Rocking Horse

Impression Obsession is running a challenge called " Inspired by a Song". I like to craft in total silence so I can't say I've ever been inspired by a song. So instead I was inspired by a stamp and found a song to go with it. The song is "Rocking Horse" by Sarah Evans and the stamp is Impression Obsession H1883.
And guess what?


I used watercolour!! Yep, can't seem to leave them alone. Ever since I learned how to make a stamp look more like a watercoloured piece, that's all I want to do. I used Marvy markers, and TH Distress inks and markers. I didn't put anything on the banner at the bottom because I don't know what I want yet.
I pulled out my precious MME Miss Caroline papers for this. I always seem to use them with IO stamps.

Selective Stamping

I can't seem to get enough of the watercolouring, and I knew that there was an image on one of my JustRite stamp sets that I just had to play with.

To say I was thrilled with the outcome would be an understatement! It turned out better than I thought it would, and I didn't have any disasters involving water! YAY!
I used my TH Distress markers (for the first time ever), to just colour the areas of the stamp I wanted, which is why you may not recognize it right away. I then used the markers and a water brush to paint the flowers and the background. I liked the softness of the colours so much, that I stuck with soft pastel colours for all the Spellbinder diecut layers. The patterned paper I used is from the Prime"Delight" collection. I kept this card relatively flat for mailing and only popped up one layer!
Here's the stamp set I used. I think it's fun to find new ways to get more use from your stamps.

The original stamp is beautiful, but by selecting the areas I wanted stamped, I could change the shape of image to an oval, or even a square.
Here are the Spellbinders dies I used in descending order:  A2 Filigree Delight ( the oval)
                                                                                          Divine Eloquence
                                                                                          Labels Twenty-Eight
                                                                                          Divine Eloquence

I'm entering this card in Justrite's Friday Challenge : Colour It Pretty and
 Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge : Botanicals
UPDATE : WooHoo!! My card was picked as one of the winners at JustRite. I get to pick a set of 24 Spectrum Noir coloured pencils. Thanks JR!!

Improvised Stencil Round Two!

I did this watercoloured piece the exact same way as the one in my last post. Although not used to emboss anything, this embossing folder worked wonderfully well as a stencil.
I decided to go a little crazy with colour on this card !

I couldn't resist making more pieces!

This is not embossed either, it's perfectly flat !
This was my fourth Online Card Class, and it was my favourite!! There are still so many techniques I have yet to explore. There were 12 days of videos ,and all of the instructors were amazing. I LOVED IT !!!

OCC Play Day

I really liked the stencil technique taught by Tim Holtz at Online Card Classes, but I don't have a whole lot of stencils. I thought maybe I could improvise and use one side of an embossing folder. It worked like a charm! Okay, maybe there was a learning curve involved.
I discovered that Bristol was way better than watercolour paper. The ink moved better on it. Also, it takes quite a few sprays to get it wet enough, and finally, I wish I had those little Distress ink pads, they would be better for this. Instead of placing the inked folder on top of the paper, you want the inked side down and you put the paper on top. The depressed areas of the EF act like the negative space in a stencil. I used a roller to press the paper into the ink, but not into the depressions.
I used an old Cuttlebug folder to make this piece. I don't think I've ever used it as an embossing folder, but I think it made a pretty stencil!

I think I got a bit too much water on this one, but I still like the effect. (NOTE: This card is NOT embossed)
I was curious to see how it would look as a watercoloured embossed piece, so here is one I ran through the cuttlebug using the same embossing folder. I then added water colour to all the depressed areas and then to the background.

I like the(first) flat one best! But, maybe a different folder might look better.

Paint, Stencils and a JR challenge

On Day 11 of the Online Card Watercolour class, there was a video with Tim Holtz showing a technique using watercolours and stencils. I just had to try this!

I just loved it, but I thought it might be fun to put the stencil back on and add pearlescent embosssing paste to it. So Pretty! I had to make a card.

I stamped the magnolia from JustRite's Magnolia Vintage Label Seven on watercolour paper, using TH Distress ink that I had stamped off once on scrap paper. I wanted to use a JustRite's Vintage Label Seven die to cut my image, but without cutting off the overhanging parts. I had never tried that before, so I stamped up a bunch of practice pieces to work it out.
I KNOW ! I KNOW! Apparently, this is yet another one of those things you can learn on YouTube. but, in my defence, some of us are better at learning lessons when we figure them out for ourselves. Like, making sure the desk drawers are closed before working with watercolours, even if you use a supposedly spill proof water container! (Don't ask!)
I painted the magnolia with the same Dusty Concord ink that I used in the background, and added some Mowed Lawn to the original Evergreen bough colour for the leaves.
I added clear Wink of Stella, just to the whiter parts of the flower, I thought that was enough shine,
"WHO SAID THAT??!! There's no such thing as enough shine!"
Oops! Sorry, occasionally my crazy escapes.
Anyway, I am thrilled with the way the magnolia turned out using the techniques I learned in class. It does look more like a painting than a stamp.
I made my crazy happy by adding silver embossing and little iridescent butterflies. The card stock I used is purple, not the blue it appears in the photo!

I'm entering this in the JustRite Challenge #121, Colour It Pretty. and Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Botanical

Hey! Just so you know, I did learn my lesson about having tea too close to my brush water.
Now I drink coffee !! HAHAHAHA

OCC Day 11

Oh No ! Another card for the Online Card Class. This time it's about watercolour in an embossed image, which I think is very cool, especially when some one other than me is doing it! The card in the video for this technique was lovely!
I did give it a try though, and try not to laugh at my card, sad as it is. I learned another valuable lesson about watercolouring while doing this card. Well, more than one actually, so I'm chalking this up as a valuable learning experience.

I used TH Distress inks, re-inkers, and a Flourish stamp.
Lesson #1- Try something easier to start with.
Lesson #2- If you can't see when the paint is dry, get up off your lazy butt and turn on some lights. Preferably before you lose your waterbrush and roll over it with your chair in the dark !!
( Think Monster truck, and you'll get a idea of me in this chair! )
Anyway... I don't like a lot of light (migraines), but I think this could have turned out better if I could have seen it properly. But the "you" is pretty. I used a Simon Says Stamp die to emboss it, with the idea that on the inside it would say "make every day fantastic", which is from a SSS stamp set.
I think it would be more appropriate if the inside said " suck at watercolours!", and I send it to myself ! :)

Seriously though, I don't expect my first efforts to be very good. Everything has a learning curve attached and I enjoy the process. I know that if I stay relaxed and have fun, and keep trying, this could be a wonderful way to make a lot of cards.

OCC Day 7 Faux Hand-Painting

I decided to post another homework project for OCC. I looked at other cards in the Student's Gallery, and I obviously follow the beat of a different drummer. The old Sesame Street song, 'One of these things is not like the others...' , popped into my head, but I'm posting it anyway.

This is a stamp I've had for quite a few years. A good friend found this set for me, after I fell in love with her's. It's a clear set by Plaid called International Intrigue. I stamped the image on 140lb watercolour paper using Walnut Stain Distress Ink.
I used a combination of Reeve's and Faber-Castell Watercolor Pencils to colour this image. I also added a little bit of a Copic black Multiliner pen to give some definition to some areas of the buildings. I really enjoyed using my watercolour pencils. I've had that Reeve's set for years and I used to use it all the time, back before I discovered Copics. I'm no artist, so I'm quite happy with my inexpensive pencils.
I think that the faux hand-painting is my favourite technique and I'll be using it a lot!

OCC Day 2 Watercolour Background and Important Information!

I think the class is actually on Day 10 today, but who does things in order? This watercolour class has been very good, and I highly recommend it, but there is one VERY IMPORTANT thing that not one of the wonderful and talented instructors bothered to mention. I also checked all the written information, looking to see if I had missed what should have been labelled as a warning to those attempting this medium. Nope, not one word!! So I have taken it upon myself to offer you, my dear reader, one of the most valuable lessons in painting with watercolours.
This is,in fact, such a valuable piece of information, that in your overwhelming gratitude to me for sharing, and saving you untold grief, you may wish to shower me with cash. I don't blame you, this is information necessary to the well-being of both you and your art. I will however share this for free! (One time only, after this I'm charging for it!)

Okay, are you ready?

Oh, heck, why ruin the surprise? I'll tell you at the end of my post. Mwahahahahhah!

Here's my card using a Unity Stamp's Itty Bitty, Twinkling H20's, and Jennifer McGuire's background and Rubber Cement masking technique from Day 2.

I decided to add a watercoloured border on the inside sentiment panel. It's intentionally messy!
Nice straight borders on the outside for before the tequila, and wavy ones for after!

So I guess by now, the suspense is driving you crazy. So here it is :

NEVER PUT YOUR CUP OF TEA NEXT TO YOUR PAINTBRUSH WATER !!
           Don't ask me how I know!
I'm linking up to Unity Friends with Flair : http://www.theunitystampco.blogspot.ca/2014/05/friends-with-flair_16.html

Chalking It Up ! (The Novel)

A few years ago, I took a class at a local scrapbook store. The instructor was wonderful and we made really gorgeous cards, but we used a black vinyl product and chalk to handwrite the sentiments on the front. I didn't have any fixative, and they got all smeared, and as any totally anal card maker knows, that just doesn't cut it.
Forward a few years, and the chalkboard look is all the rage. I've seen some nice cards, but they never really got me to investigate further. Images of smeared chalk still danced in my head. So when the latest JustRite challenge "Chalkboard Birthday" was posted, I was happy to sit this one out. I often put a challenge entry in at the last minute, but I usually plan to enter from the beginning. ( I am the Queen of Procrastination! ) But, I just wasn't keen to try it as I still failed to see what the big deal was with stamping a white sentiment  on black card stock and smudging it a bit (yes, I did realize that they are stamped now). The other night I couldn't sleep and was just randomly looking up a few things on line, and came across a chalkboard project. I decided to try and figure out just what this was all about. Well, it turns out that it is a type of art form, and it's not about just stamping white on black. It's about fonts and curlicues and images, and it's way more interesting than I thought, and way more complicated! So, of course, I had to try it.

I read that you should plan out your design on scrap paper and regular ink and then you stamp it on the black with Versamark ink and emboss it in white. The way she showed it, she applied embossing powder without heating, and moved on to stamp the next element,and so on. Okay, so three messed up card fronts later, I realized that just wasn't working out. I decided that actually embossing each element as it was done might be better for a klutz like me!
Great! Much better, I'm on a roll ! Now the next step is to ink up all the same stamps with white pigment ink and create a shadow over all the previously embossed images. No worries!
Fast forward past the long walk ( I ate cake) with River to The Cutting Garden (my LSS) for more black card stock, and I start again.
This time, I stamped with Hero Arts Unicorn Pigment ink and heat embossed it as I went. Then I re-inked SOME of the stamps, stamped them off once, and then stamped them to create the shadow effect. I wasn't thrilled with the shadow on the sentiments. It made them too messy, so I left it off them. I added some colour using pink pigment ink and a damp paint brush and drew some lines with a white coloured pencil. I dabbed a dry baby wipe in a bit of white ink and smudged it about. I finished by adding some enamel dots and a sequin. I think this last attempt,although not perfect, turned out kind of cool and I love it!
This was indeed a challenge for me, as you can tell by the fact I wrote a novel about a single layer card!
But what's a challenge if it isn't challenging? (Thanks Sheri !)
My JustRite stamps are the foundation of this card and my inspiration!  I used : The Scoop Vintage Labels Four and Grand Sentiments. I added a couple of random stamps from my stash to really push that ornate look.
I'd like to credit Jann Gray with getting me started on understanding the technique involved
 http://jannstory.blogspot.ca/2013/01/chalk-art-tutorial.html
I haven't seen what the girls are up to over at the JustRite Challenge yet, but I'll bet the entries are awesome!
 So, I'll post this and then go walk off more cake *sigh*, and later I'll go back and see what everyone else created. I like to wait until it closes because there are a couple of other Procrastination Queens in the group who always enter at the last minute with great projects. You know who you are !!

Hmmm....cake.....                                                                                  

Watercolour Note Cards

I'm taking the Online Watercolor Class, I'm a little behind on the classes, but I did manage to watch a few videos and play with a couple of different mediums. I have come to the conclusion that Gelatos hate me, and I should just stop trying. What I did have fun with though, are the old Marvy markers that I haven't used in years. I happily slopped around until I had a few, kind of nice little images, and decided to make myself a few more of the small cards that I like with the Spellbinders Captivating Squares. For two of the images, I applied the markers and then spritzed the stamp with water. On the other two, I applied the markers to the stamp, stamped the images and used a wet paint brush to move the colour around. I used a larger paint brush to apply a very wet mix of water and light blue marker around three of the images. On the fern card, I applied TH distress ink to an acrylic block and smooshed it on my paper. These were fun and very simple!

I cut my card stock from two different greens, it was supposed to be one green, but I didn't have as much as I thought. I picked green because it suits my mood.  :)
All the images and sentiments are from my new Unity stamp collection, and I used a bunch of stamps from different sets, including two KOM sets, an Itty Bitty, and Moments in Bloom and Tulips and Daisies. I am thrilled with these stamps, as there are lots to choose from to use with watercolours. Moments in Bloom has solid images so it works beautifully when you paint on the stamp. It's the one the lilacs and ferns came from.
I did add some Wink of Stella to a couple of the cards, and some Stickles to a couple as well. I usually like WAY MORE layers, so I had to add something!

I'm putting these in Unity's Friends with Flair (at the last minute!)

Unity -All about You

I just received my first Unity stamp order(s). I never really looked into Unity stamps before, I just thought that they weren't my "style" and left it at that. But I had a good look around their site and their KOM sets are really interesting, there seems to be something on these sets that suits any style. I'm over the moon thrilled with the order I got. I'm going to get a LOT of use out of the KOM kits for sure! I am starting to like rubber stamps again, the quality is lovely.
I'm entering this in their monthly challenge, which includes a colour and/or sketch challenge. My card follows the colour challenge.

I used the gorgeous flower from the March 2014 KOM, and the sentiment is from  sweet set I also got from Unity called Tulips and Daisies. I think that sentiment stamp is just wonderful, actually the set it came from made me really happy when I got it. And see, it totally fits my style!

Thanks Carmen for all the yummy pigment inks. You're the BEST !!!!

The Unity challenge is found here: http://www.theunitystampco-challenge.blogspot.ca/2014/04/all-about-you.html