Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Red and Craft Challenge Facebook Unity(Show & Tell)



Unity Stamp Company has started doing weekly challenges on their Unity (Show & Tell) Facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/434773279941105/

This week was to use two colors, Red & Craft.  Sometime ago I discovered that craft papers take to watercolor quite well, as long as the paper is not too wet.  For this card I used color pencils with a water brush.  To add a deeper red I used Distress markers as well.




Here is a close-up.




Thanks for stopping by.
Have a blessed day,
Deborah



All images by Unity Stamp Company





Thursday, February 18, 2016

Fresco Technique - Butterflies


I came across this technique from the Understand Blue website by Lydia and thought it was beautiful. The technique swirled around in my head for sometime before I actually got around to giving it a try.  I ordered Stampin' Up's Fluttering Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, which is a full embossing folder of different sized butterflies but it would work with other embossing folder as well.

The technique is a bit involved and took some time to complete.  While I love the finished product getting there, not so much.  It is however easy to do, it just takes some time.

Lydia used a watercolor pencil, but I did not have a brand that wouldn't reactivate the color once it was dry so I used Distress Paints by Tim Holtz.  I also did not have the acrylic white paint she used so I used Golden's Titanium White.

I won't go into how the technique is done because Lydia has a video and it would be handy to view if you wanted to give this technique a try.  If you refer over to her blog you will see her's is much more colorful.  I had a hard time sanding off the white paint to reveal the colored butterflies underneath.  I finally gave up and went with what I did mange to sand off.  Perhaps the Golden's paint is more resistant, it did seem to gum up a lot instead of turn to powder when sanding.  If I give this technique another try I will probably use the same paint Lydia used or just a simple craft paint.








The surface is gloss like because it has a layer of clear embossing powder over it.


Hope you enjoy giving this technique a try. Visit Understand Blue for the full directions and video.

The finished card is quite stunning though that does not show up well on a picture.

Thanks for stopping by and may your day be blessed with joy.

Deborah



Butterflies - Stampin' Up  - Papillon Potourri
Embossing folder - Stampin' Up  - Fluttering Textured embossing folder
Sentiment - Unity Stamp Company


Thursday, January 28, 2016

Online Card Watercolor Class Day 2




http://onlinecardclasses.com/WC-IT





Here we are on day two of the Watercolor Card Class.  While I am behind the exercises for the class at least I am giving what I can a try.  Day two had us making free hand flowers.  This is one of them.  I like the brightness and color of these flowers.  I am thinking of going back and extending the length of the stems and and maybe adding a tiny leaf.  I just don't think I like the short stems.

I mounted the watercolor behind embossed blue card stock and added a die cute butterfly in a shimmer vellum.  I also used the same vellum for the greeting.  I do like how the card turned out over all.








Close-up of the shimmer vellum




January 29 - update

I really thought the flowers would look more like a flower if they had a tiny leaf so I went back and added that.  I like it better now.






I have much to learn when it comes to water coloring, especially more 
so for a type A  person who is particular having things perfect.  
Perfect and water coloring cannot coexist.  I plan to keep trying/playing.


Thanks for stopping by.
Have a blessed day
Deborah


Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Online Card Class Watercolor Techniques Day One



http://onlinecardclasses.com/WC-IT


I am off to a pretty good start, just a bit behind in getting this card finished and posted.  The plan of course is to do at least one card of the class techniques each day but I am not going to beat myself up if I don't get that accomplished.  There is no fun in being stressed.

The card below is simply butterflies traced onto watercolor paper and painted in with wet on wet color.  Yeah, it was easy and fun, plus very relaxing.

After the card dried I decided to stamp a greeting on vellum and overlay the vellum onto the card stock which I just painted.  I liked how it softened the butterflies and frankly it also sit imperfections.




Stamp - The Angel Company



Thanks for looking,
Have a blessed day,
Deborah


Monday, January 18, 2016

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Ombre



This is my first try with an Ombre technique using inks and it was actually easier then I thought it would be.


Simon Says: Ombr

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/


I used a Hero Arts background stamp and 3 colors of Distress Inks.



Stamp Images:
background - Hero Arts
Robot - Stampin' Up!


Thanks for looking and have a blessed day
Deborah

Challenges for Card Makers



I am getting hooked on card challenges and there are many out there to choose from.  I just don't have the time to do all the ones I am finding.  This week I came across this site, The Male Room.

There are many stamps that can be used in making a card for the men in our lives.  I find making a card for men is really quite fun.



The challenge for this week over on The Male Room.






A friend of my parents comes to help mom with yard work.  My dad died last year and this special person has been so very helpful for the heavy work on the property.  I wanted to let him know how grateful I was for his help and thus the creation of the card below.





The card includes water coloring, die cuts, ink, stamps and the inner part of a box.  
I attached a stand to the back so the card actually becomes a picture.

Hope you like it.  Hope it will inspired you to do more cards for the men in our lives.

Have a blessed Day,
Deborah


Wednesday, January 6, 2016

A Cupcake Inspiration challenge #341



This morning I ran across a card made by another blogger whose inspiration was off the blog  "Cupcake Inspirations" here: http://cupcakeinspirations.blogspot.nl/2016/01/challenge-341.html?m=1




The challenge is to make a card based and inspired by this picture.




This is the first time I'd seen this blog and when I saw the inspiration picture for this challenge I knew exactly the card I wanted to do.  It had been milling in my mind for sometime now.  I had even thought of doing it for my Christmas cards for this past Christmas but went a different direction instead.  So with this challenge it gave me the push I needed to make this card anyway.  



 The card is simple linen paper in a off white cream color.  I used a Tim Holtz die for the trees, cutting several of them.  Each one is then painted with picket Fence Distress Stain and Wink of Stella clear glitter added here and there. (see next picture for the highlighting effect it gives).

Over all a simple card which I think came out wonderfully.






Thank you for taking a look and have a blessed happy creative day.

Deborah