My post today is about practicing (or playing as I like to think of it) the art of watercolor.  Painting a piece that is worthy of your walls (or for gifting or for selling) takes time.  You need time to warm up, to sketch a design, to let layers dry, to set it aside and come back later or another day.  In other words, being impatient and wanting to just get it done is probably not the best way to start a session.

Another very interesting point to this story is that after all three of these paintings were "finished," I ended up doodling them with my dip pen!  I've seen many professional artists use a dip pen (rather than a Micron pen) and I've been intrigued to try it myself.  Because I had a good attitude about practicing and playing, using my dip pen for the first time was a perfect scenario.

The other day, I felt like practicing painting flowers; specifically, roses (which I suck at) so I grabbed a reference from Pinterest and began practicing using Strathmore 5x7 watercolor paper.  The first piece is with the dreaded rose, which I ended up not being happy with.  Adding the doodling with my dip pen was just what it needed! 

​I painted a second piece and omitted the rose!  Since I was on a roll with my dip pen, I doodled this as well.  Both of these paintings will be made into cards in the near future.

The practice piece I painted today is in preparation for an upcoming art show.  My reference photo is of a spot on the Salmon River in Pulaski, NY.  The photo shows quite a few rocks (another dreaded difficult item to paint) but as I've learned along the way, I can paint (and interpret) a photo any way I want, which is exactly what I did.  This practice piece is 5x7 and I'll be attempting this again in a 9x12 size.

​Here's my reference photo:

And here's my interpretation:

I learned a lot by practicing (and playing) and now I have a plan for the larger piece!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN

Today's sketch over at The Paper Players is one that I always enjoy, which is what prompted me to join in on the fun!  As I was posting my card I noticed the sketch has a framed panel around the card front that I didn't remember seeing originally.  That's the beauty of card challenges, it is up to ones own style and interpretation.

Here's the sketch:

And here's my card:

I love black and white with any third color combination as they always looks great together!  However, the card design actually began with the daisy (Stampendous) as the focal point over the 2x5-1/2 inch black and white panel (Honey Bee The Bees Knees 6x6 pad).  The flower was stamped (Versafine Onyx Black) on watercolor paper (Canson) using a stamping platform (The Misti).  I freehand cut the stem and leaves from watercolor paper.  The fun began when I water colored all the pieces!  The painted and dry flower was then diecut.  Once the flower was mounted with foam mounting tape (Scotch 3M), I doodled the stem and leaves (No. 5 Micron Pen).  The sentiment (my stash) was stamped (Versafine Onyx Black) and diecut (ticket stubs Stampendous) with an additional larger diecut in black cardstock (FSJ) to ground the sentiment.  I am "so happy" with this sweet little card!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN

I've been in a mood for card making and participating in card challenges recently.  Today I was inspired to participate in two challenges over at Seize the Birthday and Shopping Our Stash!  Seize the Birthday's challenge was to use specific colors of purples, blues and greens.  Shopping Our Stash's challenge was to use embellishments found in your stash. 

​Let's see how I interpreted both challenges in one card!

The entire card started with the little metal "wish" embellishment (Tim Holtz) as my inspiration.  Next, I dug out an old (never used!) Penny Black (Pop Pop Poppy) cling and then pawed through my Distress Ink Cubes for the desired color pallet.  I worked along taking the ink cube to the rubber and spritzing with water prior to stamping using The Misti (I made sure to grab two colors in each color for contrast) until I had the desired color of the image. 

I decided to add a vertical strip along the inside edge of the card for more interest.  To make the strip, I took a piece of scrap watercolor paper and, using the "smoosh technique" with Distress Inks, I individually smooshed each color using a Kraft mat (Tim Holtz) and drying with a heat tool in between color layers.  I cut the strip 1/2 x 5-1/2 inches and affixed to the inside edge.  I also cut the card front down to 3-3/4 x 5-1/2 inches to reveal the inside edge. 

Next I took a length of white seam binding and swiped Salty Ocean Distress Ink over the length of it and stuck it in a zip lock bag.  I gave it a few spritzes of water and worked it over with my fingers through the bag.  I dried it with a heat tool and rolled it up tight to really distress it.  The metal wish embellishment was threaded through the ribbon and tied on and wrapped in place.  Tiny gems added some sparkle to the sentiment.  The flower panel was affixed to the card front.  A quick splatter of Distress Ink filled in the background white space.

I'm entering into the following challenges:
Seize the Birthday:  #243 Color Challenge
Shopping Our Stash:  SOS475 - WTHeck Embellishments

Today I'm posting two cards to Make the Card Challenge #59 and they are so dissimilar, you'd think two different people made them!  I assure you, I made both designs and here's the back story ('cuz there's always a back story) about my card-making process!

When I read the challenge and saw the sketch layout, I immediately had several design ideas that I drew in my notebook.  I became absolutely fixated on the diagonal stripes and the sentiment placement over the stripes!  The first card turned out to be super easy and quick to make.  The second card was a very involved design and it surprised me that I went the Christmas in July route, which I rarely have the motivation in July to do!

Obviously, the first step of the watercolor stripe card was to paint the stripes!  I actually lightly drew one  pencil line for the first (orange) stripe.  Using a flat brush, I picked up paint and quickly painted a straight line free hand!  I decided to leave the tiniest space between each row (I did think about no spaces to allow the paint to blend, but I went with the safer choice).  Once dry, I found a nice and bold stamp (my stash, no manufacturer on acetate) that played well against the stripes (Versafine Onyx Black, The Misti).  The front panel was mounted on blue cardstock to pop the overall card and gems were added for interest (A Muse Studio).

Next up is the Christmas in July card that began with the diagonal woodgrain strips.  Prior to stamping the strips, I smooshed Distress Oxide inks (walnut stain, vintage photo) onto a piece of cardstock (FSJ Oatmeal Cookie) to add distress and then stamped the strips and cut out.  The card front was ink blended using Distress Oxide (Walnut Stain).  Basically, I was building the card from back to front over the woodgrain strips.  Diecut trees (Tim Holtz) on green cardstock (A Muse Studio) were layered next.  I used a gel pen to add .  Red crotchet thread (my stash) was wrapped around the card and tied in a bow.  The focal square box (same unknown manufacturer set) was also a scrap of smooshed inks with the sentiment glued on.  The diecut deer (Tim Holtz) was mounted with foam tape (Scotch 3M).  The final touch was a twig button that I hot glued onto the bow (my BIL made me actual twig buttons!)

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN

Today I'm compiling watercolor cards that are inspired by my love of living in Florida, loving the ocean and loving watercolor.  Even though I also live in New York State, there's something about being in Florida that naturally inspires me to create ocean-themed cards and paintings.  I also love backgrounds and layering over whatever the background is, which is primarily how all of these card designs were created.  My favorite card is a failed watercolor that I chopped up to be incorporated into a background!

Diecut Watercolor
​(Memory Box Die, Reverse Confetti Sentiment, Stampendous Embossing Powder & Glitter, Quickie Glue Pen)

Birthday Watercolor Fish
​(Fun Stampers Journey, VersaMark Onyx Black Inkpad, Quickie Glue Pen, Stampendous Glitter)

Watercolor Background Shmoosh
​(A Muse Studio, Distress Inks, Quickie Glue Pen, Stampendous Glitter, VersaMark Onyx Black Inkpad)

Watercolor Background Recycle
​(Ellen Huston Stamp, VersaMark Onyx Black Inkpad, Quickie Glue Pen, Stampendous Glitter)

Mermaid Sparkle
​(Ellen Huston Stamp, VersaMark Onyx Black Inkpad, Quickie Glue Pen, Stampendous Glitter)

Products used on all cards:
Watercolor Paper (Canson), Card Bases (Hammermill Color, Copy, Cover), Stamping Platform (The Misti), Watercolor (various mediums from my stash), Distress Inks used on some backgrounds.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN

​

Ever since I've been introduced to Cyanotype at The Hub on Canal by Judy Pickett, I have been out of my mind excited about this highly unexpected process that works with sunlight!  (Refer to my previous posts HERE and HERE.)  I have been particularly intrigued with wet cyanotype (vs. dry cyanotype) and today I had time to experiment further with it.  Here's the back story...

I have a guest room in Florida that needs something on the wall over the headboard and I thought the accent colors in the room would work beautifully with wet cyanotype; hence, my "vision."  The challenge with wet cyanotype is it's unbelievably inconsistent and you basically never know what your going to get. 

Well, I love a challenge and today was the day to test my vision!  I planned to create 3 prints that would play off each other and, as it turned out, 4 prints worked well together.

I wanted tropical natural plants for my prints but because I'm back in New York, I ended up buying really cool tropical dried florals at Hobby Lobby (with no idea if they would work!).  The other component I needed for the wet cyanotype process is ground Turmeric.  The water color papers were previously prepared ahead of time.

For the final result, the watercolor paper has to be rinsed under water to remove the photo solution and then allowed to dry.  The brown tones are the diluted turmeric!

I love how ghostly and layered these are!  Wish you could see these in person, they are gorgeous!  I can't wait to get them framed.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Lyn

I have two absolute favorite activities and one of them is having painting time while in my art space and  yesterday was my painting day.  It began with a plan to paint a large painting that I imagine could potentially hang in my Florida home foyer.  I decided to heed the advice of every watercolor artist I've ever followed and "warm up" using a Pinterest inspiration to get into the moment.  This post is the result of my warm up!

In the style of Peter Sheeler, after I was done painting, I added the sketching, which really completed the piece I think.  I was so immersed in this little 5x7 exercise!  Because I was "warming up," painting the boulders and rocks was more of an experiment for me and I'm glad I pushed myself to try them.  The purple "mountain" reminds me of the Pacific west coast and not necessarily my Florida east coast, but it was a "warm up" and I'm okay with it.  I will re-paint this in another session in a larger format and tweak the scene to bring it over to the Florida coast!

Meanwhile, I did begin the intended foyer painting, but it's far from finished.

And what is my second favorite activity?  Reading, which is what I did after my day of painting!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN

It has been forever since I've participated in an online card challenge!  I recently found Make the Cards Challenge site and so here I am inspired to create a fancy fold card.  My card has lots going on with it, so I've broken it into three segments.

I'm not sure what to call this fold but I have made it in the past.  I especially like using double sided papers for the front panel that is a fold over, and I really especially like mixing patterns using a 6x6 Paper Pack (Honey Bee) and paper and ribbon from A Muse Studio!  Double rows of diecut scallops (A Muse Studio) and a narrow strip of glitter paper adds a more elegance.

I guess I could call this "a fold within a fold" because the little ATC size focal image (SU) is actually a tiny pocket card!  

Here it is opened showing two pockets for tuck-ins.  Two punched hearts using glitter paper embellish the left pocket and the right pocket holds a gift card.  A hand written note can be tucked into the left pocket.

The inside is normally where I stamp a sentiment, but I had these Stampendous stamps in my stash and wanted to use them here.  No coloring of the image other than using a Quickie Glue Pen and Stampendous glitter on the veil.  The Mr. & Mrs. sentiment was heat embossed with Versafine Ink and Stampendous Silver Embossing Powder.  I edged the diecut circle in Delicata Silvery Shimmer and added A Muse Studio Silver Gems.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN

 I am so excited about a stamping technique that I saw on YouTube recently!  Creative Treehouse calls it Split 4 Stamping Technique ​but I couldn't remember it and my technique is just a tiny bit different.  I liked it so much, I've made 15 cards in no time.

To begin, score an 8-1/2 x 11 inch white cardstock (I used Hammermill Color, Copy, Cover) at 5-1/2 inch and 4-1/4 inch.  Gather botanical stamps you'll be using (SU) and a variety of inks (Distress Cubes).  Ink and spritz the stamp with the first ink color and stamp from the center out.  Repeat in all 3 quadrants.  Choose another stamp and ink and spritz and stamp/overlap next to the first stamped image.  Repeat the process until you are satisfied with the result.  I like to extend into the white space quite a bit.  Cut apart at the scored lines to create 4 card fronts!  Affix onto cardstock and stamp as desired.  Be sure to turn the image for the best orientation prior to stamping a sentiment.

My examples below were put back together after the cards were completed for a better understanding of the stamping process.

Notice the majority of the stamping starts at the center and extends out.  The 4 finished cards with an added perforated border are shown below.

The next set is the exact same procedure showing the full sheet of stamping and the finished cards.  Again, the cards were finished and reassembled to show the stamping patterns.

In this set, I dropped the inkpad onto one of the squares and had to trash it, but I showed it anyway for the full visual.

And here's the final set!  I cut the scored panels down to 5-1/4 x 4 inches and added a colored panel.

Tell you what, it was fun digging through my "old" wood sentiment stamps and actually stamping with them!  I had to practice on scrap paper to make sure they stamped well after sitting in a drawer for years.

What a great technique for bulk stamping projects.  I sure do hope you give this a try!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN

​After recently learning about Cyanotype Printing (see my blog post HERE), I became intrigued by a second technique of this process called "Wet" Cyanotype Printing.  There are so many unknown possibilities with wet cyanotype and I couldn't wait to try this technique.

Gathering up some weeds and wild flowers with no particular plan is really a fun component of this printing process.  I had previously painted several sheets of watercolor papers with the special print solution and placed them in an area that was fairly dark to dry.  (Under a bed is a great place for a dark environment away from UV light.  I laid a 55 gallon bag down to protect the carpet from the wet papers.)  Once the plant materials are arranged, the magic to this process is to leave it in the sun to "do its thing."  

This first piece is about 8x11 size.  ​I am fascinated by the uneven greens and blues in the background!  You don't know what the results are until you decide it is done and rinse off the solution under water.

The next piece is about 5x7 in size and I really like the result!

Because I've always loved backgrounds, wet cyanotype printing appeals to me in exciting ways.  I can't wait to continue experimenting!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN