It's that time of year for the Salmon River Fine Arts Center's annual 6x6 Community Art Show and FUND-raiser!  This is my third year participating in this event and I'm excited to be a part of so many wonderful 6x6 art pieces.  Follow the link above for show details.

Meanwhile, here are my three watercolor submissions.  Since I was back in NY when I painted two of the pieces, winter themes seemed a natural choice.  The third painting was finished in FL and was inspired by needing to see signs of spring after a month of grey days in NY!

Robin in Winter

Cardinal in Winter

Chickadee in Spring

I began using Tim Holtz Distress Cardstock and a Penny Black Slapstick/Cling stamp (Alight).   My "loose" plan was to use Distress Inks to color the image with the "direct to rubber" technique.  I decided to grab Tombow Markers instead to color directly onto the rubber.  Rather than color the entire stamp, I began coloring one leaf at a time with a green marker that I spritzed with water and stamped using The Misti tool.

Here's where the "experiment" happened.  Because the paper is textured, the stamped result was very mottled looking.  I picked up a small round brush and using just a little water, began painting the Tombow marker color that blended beautifully! 

I continued the direct to rubber coloring technique with each leaf and blended each one with the brush and water.  As the leaves dried, I worked on the berries.  The bird was colored a section at a time starting with the brown tones and then his belly.  To add more color, I scribbled Tombow color onto glass and "painted" using the small round brush mostly to the leaves. 

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​Red Wink of Stella added a little pop to the berries.   

While trolling Pinterest recently, I came across cute little gnome ornaments by Patti J. Good Designs that I just had to create!  After making one ornament as per her instructions, I added my own creative twist.  This is my first batch of gnomes with red hats.  I'll be making hats in other fabrics shortly and will post them on Pinterest.

I cut the bottom of the hat in a curve rather than straight and I hand stitched the side seam of the hat as I didn't like the hot glue result.  I made the hat slouchy (a folded pipe cleaner inside the hat and glued to the beard provides the support to make the hat slouch and not collapse) and I turned up the hat brim once so it's less thick.  I've ordered jingle bells to affix to the end of the hat for further cuteness.  I would embellish the hat brim with tiny buttons as an option also.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN

It's another fun month of watercolor at Happy Little Stampers!

My take on this month's card has a feel of yesteryear with its browns and muted greens and reds.  This technique was inspired by a WPlus9 YouTube video (HERE) begins with stamping with Distress Oxide ink, spritzing prior to stamping and once stamped, pulling ink with a brush for a watercolor effect. 

The birds needed something in the background, so I masked them and then stamped the trees behind them, which filled in the open spaces.  Ink blending the edge of the card warmed up the overall scene.  Even the ribbon was smeared with Distress Ink and spritzed and purposely wrinkled for an aged appearance.

I will tell you that the YouTube technique used Distress Watercolor paper.  I experienced ink smearing (as if it wasn't dry) on the Strathmore paper, so test your inks and paper first before trying this technique!

Supplies Used:

Paper:  Strathmore
Stamps:  Penny Black (Feathered) and (Landscape), Sentiment (Scrapbok.com)
Inks:  Ranger Distress Oxide (Gathered Twigs, Forest Moss, Carved Pumpkin, Aged Mahogany, Hickory Smoke), Versa Fine (Crimson Red)
Accessories:  Ribbon (Amuse Studio)

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

​LYN

Here's the photo inspiration for HSS Challenge #400!

Autumn is my favorite season of the year and I couldn't wait to join this challenge!

The story behind this card is that I started the background using Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors while convalescing on the couch from foot surgery in New York State this summer.  Fast forward to now where I'm in Florida and there's absolutely nothing visually autumn here other than decorations; however, my love of fall has gotten me through this card design!

I stamped Woodsy trees (Penny Black) using Versafine Vintage Sepia and The Misti.  For further color pop, I found just the right cardstock (Bazzil) in my stash.  Wrapping twine (FSJ) and adding a stitched tag (MFT) that was stamped on a scrap of watercolor paper with Versafine Vintage Sepia and a sentiment from Spellbinders Seasonal Motif stamps.  Stitched borders (Lawn Fawn) were added to both the card front panel and tree panel for additional texture and interest.  The tree panel is also raised with a section of craft foam.  The sparkly stickers are from Stampendous (discontinued).

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN

  

My favorite month of the year is here!  I love everything about Autumn and, especially, creating cards!

Today's card is reminiscent of my shabby chic, vintage card making days and it was fun to re-visit that style again.  Since I am still recovering from foot surgery and living on the couch, I sketched, painted and doodled pumpkins and leaves one afternoon and hand cut them out knowing I would do something with them once I could negotiate the stairs up to my craft room, which was about two weeks ago.

Lots of layers and edge distressing going on.  I love mixing patterns and textures!  My BIL made me actual twig buttons years ago and it made a perfect embellishment along with the cute wood bird.

​Here's the inside sentiment, one of my all time favorites for fall:

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Art Impressions, Impression Obsession, Stampendous
Papers:  Canson Watercolor, Honey Bee 6x6 Paper Pad (Sweet on You)
Accessories:  Kuretaki Gansai Tambi Watercolors, Dipping Pen, Winsor Newton Calligraphy Ink, Memento Cocoa Ink, Tombow Multi Glue, Twine (A Muse Studio), Prima Distress Tool, Wood Bird (my stash), Cross Hatch Die (Simon Says Stamp)

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN

Last spring, I had an idea to make gnomes for an annual craft show hosted by my sister and held at my brother in-law's restaurant and golf course in Sandy Creek, NY.  Even though I'll be missing it this year, I'll have my gnomes for sale at my BIL's table.

The top two are Christmas themed and the bottom two are Winter themed.  They will each come with a tag that shows their special gnome name and a sweet sentiment about gnomes being mythological creatures and that bring good fortune to your home throughout the year!

Get on up to The Elm's event October 29th!  It's a fabulous craft fair and vendor show.

Thanks for stopping by!  

XOXO

LYN

I am officially six days from my next doctor's appointment where I will be getting a walking boot and can finally get off this couch and say goodbye to a walker!  Meanwhile, life on the couch has been creatively productive and today I am all about posting a montage of what has kept me engaged.  

My grandson, Liam, turned one on August 30th and I wanted to make him a special card.  Having limited supplies to work with, I figured a sketch of my precious little guy could work both as a card and as something to display in his bedroom.  I had to defer to Pinterest for a clever sentiment that I hand lettered with a dip pen.  

I absolutely love painting fall pumpkins (it needs splatters)!  This 5x7 size is also suitable for sticking in an inexpensive frame for a seasonal display.  Again, no sentiment stamps available here on the couch so I have forced myself to hand letter.

Had I access to my Distress inkpads, I'd have used them for this Studio Light stamped scene.  I first stamped the birch trees.  The pine trees were stamps as well, but I water colored the tree line and "stamped" them using The Misti!  I painted in additional darker pigment here and there to add more contrast.  The trees behind the birch trees were hand painted to fill in the area.  I'll stamp a sentiment once I can walk on my own to finish this Christmas card.  I love the hint of a setting sun.

For Liam's birthday, I knit him a beanie!  He was such a wiggle worm, we were lucky to get it on his head!  So glad it fit (he has a big noggin).

Life is good on this ole couch!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN

I am excited to announce that I am now a member of Happy Little Stampers Watercolor Design Team!  I'm sure looking forward to being a part of this fun challenge site.

​It's a new month and a new challenge!

As many of you know, I literally had my foot surgery last month on the day I was notified I was selected for the design team!  Because I can't put any weight on my foot while the tendon heals, I am basically confined to the couch.  Fortunately, I had the forethought to gather some watercolor supplies prior to my surgery and have been able to paint and sketch.  I miss my stamps (including sentiments!) and my craft space, but I am just not taking the stairs to the second floor right now.

Today's post is a 5x7 card (Strathmore) that is intended for a friend who had a baby girl last month.  The baby's nursery theme is woodland animals and even though I started a 9x12 forest painting awhile ago for the baby-to-be, I hit a creative wall and didn't finish it.  That roadblock led me to imagine a section of the unfinished painting to create a design for today's card!  I used Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors (the only paints I have here on the couch!) and a round brush (Wonderforest #6).

First, I sketched the scene and then I used a narrow tip dipping pen and ink (Winsor Newton) to outline all the sketched areas.  After the pencil marks were erased, the painting began!  A double sketchy border finished the scene.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN

Back in July, I posted about painting from a photo of the Salmon River HERE and taking the opportunity to work with a dip pen.  ​Dip pens emerged in the early 19th century, when they replaced quill pens and, in some parts of the world, reed pens. Dip pens were generally used before the development of fountain pens in the later 19th century, and are now mainly used in illustration, calligraphy, and comics. (Wikipedia)

​Taking the chance with the dip pen opened up an amazing creative opportunity that goes way beyond using a Micron Pen!  It pushed me to try something new and reinforced the benefits of going beyond a comfort zone.

​Which leads me to the point of this post:

Salmon River Fine Arts Center in Pulaski, NY ​is a wonderful community center that offers workshops and classes as well as hosting events in their gallery space.  One of their annual events is a juried art show celebrating the Salmon River (Sept. 9-Oct. 22).  Once I saw the word "juried," I immediately thought that wouldn't be a show I could participate in.  However, something told me to read more about what was involved.  I had taken several wonderful photos of a lovely area on the Salmon River last year and would refer to them from time to time imagining about painting for this show.  

Not only did I finish the 9x12 painting, it was accepted into the art show!

When I look at this painting, I see so many things that I would never have tried had I stayed in my comfort zone.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN