving me a complete images. Occasionally, however, I like to pull out some cold pressed or even more occasionally some rough watercolour paper because the texture gives a whole different look. The labels hot, cold and rough, when attached to watercolour papers refer to the way the paper is pressed. Hot is flattened with heat and pressure making it the smoothest of all three. Cold is flattened with pressure but not heat and rough is flattened with less pressure than cold, making it the most textured of the three types.
I stamped the ‘snowy grove’ stamp on cold pressed paper in vintage photo ink. I then used the image as a starting point for painting some of the trees more distinctly. In some cases I joined a few trunks together with extra ink to create wider trees. I painted some foliage plus the forest floor with crushed olive and peeled paint distress stains and spritzed with water to blend and blur both the ground and the canopy. I cut the ‘serenity’ die from brown cardstock to add some framing and give the impression of looking into a grove of trees. The tiny tag is cut with the ‘gift card pocket’ die.
The trees around here still have plenty of green on them but we are beginning to see gorgeous colour too. Have a great weekend and Happy Thanksgiving Canadians!
Supplies:
Stamps: Snowy Grove, Snippets (PB)
Dies: Serenity, gift card pocket
Inks: vintage photo, crushed olive, peeled paint distress inks & stains(Ranger)
Cardstock: Cold pressed watercolour paper, brown cardstock, green textured cardstock
Wish for peace and happiness
Posted: October 6, 2016 Filed under: Scarlet Majesty | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Versafine inks 12 Comments
I shared a more defined version of this pretty poinsettia recently, painted in vintage tones. Today’s card features a looser image in pinks with a few touches of brown. As is often the case when I am after a watery softy image I used distress stains applied directly to the stamp. I started with worn lipstick and gathered twigs stains on the stamp and some water drops on my watercolour panel. The image was soft and some of the edges bled when the water droplets blurred into the petals.
Next I added marker in darker colours to the stamp then pressed it onto the still wet panel. Once it dried I splattered a few water droplets over the petals. I did like the soft look of it at this stage but it wasn’t until I added the sentiment over the top that I felt it was finished. Do you sometimes stare at a project because you know it still needs something but you’re not sure what? (if all else fails in these circumstances I add the letter background stamp!)
I would usually be hesitant to cover so much of an image with text but the contrast of dark and light as well as blurred and sharp seemed to work. To complete the card I added both brown and burgandy mats plus a little gold thread.
Supplies:
Stamps: Scarlet Majesty, Yuletide Wishes (PB)
Inks: Versafine Vintage Sepia ink (Tsukineko) worn lipstick, gathered twigs distress stains, festive berries, gathered twigs, ground espresso distress markers(Ranger)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, red cardstock, brown cardstock
Also: Clear wink of stella brush pen, Gold thread
On the lake
Posted: October 4, 2016 Filed under: On the lake | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks 12 Comments
All this week and next Penny Black is sharing sneak peeks of the new ‘Festive Wishes’ release. As usual there are beautiful stamps and dies, some which don’t need to be reserved only for Christmas. The stamp featured above, On the Lake, can be used all year round.
To create this sunset scene I stamped in versafine onyx black ink on neenah solar white cardstock. I used a misti so I could stamp several times to get a solid black image. Once the ink was totally dry I sponged blue at the top, orange then yellow above the trees. I then sponged some yellow and orange over the water and blue from the edge of the water to the bottom of the panel. It has been a while since I sponged a scene; some of you might remember I used to do it all the time!
There are more teasers on the Penny Black blog and a chance to win some product from the new release.
There is also a new One Layer Simplicity Challenge hosted by the artistic Karen Dunbrook.
Supplies
Stamps: On the lake (PB)
Ink: Versafine onyx black ink, Memento Dandelion, Tangelo and Danube blue ink(Tsukineko)
Paper: Neenah solar white paper, Neenah epic black cardstock, orange cardstock
Skyward
Posted: October 3, 2016 Filed under: Brusho, Skyward | Tags: Brusho, Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps 8 Comments
You know how much I like tree stamps, so you can imagine how delighted I was to see this delicate branch silhouette appropriately called ‘Skyward’. I created a thank you card I’ll be linking to Susan Raihala’s Gratitude Campaign
I chose to keep my design simple by adding colour with brusho. I sprinkled gamboge, lemon and dark brown brusho on a piece of watercolour paper, spritzed with water then dried it immediately with a heat tool. By limiting the amount of water and drying it quickly I was able to halt the blending of the colours. The resulting bursts of colour do a good impression of fall foliage, I think. I wanted the branches to almost fill the sky so I stamped twice overlapping some of the branches.
For the second card I used the same technique but went for a summer look. It is not clear whether my colour is sky or foliage so I am happy for it to be both.
You would think I had used blue brusho but I sprinkled leaf green, sea green and lemon. I love the way brusho is never one single colour but a mix of different coloured powders; it’s different every time.
Supplies
Stamps: Skyward, Snippets, Heartfelt (PB)
Ink: Versafine onyx black ink (Tsukineko)
Paper: hot pressed watercolour paper, orange cardstock, teal cardstock
Paint: gamboge, lemon, dark brown, sea green, leaf green brusho powder
Northern winter sky
Posted: September 30, 2016 Filed under: Brusho, Nature's Gifts, Stamped Landscapes, Woodland Beauty | Tags: Brusho, Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps 17 Comments
Some times watercolour paint does the work for you. I added a few stamped branches to turn this pretty sky into a scene but really, the blended colours were almost enough by themselves.
I did have a basic plan but the blending was magic that happened when I walked away. I positioned a frisket film mask in the top right then sprinkled four colours of brusho on the panel of watercolour paper. Using a wet brush I blended the colours creating a hard edge at the bottom and adding water to the upper part of the panel. Once I had wet the whole upper area I tilted the panel so the colour blended from yellow to pink to purple and blue. At this point I had to go and teach a mini class so I was gone for an hour.
When I returned my panel was dry and all blended in the pretty pattern you see above – magic! I added the berry branches here and there, an extra shadow for a snow bank and a sentiment.
Supplies
Stamps: Woodland Beauty, Nature’s Gifts, Festive Cheer (PB)
Ink: Versafine onyx black ink (Tsukineko)
Paper: hot pressed watercolour paper, Neenah epic black paper
Paint: Violet, ultramarine, crimson, yellow brusho powder
Wintry Trail
Posted: September 29, 2016 Filed under: Wintry Trail | Tags: Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Versafine inks 14 Comments
The new ‘Wintry Trail’ stamp from Penny Black is one that you can add a lot of colour step by step or a little colour behind black silhouette stamping. I chose the silhouette style for this winter scene. I painted a deep blue sky and a paler snowy or icy ground. As I painted I intended the ‘ground’ to be covered in snow but as I look at the photos I think it looks a little like the ice of a frozen pond reflecting the colour of the sky.
I have seen skies as blue as this one while ski-ing in the Gatineau hills. The contrast of snow and trees is dramatic and beautiful. To make my version I stamped the scenic stamp on hot pressed watercolour paper in versafine onyx black ink. I painted the sky first in turquoise and cobalt blue brusho and let that dry. I used a more diluted turquoise and diluted black brusho to paint the ‘ice’ and shadows. You can see there are little dots of white over the panel which means I started by flicking masking fluid over the panel.
The tiny tag is from the Gift Card Pocket die set and was just the right size for one wee word!
Thank you so much for all the lovely comments about this week’s winter watercolours. I’m glad you enjoyed them and would love to hear if you tried any of the same techniques.
Supplies
Stamps: Wintry Trail, Holiday Snippets (PB)
Dies: Gift Card Pocket
Ink: Versafine onyx black ink, blue lagoon ink (Tsukineko)
Paper: hot pressed watercolour paper, Neenah epic black paper
Paint: Turquoise, Cobalt Blue, Black brusho powder
Also: Daler Rowney masking fluid, Silver cord
Twinkling twigs
Posted: September 28, 2016 Filed under: Into the sky | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Versafine inks 14 Comments
When I saw this ‘Into the Sky‘ stamp, I immediately thought of an inspiration pic I had found a while back. It just so happens that my first use of this stamp does not have the twigs reaching into the sky but quite the opposite.
I pulled out one of my panels splattered with masking fluid then stamped the twig stamp multiple times in weathered wood and stormy sky stains. To turn the stamped images into soft background I painted water over the stamping which softened both the twig image and the colour. Next I painted worn lipstick, weathered wood and stormy sky stain over the whole panel keeping bottom left corner light and graduating to darker colour in the opposite corner. Once that dried I stamped ‘into the sky’ again in Versafine onyx black and smokey gray inks so I would have some sharp foreground images over the blurred background twigs. I knew I would have some bright white dots when I removed the masking fluid but I wanted some light dots on the tips of the twigs also to look like water drops. To create those dots I used a paintbrush to add little drops of water at the end of twigs; I let the water sit and absorb some stain colour for a minute then dabbed with a paper towel.
I finished it off with some splatters of platinum liquid metal to add sparkle here and there. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted a sentiment or not but I looked through a stack of options and decided the tiny miracles phrase worked, both the words and the shape of the stamp.
Supplies
Stamps: Into the sky, Season’s Gifts(PB)
Paints: Platinum liquid metal (Ken Oliver)
Ink: Versafine onyx black and smokey gray ink(Tsukineko), worn lipstick, weathered wood, stormy sky distress stains (Ranger)
Paper: hot pressed Fabriano watercolour paper, Neenah Epic black cardstock
Berry Kissed
Posted: September 27, 2016 Filed under: Berry kissed | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress inks, Ranger Distress stains 11 Comments
This pretty new berry stamp doesn’t have to be saved for winter cards; I’ve already used it in fall colours and could see it popping up in a spring bouquet also. Even today’s card, which I will use at Christmas time, is not in traditional red and green.
I began with a watercolour panel splattered with masking fluid. If you are wondering how I splatter masking fluid I have a video on my youtube channel showing my method. I taped the panel to a firm surface and painted water over the whole area. I inked the stamp with milled lavender and bundled sage distress stains then stamped onto the wet paper. The colours immediately diluted and once dry I was left with pale shadowy background images. I inked the stamp again, this time with ground espresso, seedless preserves and forest moss distress markers. I stamped over the shadowy background then painted extra forest moss distress stain onto the leaves to create dimension. Once the ink dried I removed the masking fluid, added a partial sentiment in brown and a dark green mat.
Supplies:
Stamps: Berry kissed, Festive Cheer (PB)
Inks: Versafine Vintage Sepia ink (Tsukineko) milled lavender, bundled sage, forest moss distress stains, seedless preserves, forest moss, ground espresso distress markers (Ranger)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, olive green cardstock
Also: masking fluid
Lamplit
Posted: September 26, 2016 Filed under: Cones & berries, Woodland Beauty | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains 10 Comments
Today I have a ‘vintagy’ lamp-post card to share. ‘Vintagy’ because it is a different to my recent ‘vintage watercolour’ cards; it has more colour. My vintage style cards are often brown + black + one more colour but this one still looks a little old despite its red, blue, green and yellow inks.
I worked on a hot pressed watercolour paper panel with some masking fluid splattered over it. I stamped the lamp post in black and brown distress inks then blended the colours with a paintbrush on the paper. Before stamping I wiped the ink off the candle inside the lamp so I could use lighter ink later to paint it later. To create the swag decorating lamp I stamped the end of a branch from the woodland beauty set in gathered twigs distress ink. I drew red berries with a barn door distress marker and painted little pine needles in, yes, ‘pine needles’ distress stain then drew the candle in smokey gray and spiced marmalade distress markers.
To give the sky some depth I used three blue stains to paint around the lamp, leaving a small snowy hill white at the bottom of the panel. I blended some of the orange from the candle flame with water to fill the lamp and surrounding area. The edges are sponged in ‘vintage photo; and the sentiment stamped in vintage sepia all in keeping with my goal of a vintagy card!
It’s winter watercolours on the blog each day this week so I’ll see you tomorrow with some berries.
Supplies:
Stamps: Cones & Berries, Woodland Beauty, Yuletide wishes (PB)
Inks: Versafine Vintage sepia ink (Tsukineko) tumbled glass, broken china, salty ocean, pine needles distress stains, barn door, spiced marmalade distress markers, vintage photo, black soot distress inks (Ranger)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper
Also: masking fluid
Heather Telford 