One Technique...Three Looks...

Happy "Hump Day!" Today I have three cards to share that all are made using the same technique...another one I learned during the Watercolor for Cardmakers online class.  It's a pretty simple technique using stencils in a different way, and definitely one that's fun to experiment with!

They're all Clean and Simple, and two have a bit of Shabby Chic added to the mix. With this first one, I was inspired by a beautiful photo I saw of a morning sunrise, and that gave me the idea to use the particular stencil I used. So I loaded watercolors in a couple different purples, a bright golden orange, and a deep orange, and here's what I got...

I added a small heart, machine "stitched" it without thread around the edges, and used a combo of stamping and a die cut for the sentiment. Here are some close-ups...

I was happy to see the way the watercolors blended as they dried, and the design of the stencil was perfect for the "sun rays" I was hoping to get. I followed the placement of some of the lines caused by the stencil to machine-stitch some lines to the bottom of the card front...

Supplies:

Sentiment stamp:   Winnie & Walter "The Big, The Bold, And You"

Dies:   Technique Tuesday "Say It-Fabulous";   Papertrey Ink "Limitless Layers-Heart Stitches"

Stencil:   Memory Box "Texture Brilliant"

Orange gemstone:   EK Success            Watercolors:  Sakura Koi

This next card uses a chevron stencil, turned on its side, and very *bright* watercolors. :)  I highlighted the straight lines of the chevron edges and center with machine stitching. The splatters are actually stamped...I didn't trust my splattering technique that day, and realized that I had an ink that matched the bright pink watercolor, so that's what I went with!

A couple close-ups...

Supplies:

Stamps:   Winnie & Walter "The Big, The Bold, and The Happy";   Stampin'Up! Gorgeous Grunge

Stencil:   Tim Holtz Chevron            Gems:   Kaisercraft

Watercolors:  Sakura Koi

The last card for today is actually the first one I made. It's very close to the card that was taught in the online class, and actually allowed me, for the first time, to see the difference in the different brands of watercolors. The watercolors I used for this card are a bit paler, softer, and leave a more "chalky" finished look than the other two cards...still pretty, but a different look that you may not be able to actually see in the photos...

Supplies:

Sentiment stamp:   Winnie & Walter "The Big, The Bold, and You"

Stencil:   Tim Holtz Chevron            Watercolors:  Loew Cornell

Miscellaneous:   silver sequins, white twine

Thanks for stopping by today. Tomorrow I'll be sharing a "fully loaded" mixed media and watercolor card. Until then, have a great day!

I Will Never Forget...

You're not seeing things...I'm here two days in a row this week! In fact, there will be a post every day this week, since I want to squeeze in one more masculine-looking card at the end of the week before Father's Day on Sunday.

Today's card is another Sanketi inspired card. I was so intrigued with her free-flowing style when she taught a segment of the Watercolor for Cardmakers class over at Online Card Classes (you can still sign up and take this class if you're interested), that hers was the first technique I played with once I had time to sit down and create. There's no question I still have a long way to go, but it sure is fun working my way there!

And just a couple closeup views...

Supplies:

Stamps:   Penny Black "Flower Garden" ;   My Favorite Things "LJD Forget Me Not" (sentiment)

Watercolors:   Koi Sakura

Thanks for visiting today! I'll be back tomorrow with a multi-card post showing another watercolor technique. Have a great day!

LOTV-Happy Father's Day...

Happy Monday, all! This week will be watercolor and mixed media week here on the blog, so be prepared for a few more cards that stray from my usual style a bit. Of course, when we come to the mixed media portion of the show, my usual "everything but the kitchen sink" style of embellishments will be clearly visible to you. :)

Today's card is a masculine card, combining a couple Lili of the Valley stamps and watercoloring with Distress Inks. Because the piece turned out so detailed, I went with a CAS (clean and simple) style for the card.  I used LOTV's  Set 53, Vintage Backgrounds (I used the same stamp as shown in Elise's sample on the product page), only I did some "selective inking" to mask off the dragonfly and the cherub. Then I stamped a couple of the clocks from Set 66, Grunge Elements, and added the key and French text from that same set to fill in some of the blank space between the clocks.

I used liquid frisket to mask off the clocks and the scrollwork at the top of the piece, and after wetting the whole piece of watercolor paper, started laying in colors using Distress Inks. I let the colors drift where they would, and when it was done, I looked at it across the table and realized it came out looking a bit like a vintage map, with the blue waters and brown and green land masses.You never know what you'll get when you just let things happen on their own!

After the watercolor paper (I used 140 lb cold pressed) had dried, I sprinkled it with Vintage White Frantage embossing powder...

I pulled out a metal cog, and before tying it with the twine, coated it with more of the Frantage embossing powders (I mixed Vintage White and Vintage Gold on it), added a tag printed on my computer, and it was done!...

Supplies:

Stamps:  LOTV Set 53/Vintage Backgrounds, and Set 66/Grunge Elements

Die:   Impression Obsession Mini Rectangle Tags 2

Metal cog:   Hobby Lobby/The Paper Studio          Stampendous Frantage Embossing Powders

Ranger Distress Inks (Peacock Feathers, Crushed Olive, Rusty Hinge, Vintage Photo)

Miscellaneous:   twines

Thanks for stopping by for a visit...I hope your week starts with a smile!

Seeing Double...

Hello again! As I was making the first of the today's cards, I happened to glance to the side at the pieces left from cutting the patterned papers, and realized they were just the right size to make an A2 card at the same time...so that's what I did. :)

The hot temps lately got me in the mood for monochromatic whites, so I paired a more taupe-based white with a cream-based white, and used all shades of white embellishments with the exception of one deeply colored rose in the center. There's no sentiment on either card yet...but there's plenty of "white space" left (oh, I can hear your collective groans all the way out here on the left coast at that sad attempt at a play on words...ha) if I choose to add one later on.

The square version...

And some close-ups of the flower cluster...each card has one of the gem-filled metal flowers as one of it's three largest flowers in the cluster...

And the A2-sized version of the same design...

Supplies: (the same for both cards)

Patterned paper:   Basic Grey Basics White (6x6 pad)

Dies:   Poppystamps Mod Flower Border and Massa Leaf Background

Flowers:   Wild Orchid Crafts          Pearls:   Recollections          Metal gem flowers:   local craft store

Miscellaneous:   white cording, cheesecloth, cardboard (painted)

Thanks for stopping by today!

LOTV - Because You're Special...

Happy Monday, everyone...hope your weekend was a fun one. Summer's in full swing around here...high temps, and allergies in full swing...wheeeeeee! :)

Father's Day is just around the corner, so I'm going to feature a few more masculine cards for a bit (but there will still be some girly, feminine, shabby-chic cards, too).  For today's card, I used some pieces of patterned papers left from previous projects, and because there's no image, I used some textural elements to embellish the sentiment pieces in the center. It's made in deeper tones, using papers from LOTV's Beach Bliss pad (light tan squares), and Father Knows Best pad (all other papers), with some shabby mixed-media touches...

The clock is stamped onto watercolor paper using LOTV's Set 66, Grunge Elements - it was watercolored with Distress Inks.  In the center, I stamped the sentiment using Set 29, Vintage Sentiments/Just to Say, diecut it with a circle die, watercolored with more Distress Inks, and popped it up with foam tape. I used a selection of tiny watch parts beneath the clock...Glossy Accents worked perfectly to adhere these tiny elements down securely...

Instead of my usual embellishments of flowers and pearls, this time I used die cuts of  branches, Chloe stems, and leaves, and added a tiny bit of white craft paint to distress them and the twine...

Supplies:

Patterned Papers:   LOTV Beach Bliss and Father Knows Best

Stamps:   LOTV Set 29, Vintage Sentiments/Just to Say and Set 66, Grunge Elements

Dies:   Impression Obsession Bare Branch;   Memory Box Chloe Stem;   Sizzix Flowers Branches & Leaves;   

Spellbinders Standard Circles Large and Small

Stencil:   Tim Holtz Chevron

Miscellaneous:   watch parts, cheesecloth, modeling paste, twine, Distress Inks

And one last note of interest for today...

Lili of the Valley is running a 3-for-2 Special Offer on the website that runs from today through noon (UK time) on Friday on select image stamps and art pads...there are lots to choose from, so please check it out!

Thanks so much for stopping by...I hope your week started with a smile!

Trying Something New (to me)...

Happy Saturday, everyone! I hope you have plans for a fun weekend ahead.

I recently took an online Watercolor for Cardmakers class through Online Card Classes. The number of lessons, the talent of the teachers, and the projects were fabulous. Unfortunately, during the class, there was a lot of activity going on around here, and I only had time to watch the class video at the end of each day and download the PDFs for later reference.

There were many techniques demonstrated during the class that I plan to try, but one captured my interest right away. I began to carry my little watercolor set with me each day, and when I had some downtime, I practiced, practiced, practiced (and I painted and threw away and painted and threw away some more), until I had something close to what I was trying to emulate. I was especially taken with the looser, colorful style of Sanketi's class sample, and wanted to see if I could make a small watercolor in that style (you can check out her beautiful work here).

In the end, the painting I liked the most was the one of poppies - not the same stamp used in the class - but the bright colors of the class sample are what attracted my attention from the start, so that's what I ended up choosing as my favorite of my "experimental" pieces. And since my sister's birthday was coming up (and she's the *real* artist in the family) I thought it might be fun to make one that I liked enough to use on her birthday card.

So here's what I was brave enough to send her. She said she loves it (she's my sister and probably would say that anyway, but it's obvious I have more practicing to do - LOL)...

And since I had to add some of my usual shabby style to the card, there's a bit of white twine wrapped around the piece, a couple dyed seam binding bows with an embellished leaf stick pin, banner sentiment strip, and a few red gems on the painting...

Supplies:

Stamps:   Penny Black "Blooming Garden" (flowers);   Winnie & Walter "The Big, the Bold, and the Happy" (sentiment)

Watercolors:   Sakura Koi           Edge punch:   Martha Stewart Vintage Doily

Die   Tim Holtz Tattered Banners            Hug Snug seam binding          Gems:   Recollections

Maya Road leaf stick pin (embellished)

Thanks for stopping by today...have a great weekend!