I’ve been playing with watercoloring using my inks for the last two weeks.
I just can’t get enough!
Of course, I have nice watercolor paints that are actually sitting in my drawer while I play with my inks.
I can get away with less craft supplies when I want to…but, why?!
Today’s card was created using the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge for the layout. Although I did flip the layout.
I’m also using the Paper Craft Crew Color Challenge for the week.
This is such a classic layout. If you don’t have a digital file for sketches for inspiration, you should create one and add this week’s sketch to it.
If you look at the rest of the design team’s cards at the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge this week, you will see that they used layers to create their cards. Several people used patterned paper or a background technique for this layout. This is great layout to use those patterned papers with if you have them, along with those scraps of paper strips we all save for another project. This sketch is it!
I just love single layer cards. I love trying to show dimension on my images with the drop shadow. If you look carefully, you will see the gray marker outlining parts of my image! It made the image pop when I added that detail.
What a great trick to use on a single layer card. It’s one of those things that takes a card to the next level.
Isn’t that image fabulous? That is the Big Blooms Daffodil from Taylored Expressions. It was fun to paint. I’m going to try it with my alcohol markers next. I think it is a perfect stamp to practice shading the nooks and crannies with.
The sentiment is from a new stamp set I just got from Hero Arts called Dreams Will Blossom. I really love this sentiment. It speaks to one of my goals for 2020…just living simpler.
I’ve been working hard to ignore the chaos around me and focus on the positive and beautiful things around me. I’m working on living in the moment and being in the moment.
I stepped of the crazy carousel and stopped thinking about all the other things that are waiting to be done and all the things that make me anxious. I’m focusing on this moment!
My crafting is really helping me to do that. The alcohol coloring and watercoloring make it so easy to just lose yourself in the project and forget about everything else. I hope you have something that helps you do that as well.
Here is the Color Challenge that I used for this card from the Paper Craft Crew Challenge for this week.
Instead of using the Stampin’ Up! colors listed, I selected some Catherine Pooler inks that I thought worked with the challenge: I used Tiara, Lime Rickey, Tiki Torch, and Aquatini. I used the Midnight Black in for my sentiment.
I then smooshed my inks onto my craft mat, spritzed them with water and used a #6 round paint brush to color in the image. I let each layer dry and then painted the next layer to get deeper color tones in the areas I thought should be darker. I don’t worry too much about the whole light source thing…it made it less relaxing when I worried about details. Now I just paint and color until I like what I have.
I found it challenging to only use 3 colors, so I used all 4 plus black. Even then, I wanted to pull out some deeper oranges and yellows to add some depth, but I didn’t!
I did cheat by pulling out a gray marker to add the drop shadow. I figured that was along the line of my black ink and I went with it because I always think neutrals are fair game in a color challenge..
I’m no Debby Hughes with watercolors, but I am definitely improving. I’ve been sharing all my efforts on this blog since I started watercoloring and practicing. It’s nice to look back and see how far I’ve progressed. It’s also fun to realize that I have a long way to go…that gives me an excuse to take more classes!
Here is the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge for the week:
Like I said…this is a classic!
I have a ton of patterned paper that would be great for this sketch, but I’m in the mood for watercoloring! Luckily, the other talented members of the design team have examples of patterned paper backgrounds and embossing backgrounds. Make sure you check them out and play along with these two challenges this week!
Supply List:
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Thank you so much for stopping by! Be well and I hope you can find some time to lose yourself in your crafting today!
