Ski slopes

Posted: February 17, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Christmas Park, Tutorial, Watercolour | Tags: CAS, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Memento inks | 19 Comments

It is my husband, Andrew’s birthday today and this is the card I made for him. Now that he has opened it I can publish it here. I actually made it two days ahead which is a bit of a record for me. I hate to say it but I often make my family’s cards late the night before or even the morning of the birthday. He has been enjoying skiing in Gatineau Park this winter so I attempted a few ski slopes with a little music motif as well because he is also a musician. The plan is to go skiing today after a family breakfast and then tonight our family will attend the Ottawa Symphony concert where our elder daughter is playing.

Not only did I make the card ahead of time I remembered to take photos along the way. For a change I used cold pressed watercolour paper. It is more textured so the ink pools in the ‘dents’ a little. I taped a piece to my work table then painted Tumbled Glass distress ink onto the sky area. I painted several layers for a strong colour then painted two snow bank shadows by painting the ink on in a curved line then immediately blending water into the ink to dilute and spread it up the panel.

Next I cut a mask to match the top snow bank so I could stamp trees above it.

I inked the stamp with two greens, spritzed it with water then stamped it over the mask. I spritzed some water onto the panel to make the colour bleed a little

Before stamping trees on the next slope I masked the two lower banks to keep them white.

I inked the music background stamp in brown, wiped some of the ink off, stamped on scrap then stamped onto the watercolour panel.

To complete the panel I sponged some brown around the edges. When I removed the painter’s tape I remembered I had left more blank space at the bottom which made it look a little like a polaroid. On the rare occasions I do go skiing I usually wish I had my camera with me to capture the beauty but it is too heavy and my skiing style too unstable to take the risk of carrying it with me.

Supplies:
Stamps: Christmas Park, Summer Fun (PB)
Inks: Memento Cottage Ivy, Northern Pine, Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko)
Distress Stains: Tumbled Glass
Cardstock: Strathmore 140lb cold pressed watercolour paper

Soft Whisper

Posted: February 11, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Soft Whisper, Watercolour | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 19 Comments

I was very happy to see this beautiful big branches stamp in the new collection as I love trees stamps. I continued with the watercolour theme beginning by masking a moon and creating a blended blue sky. I then used post-it notes masks to create some sponged hills before adding the large “Soft Whispers” stamp. I inked the stamp in green and blue, spritzed it then pressed it on the panel. I used a stamp positioner so I could stamp again adding more emphasis to the edge of the main branch. To finish I sponged around the edges with nautical blue ink to frame the panel.

I am looking forward to pulling this stamp out again for both backgrounds and feature panels.

Supplies:

Stamps: Soft Whisper, Special Wishes (PB)
Inks: Memento Nautical Blue, Cottage Ivy, Summer Sky & Versafine Majestic Blue (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper

Negative space rose

Posted: February 9, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Love Chapter, Rose | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 17 Comments

I found this rose panel under a pile of scraps a few days ago. I had created it back when I was making this card. When die cutting a negative rose mask out of masking paper to sponge through I naturally ended up with a rose out of masking paper too. I stuck that on the watercolour block and used some Memento pink and green inks that were open on my table. I painted diluted ink over the mask which did make the masking paper a little waterlogged but I let it dry completely before I peeled it off. I used the 1 Corinthians text stamp to add background interest and sponged a little Sweet Plum in the corner before adding a fading green sentiment.

Have a lovely week.

Supplies:

Stamps:   Letter background, Love Chapter
Creative Dies: Rose
Inks:  Memento Sweet Plum, Angel Pink, Bamboo Leaves (Tsukineko)
Cardstock:  Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper

Warm toned collage

Posted: February 8, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Cupcake Day, Fancy Flourish, Twirls | Tags: Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Memento inks | 15 Comments

I am not quite sure what style this card would be. Perhaps Vintage floral grunge with a side of chalkboard?? I had fun layering colour, particularly a few yummy sounding distress inks. I don’t have many distress inks but I surprised myself in realising that spiced marmalade is currently my favourite. I rarely reach for orange inks, or orange anything really, but the spiced marmalade is just so rich and bright and happy and yes, yummy. And that wild honey sounds nice too.

I brayered Antique Linen and Wild Honey on the cream panel as a base. Next I added some text inked with Spiced Marmalade and spritzed with water in a couple of places. On the left side and in the corner of the panel I stamped the flourish strip from the Twirls set. I chose one of the new chalkboard style sentiments which I stamped in water first to create some watermarks then brown ink. When dry I used a marker to add black shadowing down the left hand side of some of the letters. To complete the panel I used the same inks to colour and stamp a scrap of card out of which I die cut the fancy flourish. I matted the panel in dark brown then added some stamping and sponging to the card base.

Thanks for all the lovely comments you left on my watercolour florals this week both here and on the PB blog. It is a thrill to get such positive feedback on my designs and the wonderful new stamps.

Supplies:

Stamps: Cupcake Day , Twirls , Letter background(PB)
Inks: Memento Espresso Truffle (Tsukineko) & DistressWalnut Stain, Antique Linen, Wild Honey
Distress Stains: Spiced Marmalade, Vintage Photo (Ranger)
Creative Dies: Fancy Flourish

Promise me tulips

Posted: February 7, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: CAS, Promise Me, Watercolour | Tags: CAS, Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 7 Comments

This lovely tulip stamp is just one of the six new ‘brush stroke’ stamps in the new Happy Everything catalogue. Surprise, surprise I chose to watercolour with it. This time I used the ‘wet into wet’ technique described in my recent butterfly tutorial. I inked the stamp in green and plum then pressed it onto wet watercolour paper. All the colour in the background of the panel was created this way right at the beginning. When the paper was almost dry I re-inked the stamp and stamped it again this time achieving the more defined flower heads and leaves. I picked up some green and some plum ink on a paintbrush and flicked it onto the panel when totally dry.

The festivities continue today on the Penny Black blog: more inspiration, giveaways and a contest

Supplies:

Stamps: Promise Me, Special Wishes (PB)
Inks: Memento Sweet Plum, Cottage Ivy (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper

More from the Garden

Posted: February 5, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Garden Letter, Hollyhocks, Interlocking, Watercolour | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Memento inks | 3 Comments

This is my second post for today. I’m posting some of the same cards featured on the Penny Black blog today with a little explanation of my techniques. If you haven’t visited the PB blog yet this week make sure you do as there are giveaways and a new contest. All the new ‘Happy Everything’ release is available in the online store today.

Both the Hollyhock and Garden Letter cards were made using some watercolour techniques but not the same way I made the poppy cards in the previous poppies post. To create the Garden Letter collage card above I wet the paper first then stamped first in Memento Pistachio ink which bled enough to lose most of its definition but not so much that I couldn’t see where the images were. I used a paintbrush, Memento inks and Ranger Distress stains to add colour to the bird, butterfly and flowers. To finish I re-inked the stamp selectively in Memento Rich Cocoa and re-stamped the design.

Supplies:

Stamps: Garden Letter, Special Wishes (PB)
Inks: Memento Rich Cocoa, Pistachio, Pear Tart (Tsukineko)
Distress Stains: Victorian Velvet, Crushed Olive (Ranger)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper

I used a similar technique to create the Hollyhocks panel, inking the stamp with green and pink markers and stamping it on watercolour paper. I spritzed the image taking card to direct the spray from left to right so the image did not bleed everywhere. I used a paintbrush to spread and direct the ink where I wanted it then re-inked parts of the stamp with markers then re-stamped to give the flowers and stems more definition. I coloured the flower centres with a watercolour pencil. The panel is popped up on a diecut mat cut with the new Interlocking die.

Supplies:

Stamps: Hollyhocks, Special Wishes (PB)
Pencils: Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils (Faber-Castell)
Inks: Memento Rosebud, Bamboo leaves, Olive Grove (Tsukineko)
Creative Dies: Interlocking (PB)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper

Poppies Galore

Posted: February 5, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Field of Dreams, Poppy Patch, Poppy Pattern, Watercolour | Tags: Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils, Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 10 Comments

All this week on the Penny Black blog you can see projects made using the products from the new Happy Everything collection. The blog is featuring designs from several members of the design team and you will find plenty of inspiration when you pop over there. You will also find the details of a new contest and give away.

All the new products go on sale today in the online store. ( I have included links in my supplies sections)

The card above was made using the “Poppy Parade” stamp and the new poppy die “Field of Dreams”. If you know me you will probably have guessed that this card is features three tiles because my full design didn’t work out! I inked the stamp in green and orange with markers, spritzed it and stamped on damp watercolour paper. It bled a little then I began adding more colour with Memento inks and watercolour pencils. I continued the poppy theme using the diecut ‘Field of Dreams’ as a base for the sentiment.

Supplies:

Stamps: Poppy Parade, Special Wishes (PB)
Pencils: Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils (Faber-Castell)
Inks: Memento Tangelo, Bamboo leaves, Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Creative Dies: Field of Dreams (PB)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper

Poppies feature several times in the new ‘Happy Everything’ collection including in this large background sized brush-stroke stamp. I inked the stamp with markers and stamped it onto watercolour paper then spritzed the paper to encourage the colours to bleed a little. I then created palette of Memento Rhubarb stalk ink by impressing the stamp pad onto an acrylic block. I picked up ink from the palette and painted it on as well as using watercolour pencils to add colour especially to the centres of the flowers. I painted a pale blue background around the flowers. The sentiment is one of eight new die cut sentiments.

Supplies:

Stamps: Poppy Pattern(PB)
Pencils: Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils (Faber-Castell)
Inks: Memento Rhubarb Stalk, Bamboo leaves, Tuxedo Black, Dandelion (Tsukineko)
Creative Dies: Celebrations (PB)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper

Butterfly Chapter

Posted: February 4, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Butterfly Chapter, Watercolour, Wishes | Tags: Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils, Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 9 Comments

Penny Black is revealing designs and projects from the new ‘Happy Everything’ catalog all week and I have another card featuring a new stamp and die cut today. Check out the PB blog today to see Elizabeth’s wonderful creations and find out about the new contest also.

To create the picture panel for today’s card I stamped on watercolour paper with Memento Teal Zeal ink. I then added all my colour with watercolour pencils. As the Memento ink is a water-based dye ink it blended with the watercolour pencils as I coloured. I used a waterbrush to pick up colour from the lead of the pencil then painted it onto the panel blending with more water when a paler colour was desired. The mat is Purple Mountain Mix & Match paper stamped with the letter background stamp. The word die is new from the ‘Wishes’ set. Gluing those little cut outs from inside the letter loops was downright finicky. Any suggestions will be gratefully received!

I expect you will see more of this stamp from me; it is so delicate and pretty.

Supplies:

Stamps: Butterfly Chapter (PB)
Pencils: Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils Night Green 155, Blue Violet 137, Ochre 184, Light Orange 113 (Faber-Castell)
Inks: Memento Teal Zeal (Tsukineko)
Creative Dies: Wishes (PB)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, PB Mix & match Purple Mountain

Botanical Notes

Posted: February 3, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Botanical Notes, Watercolour | Tags: Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 16 Comments

New stamps, new dies and new stencils are on display all this week on the Penny Black blog! Designs that you might have seen in sneak peeks during CHA will be featured on the blog and from Wednesday will be available in the online store. I will be showing off the new stamps all this week on my blog also. Those of you longing for spring will be happy to know the new release is full of gorgeous floral designs.

This collage stamp is one of several new collages. I chose to limit my colours and use watercolour pencils with dye ink. I inked the stamp with Memento Peanut Brittle and spritzed it sparingly with water before stamping on watercolour paper. I used only two watercolour pencils to add pink and ochre to the design blending and pulling the colour with a water pen. I also added very diluted colour to the edges of the panel before popping it up on dimensional tape. The sentiment was added in Versafine toffee crunch.

Supplies:

Stamps: Botanical Notes (PB)
Pencils: Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils Gold Ochre 183, Pale Geranium Lake 121(Faber-Castell)
Inks: Memento Peanut Brittle & Versafine Toffee Crunch (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper