Summer Leaves Card from Fall Stamp

Happy Tuesday!  My card today uses one of the new fall/winter release stamps.  I am not ready for either fall or winter just yet, so I decided to use this fabulous leaf stamp with summer coloring instead.  Don't get me wrong, fall is my absolute favorite season, and this image will get plenty of fall ink action, a bit later.  For now, I'm enjoying my summer garden, in full bloom and lush!

I know I am not alone when I get anxious and stressed with the way things are going in the world.  Our lives are turned upside-down.  Normal seems a fond memory.  I miss my family and friends.  And hugs, and shared meals, and, well, you know, of course.  So, I decided I will NOT wallow in what I do not have, rather, enjoy what I do have, Now!  

I will begin by being more gentle with myself, as this stamps says.  I realize I have been putting pressure on myself to act a certain way, to do more, to be more, to hide my fears.  This phrase reminds me that it's ok to have these feelings now and then.  It's normal.  These negative feelings are like persistent children.  They persevere until you acknowledge them, then they move on.  So, I will acknowledge my anxiety, stress and fears.  I will allow them, feel them and deal with them, then I will send them on their way.  And I will be gentle with myself.  I hope you will be gentle with yourself, also.

Now, finally, onto my card for today....

IO stamp links:

Fall Foliage H20888

Be Gentle B13934

I stamped the Fall Foliage image a few times with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink onto a Bristol vellum panel.  I used Arteza Everblend alcohol markers to 'paint' the leaves.  I love these alcohol markers.  I use them with my Copics, to help round out my color palette.  I love the way these blend, and they also play well with the Copics.

I added some shading with a very light gray Everblend marker.  The Be Gentle verse is offset with a scrap of striped pp, and some black pearl accents added for embellishment.                                I kept the inside simple with the images stamped lightly, leaving room for a personal note.

Inside

I love to make and send these types of cards, especially now.  There are so many people who can use a little encouragement, don't you think?

Thanks so much for visiting my blog.  I appreciate your comments.

Blessings,

Positivity Journal Cover

Today's project started out to be a card, but somewhere between the leaf and the background, I started thinking I wanted it to be the cover for my Positivity Journal.  And so it is....

Stamps:
 Penny Black 'Poetic' cling stamp 40-544
 Penny Black verse from the 'faith' clear set 30-409

Other supplies:
 Paper: 
 Canson Canva-Paper
Inks: 
 Tim Holtz distress inks rusty hinge, vintage photo, fossilized
 amber, fired brick
 India ink for verse
Other:
Watercolor brush, water, Tombow markers black and brown,   5 1/2 x 7 1/2" Strathmore Mixed Media pad for journal,          Faber Castell white Pitt artist pen, black card stock, Clarity stencil brushes, Misti stamping tool, foam finger daubers.

I put my canvas paper into the Misti with the leaf, inked the leaf in fossilized amber and stamped it.  As the ink really didn't take easily to the canvas paper (lots of texture and a bit of a finish on it), I used a watercolor brush and a bit of water to fill in the color to the textured areas.  I heat it to dry it, then added the other colors.  I used the foam daubers to add the colors to the stamp, adding different colors in different areas, then stamping.  I kept repeating this process, drying in between, and adding/moving color around with a damp paint brush, until I was happy.  It is a challenge working on the canvas paper, but so worth the effort!

I used the Tombow brown and black markers to create the age spots and details, and also the shadow under the leaf.  I added some bits of white Pitt pen in the areas where there are holes in the leaf.

For the background, I very carefully added water and some of the distress inks to create a watercolor background.  When dry, I stamped the verse, using the Misti so I could stamp it multiple times because of the texture.  I layered it onto a black piece and tore a jagged border along the left side.

I cut a piece of the canvas paper the size of my journal, and used my square punch to punch the holes for the spiral binding.  I use Clarity brushes to apply rusty hinge and vintage photo distress inks, lightly.  I added the cover to the journal and reassembled it.

I hope you enjoyed your weekend, and made some time for yourself and your loved ones.

Adding my project to these challenges:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge- One layer card (I know it's not a card, so I hope it's ok...it is one layer, which I attached to the cover page for my journal cover.

AAA Cards - Autumn colors

Addicted To Stamps Challenge - Clean and simple

Word Art Wednesday - Verse

Thanks so much for visiting.  Enjoy your week!

Blessings,

lynda

Color Challenge Card Number 28

Two more to go after today!  Here's card number 28 for the 30 Day Color Challenge on The Daily Marker blog....

I have to admit, I kind of cheated here.  I actually 'colored' the card during the summer.  It's a leaf that I found on the ground under a tree on one of our walks.  I put the leaf on a piece of card stock, and sprayed Adirondack Color Wash over it.  I mixed some Perfect Pearls in with the Color Wash to give it some shimmer.  When I picked up the leaf, this is what I found!

 I made a bunch of these panels, using different leaves, and put them away for when I wanted to make a card.  

I finished it off by layering, and adding ribbon and gold fiber.  I threaded some beads onto the fiber, and added the spiral clip for interest.

Thanks for stopping by.  See you tomorrow!

Blessings,

     lynda