Spring is... Art Journal Page

Today, I am sharing some spring seasonal celebrating with an art journal page inspired by the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Spring Mood Board and Kathy Raccosin's The Daily Marker 30 Day Coloring Challenge. 

Often, if I have an excess of a medium when crafting, I use it up on a blank page in an art journal or on an index card. For today's art journal, I started with just such a page where I had deposited the remaining modeling paste on a pre-gessoed page after applying it over the smallest Duo Flowers mask on this card. Because the Pebeo modeling paste that I had used was rather fluid (owing to its more plaster like texture), I had used the Duo Flower mask as a stamp pressing it down to transfer the paste getting multiple impressions with which I had created a design for future use. Thus, my starting point was to use the outside stencil piece of the mask, aligning it with my previously created impressions and using a Fuschia Inktense watercolour pencil crayon to outline each one.

Then, I activated the crayon by watercolouring each flower with Hot Pink Nuance. Once that was dry, I used the Flowers and Leaves stencil and a Teal Green Inktense watercolour pencil to add in the foliage around the flowers. I activated that crayon by watercolouring with Cerulean Blue Nuance and added a touch of Grass Green Nuance to each one. Next, I used an Apple Green Inktense watercolour pencil and free hand drew in leaves. I then activated those by watercolouring those with Grass Green Nuance. As they were drying, I dipped the watercolour pencil crayon into water and added the now activated Apple Green to the flower centres and darkened the leaves outlines and centre lines. Once all that was dry, I added a really watered down Bright Yellow Nuance to the background and dabbed it up with a paper towel to leave a subtle yellow.

To finish the page off, I added some splatters of Grass Green Nuance and used Copic Opaque White ink to add some further details to the flower centres and the leaves as well as to add splatters to the whole page. I ended up white heat embossing the edges after attempting to paint them with white acrylic paint that didn't really define them enough. Then, I muted the gloss of the emboss by painting over it with Matte Multi Medium Gel.

Lastly, I stamped the quote stamp on a strip of white cardstock with Black Soot Archival ink, trimmed it to size, distressed the edges, and adhered it to the page.

Here is the beautiful mood board put together by Simon Says Stamps Monday Challenge blog's Design Team member, Macarena.

You can check out the challenge details, see the inspirational seasonal creations from their design team, and see other participant entries here.

TTFN,

*****

Magenta products used:

MC41 Flower Duo - set of two Masks

Hot Pink Nuance MNU005

TM216 Flowers and Leaves

Cerulean Blue Nuance MNU011

Grass Green Nuance MNU009

Bright Yellow Nuance MNU002

Robin Williams Quote 2 - 07.921.G

Thinking of You

Today, I am up on the Magenta Blog sharing a card that I had created this month using a watercolour pencil crayon stencil trace and Nuance watercolour technique on watercolour paper to make its leaves background.

This card features a little Nuance watercolouring with emboss resist stamped coffee filter flowers. To learn how I created this card, head on over to the Magenta blog here. 

TTFN,

*****

Magenta products used:

MC41 Flower Duo - set of two Masks

Hot Pink Nuance MNU005

TM216 Flowers and Leaves

Cerulean Blue Nuance MNU011

Bright Yellow Nuance MNU002

Robin Williams Quote 2 - 07.921.G

Flower 40.183.K

Aquamarine Nuance MNU20

Small Holly Stencil TM128

Grass Green Nuance MNU009

Thinking of You Small 07.982.E

Music

Hi crafty friends! I have wanted to join in Finnabair's Art Daily Cafe monthly challenge the last couple of months but I was swamped at work and not able to at that point. Now with much time on hand, I used the February moodboard/prompt to create this Music art journal page. The theme was Haiga- visual poetry and the colour was Deep Red.

I started out by collaging cream colour tissue paper onto a double page spread in my Moleskin art journal. I added musical notation pieces from the Finnabair Musica decorative tissue. Once that was dry, I used Finnabair white gesso to blend and push that layer back. When that was dry, I stamped with the Finnabair Script stamp and black archival ink. Then, I covered the entire page with Finnabair clear gesso so that it would give it some tooth for the watercolours to stick.

Next, I applied texture paste through the Finnabair Tapestry stencil. While that was drying, I picked through my Prima patterned paper stash to decide what papers would work for what I had in mind. Then, I used a mix of Prima Red Parrot 19 and Cacao 24 watercolours from the Tropicals Confections set to get the desired red colour. I used a brown Stabilo All pencil to add a brown boarder before adding splatters in both the red and black acrylic once set. While that was drying, I cut a journal card from the Printery Collection Page Four patterned paper, distressing the edges and fussy cut out a bunch of roses from the Tales of You & Me A4 Collection Kit patterned paper. I found the perfect Prima felt sticker from my stash to create a ground strip area on which I created the focal point with the journal card for the haiku and the fussy cut florals.

I cut out to butterflies and added them along with the Prima fabric letter stickers to complete the page.

You can check out what others have created on Finnabair's blog here or use the hashtag #dailyartcafe on Instagram or Facebook. Now I look forward to tackling January's- Maps and March's - Moonlight moodboards too.

TTFN,

Love & Hugs Bookmark

Hello creative friends! Today's crafty creation is inspired by Hero Arts' Anything but a Card challenge and Kathy Raccosin's The Daily Marker 30 Day Coloring Challenge. My colouring medium of choice once again is watercolouring. This time I used a watercolouring stamping technique with Tim Holtz distress inks and the Hero Arts Florals Rose Stem stamp along with my MISTI.

I started by placing a trimmed piece of Strathmore 300 Series Smooth Bristol paper into my MISTI and then inked up the Rose Stem stamp flower section with Abandon Coral distress ink and spritz it with water prior to stamping it. Once it was stamped, I used a waterbrush and ink smooched on a craft mat to watercolour the flower. Once the ink had absorbed into the paper, I reloaded the stamp with Abandon Coral ink and re-stamped it once again. Then, I repeated the process for the leaves, stem, and stamen with Peeled Paint Distress ink. Once one flower was done, I re-positioned the stamp to the next spot and repeated the same process.

Once all three flowers were complete, I stamped the Hero Arts Love & Hugs from the Rose stamp set sentiment three times with Jet Black Archival ink. Next, I placed the Hero Arts Ornate Floral Stencil over top of the bookmark and used a sponge inked up with Broken China Distress ink to add in a bit of a blue background. Then, I splattered the bookmark with the coral and green ink. Once that was dry, I tacked the panel to a Kraft base and stitched it together to complete the bookmark.

I am also entering this into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Everything Goes challenge along with the Hero Arts Anything But A Card challenge.   


TTFN,

Life is Better with You Friend

Happy Spring to those readers that are from the northern hemisphere (and happy fall to those in the southern one)! I chose a bright cheery spring colour combo for today's colouring as I join in Day 20 of Kathy Raccosin's The Daily Marker 30 Day Coloring Challenge with another Angie Blom Digital Design stamp for this card. This time I used the Unicorn Love digital stamp laser printed on Strathmore 300 Series Smooth Bristol paper and watercolours. You can see my swatched watercolours combo on the bristol strip beside the finished card.

I started by using a Molotow masking fluid pen and covering all the little circles, dots and V hearts along with the single line curls in the mane. Next, using Mijello Mission Gold watercolours, I painted the top part of the background with Cobalt Turquoise. Once it was set but before it was dry, I placed the older Prima Jamie Dougherty Spark stencil over it and using a dampened papertowel, I removed some of the watercolour through the stencil to add some texture and interest to the background. While that area was drying, I turned to colouring the flowers on the unicorn's head. I used some already mixed greens from my Mijello Paint palette and used a watered down version of Bright Clear Violet for the first layer of the flowers and then added more concentrated touches. 


Next, I turned to the unicorn's body. I added in shading with a grey/graphite Stabilo All pencil and activated it with water. Then, I watered down some Vicki Boutin Iridescent CreativeFX glaze and painted the body with it to give it a pearlescent shine for some magical shimmer quality. The shading didn't show through enough in some areas so I added a touch of Indigo watercolour to the mix and then painted over the shaded areas to define them more. Next, I added some white watercolour to a bit of the iridescent glaze to lightened areas that I had left for highlights. It is really hard to show the shimmer in a photo but I tried angling the card as I was taking the photo to see if I could pick it up. If you look at the ears and carefully on the body, you might see it. 

Then, I coloured the grass. I started with a wash of Yellow Green and then added bits of Sap Green and Hooker's Green. While that was setting up, I erased the masking fluid from the single curl lines of the unicorn's mane. Next, I added the final green touches with a concentrated amount of Sap Green on the blades of grass and in the circles and leaves.

Next up was the mane. For pink, I used the Zig Clean Color Real Brush marker. I started by pre-wetting sections that I was going to work on with water. Then going in with the marker along the ends and using more water and a number two brush round brush to pull the colour up through the sections to create an ombre effect. While that was drying, I added some touches of pink to the background v hearts and iridescent glitter glue to the dots, circles and v hearts. Then, I erased the masking fluid on the mane and added the glitter glue there too. Next, I did the same to the grass and the unicorn's corn and set it aside to dry while I cut and folded the card base.

Now with the painting dry and complete, I die cut it with the Simon Says Stamp Wonky Rectangles die. To finish off the card, I adhered scrap cereal board to the back of the die cut panel and glued it onto a white cardbase that I sized to allow a 1/4 inch frame area. For the sentiment, I used the one that comes with the Fox and the Owl digital kit that I had laser printed on my initial bristol piece. I cut it out, cereal board backed it and adhered it to the card. I went over some of the lines with a Pigma Micron 005 black pen to darken them. Lastly, I punched out some mini butterflies from the scrap cast off areas from the die cut panel background and added two of them. Here is a another look at the finished card:

Supplies: 300 Series Smooth Bristol (Strathmore), white cardstock (Staples), unicorn and sentiment digital stamp (Angie Blom Digital Designs), Mission Gold watercolour paints (Mijello), pink Zig Clean Color Real Brush marker (Kuritake), grey/graphite All watercolour pencil (Stabilo), Vicki Boutin Iridescent CreativeFX Glaze (American Crafts), Jamie Dougherty Sparks stencil (Prima), Hologram Iridescent Glitter Glue (VivaDecor), Wonky Rectangles Wafer Die (Simon Says Stamp), butterflies punch (Martha Stewart), black 005 Pigma Micron pen (Sakura), Original Tacky Glue (Aleene's)

Design techniques, products used and colour inspirations came from various Simon Says Stamp challenges - Monday Challenge Blog's Stencil Fun challenge, the Simon Says Stamp Flickr Challenge #145 Crazy for Coloring, and Simon Says Stamp IG Spring has Sprung challenge. Be sure to check each of the SSS challenges and Kathy's blog, FB or IG #thedailymarker30day for awesome eye candy and inspiration.

TTFN,

With a Little Luck

Today's artsy share is a little gem of good luck. I created this ATC inspired by spring and the March birthstone of aquamarine which is the challenge prompt over at the Funkie Junkie Boutique.

I started with piece of watercolour paper which I had experimented with some shades of Tim Holtz Distress ink greens. I cut it to ATC size and then stenciled some wild flowers with black acrylic paint through a Prima mini stencil. Next, stamped with the Finnabair script stamp and Archival black ink. Then, I used the Prima mini lace stencil and applied Ranger Opaque Crackle Texture Paste. Once dry and crackled, I added in some more greens with Prima Apple Green 06 confections watercolour and Tim Holtz Peeled Paint distress ink. Once that was dry, I added splatters of Gold Sheer Shimmer Spritz and Finnabair Metallique Mermaid Teal acrylic paint.

While that was drying, I turned my attention to colouring the chipboard and flowers. I used Finnabair Avocado Green, Emerald Liquid Acrylic paints and Mermaid Teal Metallique paint. This all dried super fast so I was able to add little touches of White Gold wax right away. Then, I added some touches of the Mermaid Teal watered down onto the mini flowers and twisted the flower stems to add some further embellishment interest.

After distressing the edges of the ATC base, I glued down the chipboard pieces, added some gold thread, the flowers, a die cut butterfly and aqua Prima Pebbles. To finish the ATC off, I white heat emboss stamped the Good Luck sentiment onto a strip of black cardstock and adhered some scrap pieces of cereal board to the back to pop it up.

Head on over to the Funkie Junkie Boutique here to see their DTs inspiration and other participants take on the Aquamarine challenge.

TTFN,

You're Pretty Awesome!

Yes, you are crafty friends!  I did some watercolouring for Day 15 of Kathy Raccosin's The Daily Marker 30 Day Coloring Challenge with an Angie Blom digital stamp for this card. If you want to watercolour using a digital image but don't have a laser printer, no worries, change the ink colour to a tan/beige one (I got it close to the colour of Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Ink) on your image as you print it with an inkjet printer and no-line watercolour it. That is what I did on this one.

I made the So Special flower image rather large to give this a try, knowing that I would cut it apart to use it on a card later. I printed it on 85 lb cold press Color Factory A4 (8.3 x 11.7") watercolour paper by MultiCraft. I picked it up at a dollar store on town and wanted to give it a try. It is a good size that fits in the printer without needing to be trimmed. I used Mijello Mission Gold paints and a size 2 Silver Brush to watercolour it. Then, I used a Derwent Inktense watercolour pencilcrayon to add some tan to the centres. I added some leaf line details and shading with a tealish Staedtler pencil crayon and shadows with a dark grey one.  This is how it looked once finished before I cut it apart:

I cut a piece of cardstock and used mat gel medium to adhere the up-cycled old dictionary page to it and then added clear gesso to the front. While that was drying, I fussy cut the flowers out and cut along where I felt would give a good size for each piece. Once that background was dry, I added watercolour paint splatters with the greens I had used in my painting to it. I mounted that onto a 7 x 5.5" cardbase popping it up with some cereal board. Then, I arranged the flower pieces and adhered them along the edges but left most part free to move and added some small pieces of cereal box board underneath the flowers to give further dimension.

Next, I printed off the "You're Pretty Awesome" sentiment from Angie's Everyday Greeting 1 set on white cardstock, trimmed it and inked the edges with black ink. I added a couple of layers of cereal board strips underneath as I adhered it to the card to pop it up a bit. Lastly, I pulled some old Making Memories patterned paper from my stash and created an envelope for the card to finish it off.

I am entering this card into the Simon Says Stamp Monday A Bit O' Green Challenge, the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Use Some Green Challenge, and the Flower Challenge #42 Anything Goes Challenge.

Supplies: So Sweet & Everyday Greetings 1 Digital stamps (Angie Blom Digitals Designs), ColorFactory watercolour paper (MultiCraft), Mission Gold watercolours (Mijello), Tan Inktense watercolour pencil (Derwent), teal & dark grey pencil crayons (Staedtler), gel medium (Faber-Castell), clear gesso (Liquitex), cardstock (Staples), Tim Holtz Black Soot Archival ink (Ranger), dictionary page (Misc.)

TTFN,