Love never gives up
Posted: March 8, 2017 Filed under: Garden Charmers | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress inks, Ranger Distress stains 4 Comments
I`m happy to have some more colouring to share and another new PB stamp. I haven`t managed daily colouring for Kathy Racoosin’s 30day colouring challenge but I am enjoying it whenever I get the chance.
To begin this panel I splattered spun sugar and old paper distress stains over a piece of hot pressed watercolour paper, spritzed it, then dried it. Next I flicked droplets of spun sugar distress stain over the panel and dried them. I was after a vintage, slightly stained look. I used vintage photo distress ink to stamp the branch from the ‘garden charmers set’ then painted the flowers and leaves with the distress stains listed below. The vintage photo ink mixed with the pink and green stains to make it look aged. I then stamped the branch again but with second generation stamping to get paler images around the painted one. Finally I stamped and embossed the 1 Corinthians verse from the ‘All Great Things’ set.
I finished the card with a dark brown mat and a piece of French hemp twine from the 1800’s!
Supplies:
Stamps: Garden Charmers, All Great Things(PB)
Inks: vintage photo distress ink, spun sugar, old paper & worn lipstick distress stains (Ranger) vintage sepia versafine ink (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Hot pressed Fabriano watercolour paper, Olive Green cardstock
Also: clear embossing powder, vintage hemp twine
Purple Poppies
Posted: March 7, 2017 Filed under: A moment in time | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains 4 Comments
I am a guest of the lovely Foiled Fox team today so please head over to their blog to read about this card. If you haven’t visited The Foiled Fox before I encourage you to do so today. Not only will you find an inspirational blog, there is also a delightful online store full of all things art and craft.
A Sweet Friendship
Posted: March 5, 2017 Filed under: CAS, first blush | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Versafine inks 12 Comments
I hesitate to call this a ‘no line watercolour card because I can see the outline stamping quite clearly in most places. The technique is one I regularly use where I stamp with either distress stains or distress inks then blend colour out of the stamped image with a damp paint brush to fill the interior shapes, in this case petals and leaves.
I stamped the ‘first blush’ outline stamp from Penny Black in wild honey ink on cold pressed watercolour paper then stamped it on masking paper also. Believe it or not I cut a fiddly mask adequately enough to mask my first stamped image so I could stamp another overlapping the first. That is how I managed blossoms behind blossoms. With all the stamping done I picked up a small round watercolour brush (probably a size 2 or 3) and started painting worn lipstick stain into the petals. The pink stain blended with the wild honey stamped ink to make a coral colour. While the petals were still damp I dropped some spiced marmalade distress stain into the petals to give me light and dark areas. I filled the stems and leaves with forest moss stain then, when all was dry, drew some centres in the blossoms with a spiced marmalade distress marker.
To finish the card I stamped the scripture sentiment about friendship in versafine ink and coloured in the word ‘sweet’ to make it solid like the rest. I have a simpler design with this same sweet blossom stamp to share another day. I’m joining in with Kathy Racoosin’s 30 day colouring challenge again as I imagine many of you are too.
Supplies:
Stamps: first blush, faith (PB)
Cardstock: cold pressed watercolour paper, olive green cardstock
Ink: versafine olympia green & vintage sepia (Tsukineko) forest moss, worn lipstick, spiced marmalade distress stains, wild honey distress ink (Ranger)
Little Secret
Posted: February 27, 2017 Filed under: a little secret, CAS | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress inks, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Versafine inks 14 Comments
I’m playing with layers in today’s card, both layers of stamping and layers of painting. I used a couple of colours of distress stain to create the background on hot pressed watercolour paper. I painted with both chipped sapphire and stormy sky, keeping the colour dark on the left and pale on the right. After I had done one layer I dried it then painted another layer. While the second layer was still wet I stamped the ‘a little secret’ stamp in chipped sapphire ink, taking care as I inked it to leave the birds uninked. I let that dry and stamped again in chipped sapphire to get an image which didn’t soften and bleed. With the panel dry I dropped some water droplets onto the painted background then after a minute or so dried them with paper towel. The watermark left behind looks like light or a moon in the distance. To finish I stamped the full stamp in versafine onyx black ink.
You can see the deckled edge in the close up above. I buy quite a bit of hot pressed watercolour paper in large sheets and each sheet has two deckled edges which occasionally I incorporate into my projects. I mounted the panel on a white card base and left it without a sentiment.
Thanks for dropping by.
Supplies
Stamps: a little secret (PB)
Inks: chipped sapphire, stormy sky distress stains and inks(Ranger), versafine onyx black (Tsukineko)
Paper: Fabriano hot pressed watercolour paper
Peony Pink
Posted: February 22, 2017 Filed under: Peony | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains 16 Comments
The new ‘Bliss’ release from Penny Black includes some of the beautiful brushstroke stamps I love using. They are pretty in a single colour but are perfect for creating ‘painterly’ images with several colours. To create this card I used distress stains and a stamp positioning tool to add colours one at a time.
I inked flowers and bud on the Peony stamp with Victorian velvet distress stain then stamped on hot-pressed watercolor paper. Next I inked the centres of the flowers with aged mahogany distress stain and stamped. I did the leaves in forest moss distress stain next and finally the branches and twigs in vintage photo distress stain.
Using a small round watercolor brush I blended from centre of the flowers outward with water to create softly blended petals then continued to blend all stamping with a damp brush until the flower appeared more painted than stamped. Occasionally I dabbed really wet areas with a paper towel.When I was happy with my flowers I let the image dry then splattered aged mahogany distress stain lightly around.
To complete the card I added a sentiment from Happy wishes set in versafine vintage sepia ink and attached the panel to a card base.
Supplies
Stamps: Peony, Happy Wishes (PB)
Inks: Victorian velvet, aged mahogany, vintage photo, forest moss distress stains, aged mahogany, vintage photo distress marker (Ranger), versafine vintage sepia (Tsukineko)
Paper: Fabriano hot pressed watercolour paper
The world with you
Posted: February 17, 2017 Filed under: Hand lettered, World Map | Tags: Darkroom Door stamps, Hand lettering, Ranger Distress stains 13 Comments
This vintage looking map card is for my husband’s birthday today. I am not suggesting he is vintage, far from it as he is only one week older than me! I used the world map background stamp from Darkroom Door and distress stains to give it an aged look. I began by stamping the image on hot pressed watercolour paper in versafine onyx black. Versafine is a pigment ink so I knew it wouldn’t bleed when I added stain and water over the top. I added vintage photo distress stain over most of the panel first then followed it with more distress stain and water (colours listed below) loosely filling the oceans in blue and the land in yellow and green.
When the panel dried I added some water splatter and stain splatter. Up until this point the process had been fairly quick but then I started playing with sentiment ideas. The one on the card is probably attempt no.217! I went through several different wordings and a couple of paper types and nibs before I resorted to something simple. Once I had written it satisfactorily I dropped water on it, extra stain and added a little postmark which just happens to be from a place where I lived the year before we were married. Sweet words like “I’d travel the world with you” were not to be. Don’t get me wrong I would travel the world with him and did travel from one side to the other 16 years ago. My simple wish with a pointed pen and ink and lots of love!
Supplies
Stamps: World Map, Correspondence (Darkroom Door)
Inks: versafine onyx black (tsukineko) vintage photo, broken china, mustard seed, bundled sage, ground espresso distress stains & inks (Ranger) Mocha writing ink (Parker)
Pens or pencils: handmade nib holder (Foiled Fox)
Papers: hot pressed 100% cotton watercolour paper (Fabriano) natural white 110lb cardstock(Neenah)
African Trees 2 Ways
Posted: January 23, 2017 Filed under: African Trees, Darkroom Door | Tags: Darkroom Door stamps, Ranger Distress inks, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Memento inks 14 Comments
I have something new to share with you today, some stamps from my homeland! No, not Africa, Australia. The images are of African trees but the stamps themselves are from Darkroom Door in Australia. I have recently added Darkroom Door designs to my teaching schedule so I will also be sharing some projects here on the blog. My first class with Darkroom Door stamps is in February; it features these trees and you can find it on my Upcoming Classes page.
I decided to make two cards of similar design but with different techniques. On the one above I painted a distress stain background to create a graduated wash then stamped the trees in distress inks. I did first and second generation stamping to get some paler more distant trees. I stamped and spritzed the darker foreground trees then painted grass at the base.
The second card doesn’t include any watercolouring. I began by brayering a pale green sky, dark at the bottom and pale at the top. I used first and second generation stamping again to add background trees then sponged some ground at the base and stamped darker trees followed by even darker ground. I like the misty feel of this one; I haven’t been to the African plains but I think maybe they look a bit like this in the early morning or perhaps when its very dry and dust is in the air.
Supplies:
Stamps: African Trees (Darkroom Door)
Inks: Memento new sprout, bamboo leaves, olive grove (Tsukineko) & Distress peeled paint, forest moss stains and inks (Ranger)
Cardstock: hot pressed watercolour paper, neenah natural white cardstock, co-ordinating green cardstock
Love you still
Posted: January 19, 2017 Filed under: Penny Black, Red blush | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress inks, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Versafine inks 4 Comments
Today I am featuring another new stamp from the ‘Follow your Heart’ release, this rose stamp is called ‘red blush’ something I did not realise when I designed my yellow and orange card!
I used a stamp positioner for this card so I could create a watery image initially but still be able to add some definition over the top once the first stamping had dried. I began by spritzing water down the left hand side of the panel. I inked the rose with wild honey, peeled paint and forest moss distress stain then stamped it and let the colour blend into damp area of paper. Where the stamp had hit dry paper I used a paint brush to blend colour into the petals, stem and leaves. I let the panel dry before inking and stamping the right hand side of the rose again to add definition. I stamped the sentiment next in vintage sepia ink.
At this point in my creative process I decided to add script background around the rose and sentiment so I masked both with post-it notes and stamped the stamped in wild honey distress ink and lightly spritzed a couple of places. I also sponged wild honey distress ink around the edges then matted the panel in olive green and added some cotton thread wrapped around the bottom of the panel and secured with a bow.
Thank you for stopping by to see my ‘Follow your heart‘ projects. You might have noticed that my projects this week were not strictly Valentine cards more cards that could be given to loved ones any time. Do you make and give Valentine cards?
Supplies
Stamps: Red blush, Forever & Always , Script(PB)
Ink: forest moss, wild honey, peeled paint distress stains, wild honey distress ink (Ranger) versafine vintage sepia ink (Tsukineko)
Also: cotton thread
Paper: hotpressed 100% cotton watercolour paper, olive green cardstock
Joy
Posted: December 24, 2016 Filed under: Into the sky, manger | Tags: color burst, liquid metals, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, WOW embossing powders 13 Comments
Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love,
And wonders of his love,
And wonders, wonders, of his love.
Supplies
Stamps: Into the sky, Joy filled (PB)
Die: manger (PB)
Paints: indigo, terre verte colorburst & Platinum liquid metal(Ken Oliver)
Ink: Encore gold ink(Tsukineko) evergreen bough, pine needles, crushed olive, forest moss distress stains ( Ranger)
Paper: hot pressed Fabriano watercolour paper, shimmer gold paper
Also: metallic rich embossing powder (WOW)
Tranquil in watercolour
Posted: November 11, 2016 Filed under: Tranquil | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress inks, Ranger Distress stains, Speedball elegant writer, Tsukineko Versafine inks 5 Comments
I’ve already posted two cards this week made with the scenic stamp, ‘tranquil’; this is my last one for now in a much looser watercolour style. On the previous two cards I stamped the image in versafine ink and it was sharp against a watercolour sky.
To create this scene I inked the tree in pine needles distress ink and the fence and ground in vintage photo distress ink and stamped it on cold pressed watercolour paper. I added shadows to the stamping with a black elegant writer pen then spritzed the panel with water to soften the whole image and let colours blend a little. I painted the sky with broken china distress stain to fill the rest of the panel, then added a sentiment in black ink.
Supplies
Stamps: Tranquil, Winter Joy (PB)
Ink: vintage photo, pine needles, broken china distress ink (Ranger) versafine onyx black ink (Tsukineko) elegant writer pen (Speedball)
Paper: cold pressed watercolour paper
Heather Telford 