Playing with the skyline 2

Posted: January 13, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: CAS, Skyline, Watercolour | Tags: CAS, Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Memento inks | 4 Comments

Here are the third and fourth cards made with watercolour and the skyline stamp. Yesterday’s cards were done by stamping with Memento dye inks onto wet watercolour paper. Today’s cards were once again stamped with Memento dye inks but stamped onto dry watercolour paper. To create the top card I inked the top of the stamp and pressed it onto the panel at an angle to make sure I didn’t get more of the stamp than I wanted. I started with the blue stamping up the top and blended with a waterbrush immediately after stamping. I pulled the ink down blending with water to fade to no colour quickly. I then repeated the process with green ink then the other colours.

The lower card started out as wet into dry except for one swipe of water horizontally across the bottom of the panel. I inked the stamp with Memento markers, taking care not to ink to the bottom of the stamp. I stamped onto the panel so that the bottom of the stamp landed in the swipe of water then immediately pulled the ink down into the water. When I had blended the colour on the buildings and in the swipe it was fairly pale, not quite the impact I was after. I decided to add more colour to the buildings with distress stains so I swiped water horizontally again and then painted each building with a distress stain which was a similar colour to the ink I had first stamped with. I ended up with the basically the same design but the colour was more intense and the swipe was full of pretty blended colour.

(surprised and pleased to see my card when browsing Ellen Hutson’s instagram from CHA today http://instagram.com/p/jFTJZkjj6X/)

Supplies:

Stamps: Skyline, Summer Fun, Sweet Wishes (PB)
Inks: Memento Rhubarb stalk, Potter’s Clay, Danube Blue, Cottage Ivy, Dandelion, Cantaloupe, Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko)
Distress Stains: Barn door, Faded jeans, Spiced marmalade, Vintage photo, Mustard Seed (Ranger)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% & 25% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper

Playing with the skyline 1

Posted: January 12, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: CAS, Skyline, Watercolour | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 15 Comments

As you can see I have been playing around with one stamp: Skyline, a Penny Black slapstick cling stamp. It took some trial and error to achieve four designs. There were another four that ended up in the recycling. As I have said before with watercolour there is a lot of trial and error.

For these designs I stamped only the top part of the stamp each time. Today’s panels I initially stamped onto wet paper; tomorrow I will post the ones stamped onto dry paper. The paper was not soaking wet but damp enough for some bleed to occur. On the second card I used Memento markers in a few places when the paper was almost dry to darken the colour and add a few missing edges. I then blended the marker ink with a little more water. On both of these designs I painted a pale wash over the sky area after stamping the buildings.

Supplies:

Stamps: Enjoy Life, Skyline, Thanks, thanks (PB)
Inks: Memento Elderberry, Rhubarb stalk, Danube Blue, Summer Sky, Dandelion, Angel Pink, Cantaloupe, Bamboo leaves, London Fog, Paris Dusk, Bahama Blue & Versafine Majestic Blue (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% & 25% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper

Watercolour daisies 2 ways

Posted: January 9, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Flower Festival, Watercolour | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Memento inks | 21 Comments

These two cards demonstrate the difference between two watercolour techniques. (Sorry there is no video tutorial for these two) The top card was created using the ‘wet into wet’ technique and the bottom card the ‘wet into dry’ technique.

Wet into Wet card
I wet the whole panel of watercolour paper, inked the stamp in orange and green Memento inks then stamped it onto the wet paper. Immediately colour bled and spread. I waited a little while before restamping the image and painting more colour onto the petals and stems with distress inks. I blended with water and worked with the colours for a while before I was satisfied with the flowers. I dampened the background area again before adding some blue to blend with the colours from the flowers.

Wet into Dry card

I stamped the image once again with Memento inks but this time onto dry paper. I used a small paintbrush to paint distress stains onto the image. I blended colours and added water inside the lines but rarely let the colours bleed out into the rest of the panel. I flicked ink onto the panel when the flowers were complete.

I did both these panels as experiments and as I was doing them I did not think the ‘wet into wet’ would make it onto a card. It was just looking too messy. I kept going with the inks and background and finished it anyway but was not too hopeful. When I came back the next day and saw the two attempts dry I was quite happy with both. If you are interested in these techniques just play around with the water: a little more, a little less, sometimes you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Supplies:

Stamps: Flower Festival, Summer Fun, Friendship(Penny Black)
Inks: Distress stains Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Peeled Paint, Broken China, Vintage Photo & Memento inks Bamboo Leaves, Tangelo
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Mix and match Grand Canyon paper

Elegant Garden

Posted: January 6, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Watercolour | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 12 Comments

The latest Penny Black release features some elegant hearts and flowers in time for making Valentine cards. Visit the Penny Black blog for details of their latest challenge and chance to win stamps.

I had a scrap of watercolour paper covered with flecks of masking fluid. I dampened it then stamped the Corinthians verse as background. When the paper was a little drier I stamped the flowers inked with green and red. I used a paintbrush to add more ink to the leaves and petals. When it was dry I rubbed off the masking fluid and added the sentiment.

I recently changed my blog address; I am still with wordpress but the blog is self hosted now. If you are reading this you were probably redirected without any trouble but if you would like to update your reader or bookmark the new address is cards.heathertelford.com

Thanks for all the encouragement following my first watercolour tutorial. I am so glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the positive feedback.

Supplies:

Inks: Memento Rhubarb Stalk, Bamboo leaves (Tsukineko)
Stamps: Enchanted Garden, From the Heart, Love Chapter
Cardstock: Neenah Classic Cream, Fabriano 25% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Penny Black Mix & Match Olive Grove paper
Also: Winsor & Newton Masking Fluid

Winter Watercolour Tutorial

Posted: January 4, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Before the Snow, Stamped Landscapes, Tutorial, Watercolour | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks, Tutorial | 37 Comments

Here is the first of my watercolour tutorials. I have used only one image stamp and one basic technique. There are several different techniques I use when creating watercolour scenes and cards because different stamps lend themselves to different approaches. I plan to cover more techniques in future tutorials.

I stress in the video that watercolouring is never the same twice and you cannot predict how the colours will blend and bleed in each scene. It is worth playing around with for a while to work out the amount of water to add to the paper, how long to let it dry between stamping images and how much colour to add and blend when creating backgrounds.

Here is a list of other cards made using the technique shown in this tutorial. Noel, Watercolour Night Sky, Watercolour Snowstorm, Poppies in a Field, Watercolour Sympathy.

Thanks for dropping in.

Supplies:
Stamps: Before the Snow, Flourish Thank you (PB)
Inks: Memento Cottage Ivy, Danube Blue & Versafine Majestic Blue (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper
Also: Winsor & Newton Masking Fluid

Die cut blooms

Posted: January 2, 2014 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Bashful, CAS, Dies, Enjoy | Tags: Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 15 Comments

I have a card to share today made using a Penny Black creative die which co-ordinates with a stamp from the transparent set Enjoy. The stamp and die are not the same size but the image is very similar. My colour scheme was almost the same for the panel and the die cuts. I sponged the top third of the panel in memento summer sky, the bottom third in olive grove and pistachio, then added dandelion in the middle. I inked the flower stamp with olive grove and cantaloupe memento markers and stamped on the background panel. I sponged the flowers with the same olive grove and dandelion then added canteloupe over parts of the petals.

I have been busy on some projects I will be sharing later. Several people have asked me specific questions about the watercolouring I have been doing lately. i plan to work on a water colour tutorial next I do so I will answer as many of the questions as possible in my tutorial. Stay tuned…

Supplies:

Stamps: Gratitude, Enjoy (PB)
Inks: Memento Summer Sky, Cantaloupe, Dandelion, Olive Grove, Pistachio (Tsukineko)
Dies: Bashful
Cardstock: PB Mix & Match Olive Grove

Noel

Posted: December 24, 2013 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Stamped Landscapes, Tannenbaum, Watercolour | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 22 Comments

I would like to wish you a wonderful Christmas. Thank you for visiting here and encouraging me with your comments. I appreciate all the kind words, I am happy to answer questions when I can and yes, I am hoping to make some tutorials in the new year! I have met many lovely people through blogging, most only in the virtual world but some I have been privileged to meet in person. I hope to get to know more of you in the year to come.

I pray that you will know the peace that Jesus can give this Christmas and that you will experience God’s blessing in your life in the new year.

Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord,
That hath made heaven and earth of nought,
And with his blood mankind has bought.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

Supplies:
Stamps: Tannenbaum, Noel (PB)
Inks: Memento Cottage Ivy, Summer Sky, Danube Blue, Love Letter & Versafine Majestic Blue (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper
Also: Winsor & Newton Masking Fluid

Instructions for a similar scene

Trees at Sunset

Posted: December 23, 2013 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Before the Snow, Stamped Landscapes | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 15 Comments

There are quite a few cards on the blog using this lovely tree stamp Before the snow ; you can find them here.

How to create a layer of snow on branches: Winter Berry Branch tutorial
How to create snow banks: Snowy Tree Tutorial

Hark! the herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”

Supplies:

Stamps: Before the Snow, Yuletide Greetings (PB)
Inks: Memento Cantaloupe, Angel Pink, Summer Sky & Versafine Olympia Green, Versamark(Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Penny Black mix & match coral reef paper
Also: Clear Embossing Powder

Christmas Reds & Greens

Posted: December 22, 2013 | Author: Heather | Filed under: CAS, Christmas reds and greens, Stamped Landscapes | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 6 Comments

During these last few days before Christmas I have a few more cards to share. Some of them are similar to others I have already posted so I won’t go into great detail about the making process. Where possible I’ll direct you to any helpful instructions. This card was the precursor to this card: Berries in Snow. This one is a simpler design and the snowbank masks were torn not cut.

Supplies:

Stamps: Christmas Reds and Greens, Robin’s Wish (PB)
Inks: Memento Pistachio, Summer Sky, Lady Bug & Versamark (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Penny Black mix & match olive grove paper
Also: Clear Embossing Powder

Merry Christmas with holly

Posted: December 21, 2013 | Author: Heather | Filed under: A Wish for Peace, CAS, Dies | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Memento inks | 6 Comments

These two cards are the result of some playing around with distress stains on watercolour paper. For the one above I stamped the holly (in memento ink) and coloured it(with distress stain) first, added the background (distress stain) with a paintbrush and stamped the letter background (memento ink) over everything. For the ornaments below I painted a wash of blue first and stamped the holly and music over the wash. Because the distress stain and the memento ink are both dye inks the colour intensified when I painted green over the blue background. The baubles were cut using the Penny Black die “ornaments.”

I finally sat down yesterday and wrote in 90% of my Christmas cards. I still have a few to write. Yes, I know there are only a few days before Christmas Day, but there are twelve days of Christmas aren’t there?

(the card above has balance issues; can you see them?)

Supplies:

Stamps: A Wish for Peace, Music Background, Letter Background, Dear Friend (PB)
Creative Dies: Ornaments, Love & Joy (PB)
Inks: Memento Pistachio, Summer Sky, Lady Bug (Tsukineko) Broken China & Peeled Paint Distress Stains (Ranger)
Cardstock: Penny Black mix & match olive grove paper, Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper
Also: Red ribbon from Lorraine’s stash