Love art poppies
Posted: June 14, 2016 Filed under: CAS, Love Art | Tags: Kuretake Zig clean color real brush markers, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Versafine inks 12 Comments
My inspiration for this panel came from my garden. I only have one colour of poppy in my garden, orange. I didn’t quite capture the colour; but it was a good colouring exercise. To create the collection of poppies I had to mask several times then stamp over my masks. Fortunately the cutting required for a mask of this poppy wasn’t too fussy!
I used zig clean color real brush markers and worked with one orange, one yellow and one red. The colours remained bold and bright because I blended with very little water and just worked with a combination of red and orange or orange and yellow. The centres are purple and black. The background is also zig markers, a mix of blue and light green with water marks to break up the brightness and give a little texture.
When I photograph my cards I sit them on a piece of glossy cardstock; I like the strong reflection I got this time.
I fully intended to add a sentiment in that big empty space in the top right corner but didn’t notice I hadn’t until I was editing my photos. I will wait and see who I send it to and add a sentiment later.
Supplies:
Stamps: Love Art (PB)
Mediums: Zig Clean color real brush markers(Kuretake) Versafine Onyx Black ink (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Hot pressed Fabriano watercolour paper, Neenah Epic Black cardstock
Blue bird houses
Posted: May 16, 2016 Filed under: Good neighbours | Tags: Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Versafine inks 13 Comments
It’s all about blue on my card today. I used chipped sapphire distress ink for all but the sentiment and managed to get different blues by diluting some areas more than others. I inked the stamp with distress stain which made the print very juicy and perfect for the watercolour effect. I used a wet paintbrush to pull the colour in from the stamped outline. I also stamped the music in chipped sapphire ink and splattered a few drops of water to soften the notes and staff. To frame the panel I sponged around the edges. I stamped the sentiment in versafine majestic blue because versafine does sentiments so very nicely. I had some polka dot ribbon on hand so cut the sentiment strip and ribbon ends to match and layered them with a die cut flower on top.
The colour scheme reminded me of the willow pattern china bowl my mother often used for fruit salad (probably still does) I wasn’t sure whether I owned any willow pattern but I checked my tea cups and saucers and found one which I popped in the background of the second photo.
Supplies:
Stamps: Good Neighbors, Happy Snippets, Footnotes (PB)
Dies: Layered Flower (PB)
Inks: Chipped Sapphire distress stain and ink (Ranger) Majestic Blue Versafine ink
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton cold pressed watercolour paper, Neenah patriot blue cardstock
Also: Polka dot ribbon
Sunny Wishes
Posted: March 29, 2016 Filed under: Sunny Wishes | Tags: CAS, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Versafine inks 8 Comments
Sunny wishes is the name of the set I have featured today and also how I am feeling. Over the Easter weekend we experienced sun, rain, warmth and chilliness, but my wish is for sunshine!
I have used the same stamp to create both cards today but have varied the technique and layout. For the card above I inked only the floral portion of the stamp with distress stains. With such a small image there was not much blending to do but I did fill the petals of the flowers by pulling stain from the outline and then added the darker centre with stain on a brush. To finish I added some green splatter and the coordinating sentiment and mat.
In the card above you can see the full image stamped in versafine onyx black. I painted blue around the image and in the vase with Dr Ph Martins Hydrus Watercolor Pthalo Blue and let it dry. I painted the flowers, butterflies and foliage with distress stain but you could easily use distress markers directly on the image and then blend the colour with a damp brush. To finish I once again added a sentiment and a coordinating mat.
Supplies:
Stamps: Sunny Wishes, Special thoughts (PB)
Inks: Versafine Onyx black & Majestic Blue (Tsukineko), Mowed Lawn, Vintage photo, Mustard seed, Dried Marigold, Barn Door, Forest Moss, Seedless Preserves, Blueprint Sketch, Aged Mahogany distress Stains (Ranger)
Paint: Dr Ph Martins Hydrus Watercolor Pthalo Blue
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton cold pressed watercolour paper, blue cardstock, orange cardstock
Elegance
Posted: February 29, 2016 Filed under: CAS, Elegance | Tags: CAS, Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils, Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Versafine inks 11 Comments
Elegance is the perfect name for this new stamp featuring a bunch of calla lilies. I think I had some in my garden once but apparently you need to dig them up each year and replant them?? That was just not going to happen I’m afraid, no matter how elegant they might be. I have quite a few day lilies that come up year after year and multiply with no attention from me so I have just stuck with them!
I stamped in weathered wood stain because I wanted to keep the lilies looking white; ink would have worked just as well but I only had stain. I used my watercolour pencils to colour the flowers and background (colours listed below). I found a scrap of exactly the right blue card to frame the panel and matched it with versafine ink for the sentiment.
I must admit I am taken by surprise that Easter is less than a month away; 2016 is flying by!
Supplies:
Stamps: Elegance, A very happy easter (PB)
Inks: Weathered Wood distress stain(Ranger) Blue Lagoon versafine ink (Tsukineko)
Pencils: Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils sap green 167, apple green 170, lemon cadmium 105, light orange 113, light grey 195, medium grey 197, night green 155 for background (Faber-Castell)
Paper: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, blue cardstock
Roses & Poppies
Posted: February 21, 2016 Filed under: Gentle Day, Playful | Tags: CAS, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Versafine inks 12 Comments
Poppies and roses feature (of course) in the latest release from Penny Black. Poppies are a favourite flower of mine but then so are roses and tulips and of course daffodils and I can’t forget sweet little pansies or gorgeous blue cornflowers. The poppies above have a matching die. I once again stamped in watersoluble brown ink so I could blend it with the pink and green stains I painted into the outline image.
Supplies:
Stamps: Playful, Sentiment Collection (PB)
Inks: Vintage photo ink, Seedless Preserves, Bundled Sage, Mowed Lawn distress stains, Black Soot, Mustard Seed marker (Ranger) Vintage Sepia (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, brown cardstock
The roses are from a transparent set, Gentle Day, which includes a couple more flowers, a bird/flower collage and a few sentiments. Make sure you take a moment to enter the give away on the Penny Black blog before it ends on February 28th.; you could pick up some of these new flowers for yourself.
Thanks for dropping in today. Do you have a favourite flower? Do you have one you love as a fresh flower but a different one you like to stamp or paint?
Supplies:
Stamps: Gentle Day, Special Thoughts (PB)
Inks: Vintage photo ink, Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon, Bundled Sage, Mowed Lawn (Ranger) Vintage Sepia (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, brown cardstock
Flower Gala
Posted: February 19, 2016 Filed under: Flower Gala, Uncategorized | Tags: CAS, Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Versafine inks 19 Comments
The daffodils above and the tulips below make up the pretty new ‘Flower Gala’ cling set from Penny Black. I kept my layouts simple positioning each stamp to neatly frame a sentiment. The sentiments are new too, one from each of the new sentiment sets in the ‘So Special‘ release. (listed below). I stamped both the flower stamps in vintage photo distress ink then painted the interior with distress stains which blended with the vintage photo ink for an aged effect
The ‘So Special’ reveal continues on the PB blog this week as the transparent stamps are featured and you still have a chance to win a shopping spree until Feb 28th.
Supplies:
Stamps: Sentiment Collection, Special Thoughts, Flower Gala (PB)
Inks: Vintage photo ink, Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade, Seedless Preserves, Peeled Paint, Abandoned Coral, Worn Lipstick, Forest Moss distress stains (Ranger) Vintage Sepia (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, brown cardstock
All is calm
Posted: December 23, 2015 Filed under: All is Bright, Prancers, Soft Whisper | Tags: Canson watercolour paper, Dr Ph Martin Hydrus watercolor paints, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress inks, Tsukineko Versafine inks 8 Comments
This one went in the mail this morning so there is no way it will get to where it’s going by Christmas but hopefully before new year. I used my new Dr Ph Martin Hydrus watercolours for the sky. I will write more about them once I have done some more experimenting. Sky, background and snow banks were done as described in this post but the black foreground tree was stamped last.
Hope all is calm at your place…
Supplies:
Stamps: Soft Whisper, All is bright, Prancers, (PB)
Inks: Black Soot, Stormy sky distress inks (Ranger) Onyx Black Versafine ink (Tsukineko)
Paint: Dr Ph Martin Hydrus watercolour paints
Cardstock: Canson 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper
Also: Winsor & Newton masking fluid
Snowscape 2 ways
Posted: December 15, 2015 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.
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
Stamping the stories: Wind in the Willows
Posted: December 3, 2015 Filed under: Sprigs, Stamped Landscapes | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Versafine inks 12 Comments
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. I don’t think I read it as a child; it was later when training to be a primary school teacher, reading all the classics and designing lessons and such. I am not that keen on animal books but this one is a delight; Ratty and Mole are such appealing characters. I read it to my children from a beautifully illustrated edition (Michael Hague once again) given to me by my Nanna on my 21st birthday. Some of the double page illustrations are incredible watercolours which surprise you with their intricate details.
I initially had the boat moored by the river bank with no Ratty and Mole in it but my daughter said I had to put them in. I did not have any suitable stamps so I had to paint them myself. Unlike the talented Sandy Allnock I do not find animals easy to paint or colour, let alone draw! I found an E. H. Sheppard illustration to assist me and did my best. I’m glad the moon is behind them; they are legitimately dark and shadowed. I realise the boat is backwards; I was so caught up in adding Ratty and Mole I put the oars in the wrong hands, ahem, paws!
Anyway, back to the beginning, I started by painting the river then positioned a large circle mask cut from frisket film before painting the sky. I removed the mask and stamped the foliage and spritzed it so it would bleed a little into the surrounding area. I let everything dry before I painted the boat and its inhabitants. I think the sentiment was just the right one for Ratty and Mole.
What are your favourite fantasy books? Do you even enjoy fantasy? Books about other worlds and magic lands have always intrigued me. I know Wind in the Willows isn’t another world or a magical tale but the animals do talk and go messing about in boats so you do have to use your imagination a little bit.
Supplies:
Stamps: Sprigs, Friendship (PB)
Inks: Forest Moss, Crushed Olive, Peeled Paint distress (Ranger), Versafine Spanish Moss (ImagineCrafts/Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White 110lb smooth
Also: Gansai Tambi paints, Grafix extra tack frisket film
Stamping the stories: Peter Pan
Posted: December 2, 2015 Filed under: Pirates | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolour paints, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Versafine inks 11 Comments
I am continuing the journey through imaginative books and stopping in Neverland today. When I was creating cards for the challenge I had to make sure there was a scene or setting from the book I could stamp or paint with some success. In thinking about Peter Pan, a story I enjoyed as a child and read to my children, I remembered this pirate ship stamp and pulled it out for the first time. I also pulled out one of my copies of Peter Pan for inspiration, the one illustrated by the incredibly talented Michael Hague.
To create this scene I painted some masking fluid where the waves would be then embossed the ship in black. I used watercolour paints to paint the sea, sky and cliffs then concentrated on the ship using paints then watercolour pencils for some finer details at the end. The sentiment is stamped on a die cut banner then trimmed and popped up over the panel.
After creating all my ‘story book’ cards I realised the books I chose were all made into movies. Perhaps that is a sign of a good story? I know I loved the books first and sometimes enjoyed the movies later on. It was the whimsical parts of Peter Pan that appealed to me, Wendy sewing on Peter’s shadow, the dog being their Nanna (although I did not get that as a child!?) and a ticking crocodile!
Supplies:
Stamps: Pirates, Sweet Wishes (PB)
Inks: Versafine Onyx Black (ImagineCrafts/Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Neenah Epic Black cardstock
Dies: Triple Banner (PB)
Also: Gansai Tambi paints, masking fluid
Heather Telford 