Before and After

You probably recognize this card from a post last week - I prepared this one for my Open Stamping technique that I taught.  I showed the group how to use the acrylic blocks to create an interesting background for their focal image.  I had prepared for more people than showed up and rather than have that stack of supplies sitting there (cluttering my studio), I decided to sit down and make the remainder of the cards.  While I was working - on a whim I tried something different.  

I thought, why not add a little more interest by putting two ink colors on the block?  So I did.  I inked the bottom (maybe 1/3) with Flaxen and the remainder with Glacier.  And stamped it like before.  But the result was less than satisfying - especially where the two colors came together.  So then, I thought "what can I do to make the seam nicer?" and I decided to try spritzing the block with a fine water mist before stamping the colors.  Here is my "After" image: 

 

 Golly I love the result!  Well, I doubt I'll post again until we get to our summer home.  Keep posting, I LOVE getting ideas from all of you!  Hugs!!

Happy Birds

 I love the birds and flowers in this stamp set! I guess that is because I love coloring and this gives me a great excuse to play with color - the designs just beg to be funky! I used Shin-Han markers - very easy! The little came from a retired set and I stamped it in Topiary ink. The doodled frame was drawn free hand.

As you can see, I also used my "wink of  Stella" brush to add some shine. The design paper is from the Seasonal Expression 2 papers called Blossom! Beautiful!

On a personal note, I am preparing to "fly north" to my summer home! I am really looking forward to seeing all the family again! Hugs!

Easter Card 2015

Happy Easter! We have been so busy, first with Holy Week, then with the recovery from Holy Week! LOL! I wanted to wait for The season of Easter before sharing my card and here we are nearly two weeks into it already! 

I made this with a new CTMH stamp set, watercolor technique, and an amazing little artist trick called "frisket". Frisket is a masking fluid that dries to seal off areas you want to protect from your water coloring (such as the lily) and once the background is finished and dry, you can remove the frisket and continue to develop your art (in this case, with Shin-Han markers. I made a limited number of these, just for closest friends and clergy. The majority were easel cards like the one I kept for myself.

The sky was done with Indian Corn Blue. I love the occasional hints of purple that show up!

Hugs!

Technique for Open Stamping - April

I've been thinking about the way people use their acrylic blocks to put ink onto paper and finally pulled out some paper and tried it. The first thing I learned was that the "usual" side to use (for stamping) with the CTMH blocks is the flat-edge side. I have always held the block so the upper edges (where I'm trying to hold onto the block) are the curved ones. Well, it never occurred to me that the business side of the block (where the stamp goes) has an etched line (for keeping things straight - especially sentiments!) and that the line would show up in this technique. So, true to form, I have my first thing to share with my friends about how "not" to do it!  LOL

I put ink onto the block, stamping the block directly onto the paper and the rest was just as usual. What resulted is a very simple card - but I like the look. This is a technique I will probably do again - just because it was so easy and the idea of creating a block of color for your focal image appeals to me.  

I used the newest Seasonal Expressions catalog card-kit stamp set with Glacier, Pear, Smoothie, and Cocoa inks and White Daisy cardstock. Hope you like it!
Hugs!