Watercoloured Holly

Posted: December 9, 2013 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Flourish Holly, Holly Berries, Watercolour | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 7 Comments

A week of Winter Wonderland on the Penny Black blog starts today featuring the snow scapes I love to create.

The first snow scape is a watercolour featuring holly in the foreground and shadowy trees in the background. All but one of the cards this week feature falling snow made by flicking masking fluid onto the cardstock or watercolour paper before beginning any stamping or watercolouring. The masking fluid stays on the panel until all ink is dry at which point it is easy to rub off.

To make today’s cards I created one watercoloured panel which I then cut into two for a wintry scene and a holly background. I flicked masking fluid over the watercolour paper with a toothbrush and let it dry completely. I then wet the whole panel before stamping the holly stamp several times to fill two thirds of the area. The ink bled into the wet paper losing most of its definition. I added berries with a red marker then reinked parts of the holly stamp in green to stamp over the blended green of the first impression. To complete the snowscape I painted a blue watercoloured background stamping a little branch stamp to create a blurred distant wooded area behind the holly and snow. When I want to paint with Memento ink I press the ink pad onto an acrylic block so I can add water and pick up the ink with a paintbrush. Finally I removed the masking fluid, matted both panels and added die cut holly to the card below.

Supplies:

Stamps: Flourish Holly, A better world, Glad Tiding, Season’s Wishes (PB)
Creative Dies: Holly Berries die 51-019
Inks: Memento Cottage Ivy, Danube Blue, Love Letter & Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Penny Black mix & match Spring Meadow
Also: Winsor & Newton Masking Fluid

Snow Storm

Posted: December 3, 2013 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Berry red snow white, Nature's Song, Stamped Landscapes | Tags: Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 20 Comments

This little scene ended up being considerably snowier than I first thought it would be, hence the title. I double embossed the branches using the method shown here. Extra embossing powder stuck on and around the masking fluid droplets creating the appearance of very fine snow over most of the panel. The moon and snow banks were masked after the embossing using post it note masks. I did all the sponging with one colour, Memento Paris Dusk, and knew when I had finished that I needed some red somewhere to add a little contrast. I played around with adding a little red bird but seriously, what bird would be out in the snow at night during a storm? The answer was to add the sentiment in red. After messing it up on the panel I restamped and punched the sentiment out with a tag punch and totally covered my mistake.

To finish the card I tried several positions for the panel. To position it up the top or at the bottom meant leaving a large empty white space. I don’t usually mind doing that but neither up nor down looked balanced. In the middle looked better especially with a little texture above and below the panel.

Supplies:

Stamps: Berry Red Snow White, A wish for Peace (Penny Black)
Inks: Memento Paris Dusk, Versamark , Versafine Onyx Black & Satin Red(Tsukineko)
Creative Dies: Nature’s Song
Also: Clear e.p., red ribbon

Watercoloured poppies

Posted: November 4, 2013 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Blooming Garden, Watercolour | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 18 Comments

There are various ways to watercolour with stamps; the card above was done using a method I often use when I have an outline stamp. I taped the watercolour paper to my work table and brushed water across the whole panel. While still wet I stamped the background stamp then the poppies. I inked the poppy stamp by applying the orange stamp pad to the flower head and a green stamp pad to the stems. Because the paper was still damp the ink bled a little to make a soft edge. With water and matching watercolour pencils I added colour to the petals and the stems, blending and darkening shadow areas. When the paper was almost dry I stamped over the poppies stems and seed pods to give them a bit more definition. Once the paper was completely dry I sponged blue ink in the top left hand corner and green ink in the bottom right hand corner.

Supplies:

Stamps: Damask Pattern, Blooming Garden PB)
Inks: Memento Summer Sky, Tangelo, Cantaloupe, Olive Grove (Tsukineko)
Also: Matching Faber Castell water colour pencils
Cardstock: Fabriano 25% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper

Blue Hillflowers

Posted: October 22, 2013 | Author: Heather | Filed under: CAS, Hillflowers | Tags: CAS, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 18 Comments

As I mentioned in my last post I am on the other side of the world. I am visiting my parents who live in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. My mother is currently in hospital so I have been spending part of each day visiting her with my father. When not at the hospital we have been preparing for possible evacuation due to the serious bush fires in the area. I have written a bit more and posted some photos on my other blog, Sentient. Thank you to all who have participated in my One Layer Wednesday challenge to use leaves. I have not been able to visit all of your blogs just yet. Things have been a little busy.

The card above is one of my favourites from the classes I taught in Washington last June. I started by embossing the hillflowers stamp in clear embossing powder onto white cardstock then flicked masking fluid over the whole panel. I applied the blue ink by sponging from one corner towards the other fading the colour out toward the “light source”. I only used one blue ink and finished the design by flicking some of it over the whole panel. Once all the ink was all dry I rubbed off the masking fluid to reveal the little white flecks.

Supplies:

Stamps: Hill flowers , Eloquence PB)
Inks: Memento Nautical Blue & Versamark (Tsukineko)
Also: clear embossing powder, Winsor & Newton masking fluid

White berry collage

Posted: September 28, 2013 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Background Stamps, Berry Branch, CAS, Lace Trims, Winter Berries | Tags: CAS, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 23 Comments

I made this one layer card weeks ago so I am no longer sure of my order of stamping. This is what I might have done:

position a post-it note mask
emboss winter berries in white
sponge grey ink from bottom left hand corner and teal ink from top right hand corner but keep a centre strip paler to create a highlight area
stamp letter background stamp in grey and lace border stamp in teal (lace stamp is probably patchy because I may have wiped some of the ink off on purpose.)
stamp the word ‘smile’ and the berry branch in teal

I vaguely remember dropping a stamp on the panel at some point which almost made me toss the card. Sorry I can’t be more precise; I guess it really makes sense to write about the cards as soon as I make them!

I just realized that I can add this to Karen’s One Layer Wednesday challenge this week. It is a free for all so go and check it out

Supplies:

Stamps: Berry Branch, Lace Trims, Winter Berries, Letter Background, Edge to Edge (PB)
Inks: Memento Teal Zeal, London fog & Versamark (Tsukineko)
Also: white embossing powder

Scene by the sea

Posted: September 10, 2013 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Queen Anne's Lace, Stamped Landscapes | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 12 Comments

I have used my usual sponging and masking techniques to create this scene but by masking a straight line through the sky and sponging below it I was able to give the appearance of an ocean view.

I sponged blue on the top third of the panel, green on the lower third and yellow in the middle. I then cut a hill shaped mask and sponged green below the mask, re-positoned it and sponged a second paler hill behind. I stamped the Queen Anne’s Lace in two green tones then finally positioned the straight mask to create the ocean in the distance.

The current One Layer Wednesday in on Ardyth’s blog for a few more hours (sorry for the late notice) and the new one will be on Cheryl’s blog tomorrow.

Supplies:

Stamps: Queen Anne’s Lace, Every Happiness (PB)
Inks: Memento Summer Sky, Pistachio, Olive Grove, Dandelion (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: PB mix & match olive grove paper, Neenah Solar White and Cream
Also: olive grosgrain ribbon

OLW 155 Silhouettes

Posted: September 2, 2013 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Birds on wire, CAS, OLW | Tags: CAS, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 23 Comments

I’m not too late to add a card to Karen’s One Layer Wednesday challenge. I actually have two, neither of which turned out as I imagined but both meet the criteria. I masked both cards with post-it notes leaving a one inch panel each time where I embossed the birds and sponged the sky.

On the card above I sponged over a torn mask repositioning and using different colours each time. On the card below I sponged over a straight edge then repositioned and sponged again several times to represent the sun’s rays.

One night I was sitting watching one of my son’s soccer games and there was quite a noise coming from nearby the field. When I looked to see what it was I saw hundreds of birds perched on electricity wires. It was an astounding sight.

Supplies

Stamps: Birds on a wire, Summer Fun (PB)
Inks: Memento Summer Sky, Dandelion, Cantaloupe, Angel Pink & Versafine Onxy Black(Tsukineko)

Water Stamped Grasses

Posted: August 29, 2013 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Aspire, CAS, Watercolour | Tags: CAS, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 14 Comments

After stamping the Queen Anne’s lace with water I tried the technique again with a different stamp. I masked a rectangle then used ink to sponge the background with green, yellow and orange tones. I then painted water onto my stamp and stamped several times along the panel. You can see a clear water stamped impression on the left hand side but the others are less obvious. To finish I inked the same grass stamp in green and orange and stamped it several times before adding the sentiment

The card and the panel are cut from 140lb weight water colour paper.

By the way if you are looking for One Layer Wednesday this week Karen is hosting a Silhouette challenge which I hope to play along with soon.

Supplies:

Stamps: Aspire, Thinking of You (PB)
Inks: Memento Cantaloupe, Tangelo, Pear Tart, Olive Grove (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 25% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper

CAS(E) this sketch 42

Posted: August 24, 2013 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Background Stamps, CAS, Glory of Modesty | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 11 Comments

I am playing along with CAS(E) this sketch#42 this week. I didn’t set out to create a one layer card but managed to follow the sketch fairly closely without adding a layer. I used a technique I have used before and explain in a tutorial here. Before stamping the background stamp on the card base I masked a narrow margin on each edge as well as positioning an oval mask where the sentiment was to be. It took me approximately 325 attempts to get that bow how I wanted it but other than that it was a very straight forward card!

Supplies:

Stamps: Glory of Modesty, Sweet Wishes (PB)
Inks: Memento Pear Tart, Bamboo Leaves (Tsukineko)
Also: Narrow satin ribbon

Runway inspired challenge

Posted: August 9, 2013 | Author: Heather | Filed under: CAS, Every Happiness, Glory of Modesty | Tags: Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 5 Comments

This week the Penny Black design team has been playing along with the current Runway Inspired Challenge.

My top card was made by sponging through a couple of masks cut with the blissful die and three different memento inks (listed below). The popped up tiles on the card below were made using the emboss resist method and the same three inks.

Supplies:

Stamps: Glory of modesty, Every Happiness, Flourish Birthday (PB)
Inks: Memento Angel Pink, Love Letter, Rhubarb Stalk & Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko)
Dies: Bashful, Black embossing powder