Hummingbird treat

I went searching for my bird feeders yesterday but couldn’t find them. I have been a bit discouraged in the past when my bird feeders have doubled as squirrel feeders. The hummingbird feeder is a different deal to the seed feeders of course as it needs syrup. I do know where that is so perhaps I can tempt some hummingbirds to hover in my garden.

These hibiscus and the hummingbird were inked with memento inks, spritzed with water then a little blending added after stamping. You can see I added a generous amount of splatter around the leaves too.

Supplies:

Stamps: Sweet visit(PB)
Inks: Nautical Blue, Espresso Truffle, Cottage Ivy, Bamboo Leaves, Cantaloupe, Tangelo, Potter’s Clay Memento markers (Imagine Craft/Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano hot pressed watercolour paper

Spring in the city

Posted: May 29, 2016 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Prancers, Skyline, Stamped Landscapes | Tags: Dr Ph Martin Hydrus watercolor paints, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 9 Comments

I created this card way back in the dead of winter when I was using the ‘soft whisper’ tree stamp to create snowy scenes. I set it aside and it got buried under other projects. I need to post it now as Ottawa seems to have had its 15 minutes of spring and marched straight in to summer.

There is a lot going on in the scene so I had to think through my order of operations. I used the MISTI to stamp the tree several times adding black, grey and pink ink separately. When the tree was finished I stamped again with versamark then embossed in clear so I could easily paint a wash over the tree. I kept the variegated wash in the top half of the panel merging from blue to pink to apricot then stamped a skyline of grey buildings below it. I filled in the space around the buildings with pale grey ink then added black trees in the foreground.

I hope you are enjoying some pretty scenery where you are.

Stamps: Soft Whisper, Skyline, Prancers (PB)
Inks: Memento Angel pink, London fog, Tuxedo black, Versamark (Tsukineko)
Paint: Dr Ph Martin’s Hydrus watercolours
Cardstock: Canson 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, black cardstock
Also: clear embossing powder

Venetian Summer

Posted: May 23, 2016 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Venetian Summer | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 10 Comments

The sun is shining and although it is not technically summer yet, it finally feels like it is. I made this card over a year ago, during my stint on the Dirty Dozen. It is not vintage style in the same sense as my recent ‘sepia toned’ cards but it does have a bit of an old b&w photo feel. Just as it is possible to highlight one part of a b&w photo, it is fun to do the same with watercolouring. I inked my stamp in London Fog but avoided the hat so I could ink that in red. I added shading to the buildings and the woman by picking up ink with a small watercolour brush. I chose for the sun to be coming from the left hand side of the scene and kept my darkest shading on the right of the buildings, hat and body. You can see where I taped the watercolour panel to begin which left a frame around the picture. Sometimes when I am teaching I am asked what to do about those little areas where the ink seeps under the masking tape. If it is only in a few places or a small area I do not worry about it; I think it makes it look like a watercolour sketch. If it really does detract from the design, I trim the whole border off and frame it with another colour or by popping it up on foam tape to create a ‘shadow border’.

We have had a long weekend in Ontario and the weather has been beautiful. I’ve been bike riding a couple of times and enjoyed the tulips planted by the canal for the tulip festival which is currently happening in Ottawa. I have also been outside planting flowers in my garden and pots. It is hard to believe just over a week ago we were bundled up in multiple layers watching my son play soccer while it was 3°C!

Supplies:

Stamps: Venetian Summer(PB)
Inks: London Fog, Love Letter memento ink (Imagine Craft/Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper

Floral repeats

Posted: May 12, 2016 | Author: Heather | Filed under: CAS, Poise, Sunny | Tags: CAS, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 12 Comments

I played with a couple of smaller floral stamps recently to make some clean and simple cards. I guess they could have been even simpler by stamping the flowers once but I still managed to keep plenty of white space. To create both cards I inked the stamps with memento markers, spritzed the stamp with water then stamped on watercolour paper. I did some extra blending on the poppies with a paintbrush and stamped repeat prints without re-inking, which explains the difference in colour intensity.

To stamp a group of three sunflowers I inked only part of the stamp each time so the flowers could nestle into each other without the leaves and stems getting in the way. The layouts are the classic black mat+black sentiment deal.

Supplies:
Stamps: Poise, Special Thoughts, Sentiment Collection, Sunny (PB)
Inks: Memento markers(Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Hot pressed Fabriano watercolour paper, black cardstock

Colour choices

Posted: April 6, 2016 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Trumpet Song | Tags: Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks | 5 Comments

I have been stamping with the same group of stamps over the last few weeks, switching up the colour schemes and the techniques. It has been fun to see the way colour, style and technique can create a different mood. I used memento markers for both cards featured today and varied the technique only a little. The top card was done in one impression applying all the colours to the stamp before spritzing and stamping. I used a paint brush to blend after stamping on both images. On the card below I worked one colour at a time with the help of the MISTI and built up the colour gradually. There isn’t a lot of difference in the results but I think the top one is more delicate and light (not just in colour) and the one below bolder. I left the top one without a sentiment but can think it could be used for something celebratory just as easily as something more reflective.

This one was too bright to be a reflective card and I accentuated the purple with a mat so a ‘bright’ sentiment seemed a good match. I didn’t mat the top card but kept the deckled edge from the watercolour paper and popped the panel up on foam.

By the way Susan has a new challenge happening on One Layer Simplicity this month and the theme is from one of my all time favourite movies.

Supplies:

Stamps: Trumpet Song, Special Thoughts (PB)
Inks: Dandelion, Cantaloupe, Bahama Blue, Danube Blue, Pistachio, Northern Pine, Rich Cocoa, Espresso Truffle, Tuxedo Black, London Fog, Lilac Posies, Grape Jelly, Olive Grove Memento Markers, Versafine onyx black (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, fuschia fantasies cardstock

Blue Christmas

Posted: December 22, 2015 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Regalia | Tags: Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Memento inks | 7 Comments

I don’t know under what circumstances one would have a blue tree like this! I just grabbed all the blue and purple markers and with the help of the MISTI stamped and restamped then spritzed and sprinkled blue brusho until I had whimsical blue tree.

In creating this post I remembered I had stamped this tree before but never shared it. This one was also done with the MISTI so all those colours didn’t get muddy on the stamp.

I hope you are having a lovely day. Must get on with the baking…

Supplies

Stamps: Regalia, Believe (PB)
Dies: Splendid Wishes (PB)
Inks: All the blue and purple memento markers (Tsukineko)
Paints: Brusho
Cardstock: Canson hot pressed watercolour paper, purple cardstock
Also: masking fluid

Snowscape 2 ways

Posted: December 15, 2015 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Periscope, Spread Cheer, Stamped Landscapes | Tags: Brusho, Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Periscope, Tsukineko Memento inks, Tsukineko Versafine inks | 14 Comments

Even though we have absolutely no snow outside I felt inspired to create some snowscape cards today. I used two methods, the first sponging over a mask and the second painting the snow bank edge with watercolour paint and softening with it on one side with water.

The first card was sponged with Memento Bahama Blue and Nautical blue over masks cut from post-it notes. I added trees then stamped the boy and his dog in the foreground. I had not planned the card when I started so there was no masking fluid splattered on the sky for snow or stars. Instead I added it at the end by flicking it off the brush of a white wink of luna pen. The moon was not in my sky but I decided it must have been off to the left so stamped shadows behind the boy and the trees then sponged some little footprints too.

watercolour boy and dog 1 Heather Telford

The painted scene was done on watercolour paper that had been splattered with masking fluid so snow appeared when I rubbed off the mask at the end. I painted the sky first with two different brusho blues then each of the snow banks. Once the painting was dry I stamped the trees and painted over them immediately to blend the ink into a more solid image. I stamped the boy in pigment ink then painted some shadows. I filmed the part where I created the sky and snow banks for each panel on periscope so it is available to watch here. I turned each panel into a scene later off camera.

Thanks for dropping in today.

Supplies:
Stamps: Spread Cheer (PB)
Inks: Memento Nautical Blue & Bahama Blue, Versafine Onyx Black (ImagineCraft/Tsukineko)
Paint: Brusho powders
Cardstock: Neenah solar white cardstock, Hotpressed Fabriano watercolour paper

Poinsettias

Posted: December 14, 2015 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Red Star | Tags: Hand lettering, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Memento inks | 5 Comments

I have pink poinsettias and a little hand lettering today. I am not doing too much lettering because it isn’t the best for my hand but I am practising here and there with both pointed pen and brush markers. These pointed pen ones are more wonky than I wanted but I will keep zoning in on a style that works for me.

I stamped both poinsettias with the same stamp but obviously used different techniques to complete my designs. On the card above I stamped a pale image (no pine needles) and used it as a guide to paint with brusho. I mixed brusho with water to dip the paintbrush into rather than sprinkling it directly on the paper. The stamp was my guide for the large pink petals then I added tiny red ones and green outer ones myself. The centre is gold added with a wink of luna pen and I finished with a generous bit of splatter and a matching mat.

The stamp is a semi-solid stamp so if I ink it with distress stains it holds quite a bit of stain. On the poinsettia below I inked with pink stains, used markers on the pine needles and added the yellow and gold to the centre after stamping. I added a few veins to the petals with a fine brush and softened the pine needles with water. These panels have been sitting around for a while so once again I am not absolutely sure which colours I used but I will take a guess and add them in the supplies list at the bottom of the post.

Supplies:

Stamps: Red Star (PB)
Inks: Worn Lipstick, Spun Sugar distress stains (Ranger) angel pink memento ink, cottage ivy memento marker (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Green and red cardstock
Also: brusho powder, black ink, gold wink of luna pen

Pink Berries

Posted: December 11, 2015 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Berry Bevy | Tags: Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Memento inks | 4 Comments

I usually end up with at least a couple of pink Christmas cards along with all the blue and green ones I make. What is your favourite colour combo for Christmas cards?

I began this card by splattering some drops of masking fluid on cold pressed watercolour paper. I am using more cold pressed these days to add a little texture to designs. Once the masking fluid was dry I wet the panel and stamped the ‘berry bevy’ stamp onto the panel in spun sugar and worn lipstick distress stains. The stain spread out to give me the background colour. I inked the stamp with both brown and burgandy for the branches and berries and spritzed to make the ink bleed in a few places. I used a paintbrush and some micro pearl powder mixed with burgandy ink to fill in the berries so some of them have a little shimmer. To finish off the card I found a matching piece of cardstock, cut a mat and a sentiment and added silver cord as the final touch.

Thanks for dropping by today.

Supplies:

Stamps: Berry Bevy (PB)
Dies: World of wishes (PB)
Inks: Worn Lipstick, Spun Sugar distress stains (Ranger) Espresso Truffle, Rhubarb Stalk Memento markers (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Burgandy textured cardstock
Also: silver cord, masking fluid, micro pearl powder

Blossom in December

Posted: December 9, 2015 | Author: Heather | Filed under: Delicate Blossoms | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Memento inks | 17 Comments

I made this card back in spring when there was blossom on the trees here; now they are bare and everything is looking a bit drab outside. I worked wet into wet with distress stains to ink the stamp. Once the stain was dry I added definition to the flower centres with a marker. I added a bit of loose background colour and some splatter then finished it off with a brown sentiment and narrow mat.

Despite posting a very unChristmassy card I have progressed in my seasonal decorating. Not only do I have a wreath up but the sideboard and mantle now feature red berry garlands and candles instead of thanksgiving cards and my son’s October birthday cards! I don’t usually have a tree up before Dec 15 because I love to keep it up for a while after Christmas. I should go outside and snip some greenery considering the temperatures are way above zero. Are you decorating?

I am still receiving lovely feedback about my ‘stamping the stories‘ series including a few requests for more. I really did enjoy making those cards and definitely have more favourites to inspire me so perhaps I will continue in 2016. I wouldn’t necessarily need to restrict the books to fantasy next time; that way ‘Anne’ could be featured. Way back in my childhood I would never have thought I would one day be living in Canada just like Anne with an ‘e’.

Supplies:

Stamps: Heartfelt, Delicate Blossoms (PB)
Inks: Worn Lipstick, Spun Sugar, Vintage Photo, Tumbled Glass Distress Stains (Ranger) Espresso Truffle, Rich Cocoa, Cantaloupe Memento markers (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Neenah Natural White, Dark brown