Sunday 25 February 2018

Acrylic ink watercolours

I've been out buying more Liquitex acrylic inks. This time the transparent set which has Burnt umber, Burnt Sienna and Raw Sienna.  OMG I love these colours especially with a touch of black.
I watercoloured the background and used the dropper to create squiggles. I outlined some of the stamps with a white gel pen to add some highlights and added a a music die cut.
Again my inspiration has come from Red Queen Art Creation, Eleanor's artistic creation are stunning.



I'm entering this in the following Challenges
Watercooler Wednesday Challenge 158 (masculine)
Paper Artsy Watercolour challenge
Create and Inspire 71 Anything goes





Card Recipe
Stamps: Rubbernecker, Seth Apter (Spellbinders)
Paper: Mixed media, Black, 110lb White
Ink: Ranger Archival,
Accessories: Liquitex acrylic inks (Transparent), Ali Express Die cut.
Techniques: Watercolouring, Die cutting

Monday 19 February 2018

Acrylic metallic inks


My local art store had some Liquitex metallic acrylic inks on sale.  I'm a sucker for anything metallic so I just couldn't resist trying them out at 50% off. I had some fun with some abstract acrylic pouring and stamping.  It's a bit wild but I think I like it.
My inspiration for this card came from Red Queen Art blog, Eleanor has the most amazing pieces of acylic mixed media abstract art in card form.  I highly recommend you browse through some of her pages and leave a little comment, we all love comments on our cards.

This one is mixed media card with some background stamping and scribbles representing pen and ink.  The inkwell stamp is from a Sheena Douglas set which I used platinum embossing powder and Versamark then I fussy cut and watercoloured. The pen nib is from a Ken Oliver vintage art supply set.  I die cut the feather and threaded it through the nib.  I used a spiral bind stamp and pierced the card along the edge of the rings

Card number 2 I added a little texture paste, stenciling,die cuts and some text stamping for the background.


For the next two I used Canvas for a little more texture and added die cuts (from snippets) and a Stampendous crackle stamp.



I hope you like them, I am entering these for the following cheallenges



Card Recipe
Stamps: Purple onion (Time),  Sheena Douglas, Doe craft
Paper: mixed media, Black, 110lb white
Ink: Delicata Gold
Accessories: feather die, metal pen nib embellishment (Ken Oliver), Liquitex mealic inks, India ink, plastic card.
Techniques: Metallic Acrylic inks, stamping, die cut, embelishment
Card Recipe
Stamps: Spellbinders - Seth Apter
Paper: mixed media, Black, 110lb white
Ink: Ranger archival
Accessories: Memory box die, Ali Express Die, Carabelle stencil,
Techniques: Metallic Acrylic inks, stamping, die cut,
Card Recipe
Stamps: Stampendous
Paper: Canvas, Black, 110lb white
Ink: Ranger Archival
Accessories: Gina Marie Die, Ali Express Die
Techniques: Metallic Acrylic inks, stamping, die cut,
Card Recipe
Stamps: Stampendous,
Paper: Canvas, Black, 110lb white
Ink: Ranger Archival
Accessories: Tim Holtz Die
Techniques: Metallic Acrylic inks, stamping, die cut

Saturday 17 February 2018

Watercoloured Heart Two Cards

I don't own many heart dies but out of the few I have this is one  of my favorites. I used the die against a Distress watercolour background and then used the same die cut on a piece of saran background I made a few weeks ago.  I cut out that pretty flower and butterfly portion and lay it against a layered stamped background.


 I then thought what would the die cut look like without the heart. Well I think it looks awesome.
It took the same die and trimmed off the heart to leave this pretty flower butterfly die cut.


Here's my Twofer


I'm entering this in 



Card Recipe 1
Stamps: Ranger sentiment
Paper: 110lb white, watercolour
Ink: Ranger Archival
Accessories: Distress Oxides inks, Ali Express die
Techniques: Die cutting, Distress Oxide

Card Recipe 2
Stamps: Bo Bunny, Rubbernecker, Ranger, LimeCitron
Paper: Coated Card, 110lb white
Ink: Distress oxide, Ranger archival
Accessories: Die cut Ali express, Distress oxide stamping
Techniques: Saran wrap background, die cut.

Friday 16 February 2018

CAS Watecolour Mid month reminder

Hi everyone, it's the middle of February and reminder time at CAS Watercolour so if you haven't headed over yet to check out all the wonderful cards you'll have so much fun.  Bonnie is our host for this month and Sue of Sue's Card Craft is our Guest Designer and of course there's the design team all with awesome inspiration.


Also I have some exciting news.  There's going to be a new Christmas Card challenge for everyone to play along with hosted by Loll and Bonnie.  I'm sure everyone will be looking forward to this one.


Now onto my card for this months CAS watercolour challenge card 😊

I found a little swatch of watercolour card with Distress oxide splatter on it in my UFO box.  It looked to pretty to throw away so I added a little more colour and stamped this scribble heart from one of the Stampers anonymous sets.  The heart is coloured using distress oxide inks then spritzed  with a mixture of water and perfect pearl.  I finally I added a few blue gems I found at the dollar store.

Then a bit of an oops, I made the typical mistake of removing the stamp from my MISTI before I was done. Distress oxides give a chalky effect on the surface which I wanted to brighten after I watercoloured, so I used a blue pen to re-outline the heart. It's a scribble heart so I thought it would be OK.  Note to self should leave my stamps in until I'm completely done 😊


You can't really see the shimmer but it's there IRL.


I hope you like it, and I'd love to hear from you.


Card Recipe
Stamps: Stampers Anonymous. Bebunny (Crafters Companion) sentiment.
Paper: 110lb white, Navy, 140lb watercolour
Ink: Ranger archival, Distress oxide
Accessories: MISTI, Gems Navy Fine line pen
Techniques: Distress oxide smoshing., watercolouring

Sunday 11 February 2018

More steampunk

I posted a steampunk card  last week using canvas as my background. and only used a small portion of the sheet.  So here are the other two cards I created using the rest. 
For the first I continued the steampunk theme, the second I have more of an autumn look

The canvas was watercoloured using Vintage photo distress inks once dry I placed dry embossed it using a random letter embossing folder.  i then sprayed with some Lindy's Stamp Gang mica sprays and  stenciled the background with some crackle paste.  the gears and clock were aged using Artisan powders.  The  background was stamped with Alison Bomber typed quotes and magenta circles.



The Second is leaves and crackle paste. I added more distress inks to my die cut leaves and then different crackle pastes,

yes all these are out of the same sheet of Canvas.
I'm entering these for the following challenges
and







Card Recipe
Stamps:
Paper:
Ink:
Accessories:
Techniques:

Faux Enamel Butterfly

Nancy shared a technique she had seen on Kia's blog. It's a video by Marion Emberson creating faux enameled surfaces using embossing powder. Marion used a heat tool and parchment paper (to stop the powder blowing away) to melt the embossing powder. By mixing different colours you get a wonderful artsy faux enamel surface for your die cuts.

A few of us have been busy trying the technique if you have time check out the following blogs
Julia
Nance
Nancy
Sorry if I missed anyone, and I'm sure there will be a few more popping up over the next few days.

My first few attempts failed but I did manage this butterfly before I overheated and killed my heat tool.  In the video Marion touches the parchment with her heat tool to melt the powder below.  Mine being my very first purchase as a card maker, so now pretty old just couldn't handle the extra heat and it just stopped working.


When I peeled my butterfly off the paper I should have used a spatula, but didn't so he lost his antennae. I die cut a second in black and layered them.  
My background is a Bo Bunny plank stamp which I inked in 3 colours of distress oxide ink.  I've had this stamp for years and this is the first time it's been inked. It's so much fun finding stamps in your stash.


I'm entering this for the following challenges
Happy Little Stampers February Mixed Media challenge Butterflies
Water cooler Wednesday 156 Feminine anything goes
CASology





Card Recipe
Stamps: Bo Bunny, Purple onion sentiment (retired)
Paper: 110LB white, watercolour
Ink: Ranger archival black, Distress Oxide inks
Accessories: Stamplorations die cut, MISTI
Techniques: Faux enamel

Saturday 10 February 2018

Merry Monday Challenge

I'm playing along with Merry Monday's Christmas Challenge #276 with this inspiration photo.


I've chosen the window as the focus of the card using a stamp and die cut from Local king, this is such a great stamp but unfortunately it's now on the retired list and no longer available 😞

I stamped the window on Watercolour paper in distress inks, watercoloured and re-stamped to sharpen up the detail.  The die cuts out the window opening and the glass pieces giving you an option of opening the window.  I also watercoloured the inside of the window frame because the window can be opened.

The background scene is a Deep Red (winter pines) stamp on watercolour paper.  I stamped the pines in distress inks, and blended with some water.  To add the detail again, I used my mini Archival inks.  I've suddenly discovered them with watercolouring for adding a little detail as they don't react with water.  I watercoloured  and blended some clouds in the sky then sprinkled some chunky white Frantage for the snow.  The sentiment is from Paper Smooches, I love the quirky lettering in this set.


I'm so sad they are retiring this window set, it really is versatile.







Card Recipe
Stamps: Local King, Deep Red, Paper Smooches
Paper: 110lb white, Watercolour
Ink: Ranger Distress inks, Ranger Archival inks
Accessories: MISTI, matching die for window stamp
Techniques: Watercolouring

Saturday 3 February 2018

Steampunk Canvas on Card

A year or so ago I picked up a Mont Marte canvas pad, it was on sale, at the time it seemed like a good buy.  The first time I tried to use it was with stamps was a complete failure and ended up in the garbage,  stamping was almost impossible. The surface is so uneven that even with a MISTI I couldn't get a good impression.  So back on my paper shelf and now again resurrected.
The reason I pulled out is a) I've been working on more mixed media and created a couple of art boards (I'll share some in the future) and b) CAS Mix up challenge this month is Felt Cork or Canvas.

I cut a piece of the canvas about 5" by 7" and started adding layers of colour.  I first covered it in Distress ink (Tea die) as a wash, this took away the bright white surface.  I then used some Lindy's Stamp Gang spray with some blue/green tones (Tibetan Poppy Teal).  I stamped a series of quotes from one of the Alison Bomber sets randomly across the canvas. For texture I used a couple of my crackle pastes, a piece of left over cling wrap background die cut into a gear shape, and this great button I got in a pack from Micheal's.  I thought a little Steampunk theme would be fun.



 The heart button was covered in clear gesso and painted with some Artisan Powder (La Chapelier) then sprayed with the lindys stamp gang spray while wet.  I buffed the surface of the gears to remove some of the colour and give it a worn look.  As I used Matte medium to adhere the die cit gears it took off some of the watercolour used on the card.  The die cut is a little lighter than I had intended but still works.


I'm entering this for
CAS Mix up (Canvas)
CAS Watercolour (Heart)
Craft Stampers TIMI Challenge (anything goes)
Simon says Stamp Wednesday Challenge (anything goes)









Card Recipe
Stamps:
Paper:
Ink:
Accessories:
Techniques:

Friday 2 February 2018

Heart Smart Chickens

It's time for February's CAS Watercolour Challenge. The theme this month is hearts and our Guest Designer is Sue of Sue's Card Craft
Don't forget to head over to our Guest designer Sue's blog and the rest of the Design team and check out all the wonderful inspiration.


I decided to have a little fun with this one, when I saw these adorable little chicks from Stampingbella the first thing that jumped into my head was "I think they're doing sit ups at the gym, it's their New Years resolution".

I watercoloured the chicks using Daniel Smith watercolour dots. I thought I would try them out in the dot size before I invested a lot of money in the tubes,  It's a great way to find out if you like them. I die cut the chicks, and also die cut as set in white fun foam to pop the up on the card.


I die cut the hearts from red cards stock and made them sparkle with a little wink of stella.

.
I would love to hear what you think 😏




Card Recipe
Stamps: Stampingbella, Katzelkraft
Paper: 140lb watercolour, 110lb white, 110lb red
Ink: Ranger archival
Accessories: Daniel Smith watercolour dot sheet, Die cut hearts, white fun foam, wink of Stella
Techniques: Watercolouring