It was another glorious day here today. The sun was shining, and it was warm, but just warm enough to be comfortable in long sleeves, no sweater. I love fall days like this, when it smells like fall, sounds like fall, looks like fall, yet it is a wee bit warmer than the crisp fall days. I love those, also, though.
So, my card today was inspired by the last three daisies in my garden, that just refuse to give up. They are hanging in there, standing proud and tall, and giving their very last bit of life to add some cheer to my decaying garden. I love daisies; they are my favorite flower. They are cheerful, unpretentious, and always make me smile. They look so pretty on a window sill in a little vase, and add so much life and cheer to a garden patch. Their bloom is long, and they look like dancers when they sway in the wind.
I started with a Darice embossing folder - the one with the daisies, and put it through my Cuttlebug with white bristol paper in it. I fussy-cut the daisies from the paper and set it aside.
For the background panel, I used a piece of bristol paper, and dragged fossilized amber, peeled paint, and broken china distress oxide inks from top to bottom of the paper. I dried that with my heat tool, then dragged the same colors horizontally across the paper, and dried that.
I made a frame from amber card stock with an Our Daily Bread double stitched die, and attached the background piece to it, wrapped some yellow, blue and green string around it, then attached it to a white A2 card.
I used the distress inks as watercolor, and added color to the daisies with a paint brush, then attached it to the card with glue dots and foam tape. The Blessings die is from Simon Says Stamp Christmas Blessings SSSD111380. I cut it several times, sponged the oxided on the last die cut, and layered them, then attached it to the card. I was going to add some sequins or clear crystals, but thought it had enough going on, so didn't.
I am adding my card to these challenges:
Splitcoaststampers Falliday Fest Challenge - Abundant Blessings
There is still time to join any of the Falliday Fest challenges on Splitcoaststampers. The deadline is October 31st. You can learn more about the challenges HERE. Stop in and check out all the galleries and different challenge opportunities. And the amazing tutorials.
The Flower Challenge - Favorite flower
I am going for prize # 4 - The Ton gift certificate
Happy Little Stampers Die Challenge - Anything goes with dies
I hope you enjoyed your weekend. May you have a blessed week ahead.
Thanks so much for visiting.
Blessings,
lynda
Hello! And welcome.
So this happened in my art room today.....
For the background, I used the smoosh technique with Tim Holtz distress ink in a couple of yellow colors to apply watercolor to the journal page. I stamped the image (Art Gone Wild Daisies by Catherine Scanlon) with my India Ink Black ink pad. I used Caron 'dAche watercolor crayons, and Tim Holtz distress inks to paint the image. For the lettering, I used a fine Sharpie pen. I drew the letters with pencil, then penned over the pencil and erased the lines. Along the right side of the design and letters, I used my N0 Copic marker for shading. For the spatters, I used distress inks, and some white acrylic paint mixed with water.
A couple of posts ago, I posted a card on which I used a stamp from Art Gone Wild by artist Catherine Scanlon. I had purchased some of her stamps at the Buffalo stamp convention a couple of weeks ago, and am just wild about them. They are gorgeous, and BIG. They stamp beautifully, and have such potential.
Although they are large, I like these stamps for cards. They can fill the entire front of the card easily. Or, you can use portions of the stamp on the card. I especially like them with watercolor, but will be trying lots of different mediums with them. Can't wait to try my Copics!
I have been getting lots of ideas and inspiration on Catherine Scanlon's blog . Catherine is an amazing, talented artist. Her creations are larger than life, full of color and interest, and so lively. I love her concept of having a Positivity Journal! So much so that I have decided to start my own. Seeing Catherine's journal pages inspired me to try making one. I love the idea of having positive quotes, mixed with inspiring art, in a journal form. Being able to flip through now and then, when I need inspiration, or just uplifting, positive thoughts is what I would like this journal to be.
This first feeble attempt is my starting point. I look forward to seeing my growth by the finishing of this journal. I will be practicing my lettering, and trying different techniques. I will be posting here, along with my usual card posts. I hope you will be inspired to try something new as well.
Note: For the journal, I am using a Strathmore mixed media 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch spiral bound pad.
I have removed the spine to make it easier to work on stamping the images and do the hand lettering without a spine getting in the way. (A tip I picked up watching Catherine's YouTube videos). Now that I have made my first page, and am hooked, I will be stamping and lettering pages and inserting them in the journal, and putting it all together. That way, whenever I want to color or paint, or play with my inks, I will have my own personal coloring-book in my Positivity journal. Now I have to come up with a cover design!
Just click on the links to visit Art Gone Wild or Catherine Scanlon's blog. Thank you for stopping in today.
I am adding my card to The Daily Marker 30 Day Challenge.
Also:
Allsorts Challenge - New beginnings. (My new Positivity Journal project)
Word Art Wednesday
Happy Little Stampers Watercolor Challenge - Anything goes/optional spritz
Thanks so much for visiting.
Blessings,
lynda
My friends are definitely treasures of my heart. Each one of them is different, yet each one enhances my life in her/his own unique way. I am so very grateful for every one of my friends.
I chose to end the 30 day color challenge at The Daily Marker with this card....
I started with a panel of smooth card stock, not glossy, but it was non-porous, very smooth. I used an acrylic brayer, and a Kaleidacolor rainbow ink pad to create the background. First, I spritzed the card stock with a moderate amount of clear water. I ran the brayer into the ink pad, making sure to get it all covered with ink all the way around, then I ran the brayer onto my card stock panel. I repeated until I had the coverage I desired. I also sprayed some Perfect Pearls in gold mixed with water onto the panel, and brayered again. I love the watery look this technique gives, and in real-life there is a little shimmer from the gold Perfect Pearls.
While I had the tools out, I went ahead and created a few pieces of this background. Here are some of them.....
As you can see, the look varies depending on the color of rainbow pad you use. I did do a couple on regular cardstock...the one on the top left is one of them. You can see that you get a different look....it doesn't create those awesome streams and streaks. If you do try this at home, remember, you really must use an acrylic (hard, clear plastic) brayer.....NOT rubber, to achieve this effect.
I trimmed the panel to fit my card. I used a Penny Black die from the dots & swirls 51-035 die set to cut the swirl going down the right side of the card. I used my Clarity brushes to brush on some colors from similar colors of my TH distress inks, then attached it to the panel.
Next, I die cut three daisies from the Penny Black die bashful 51-008, colored them with my Clarity brushes and distress inks, and attached them to the card.
The verse is also, you guessed it, Penny Black. Friends are special treasures of the heart 3629E. I stamped it onto white scrap card stock, and cut it with the Spellbinder's die from the S4-322 labels Shapeabilities set, and brushed some ink on it. I attached a 'nest' of metallic thread to the card, and then used foam tape to place the label over it. I used pieces of the same thread to loop through the holes in the labels, and wrap around the back of the card. I attached the finished panel to a card, and called it finished.
I had fun creating this card today. These are some of my favorite colors, and I love, love, love playing with inks and different mediums and getting messy! And Penny Black has always been right on top of my favorites for stamp companies. Their images are timeless, the quality is good, and the variety is great. My favorites are the brush stroke flowers and designs.
Besides the last day of the 30 day color challenge, I am adding my card to these challenges.....
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Fabulous Florals
Penny Black at Allsorts - Anything Goes - with a stamp
Thank you for stopping by today. Since it is the last day of the 30 day coloring challenge, I will not be posting daily. But I will frequently. I am aiming for three times a week. I hope to see you back here soon!
Blessings,
lynda
