Once in a while I like to experiment with new techniques and new products.
Well…I like to do it all the time. I really enjoy getting sucked into experimenting with techniques and products that I’ve never tried before.
I LOVE the card that I made from just such an experiment!
This may look like a hot mess to everyone else, but I love it!
I took a class called Scene Building through Altenew Academy last year.
I found it overwhelming and never really embraced the method. I made my requisite homework cards, but never thought I’d try it again.
Well…I have been making a few scene building cards lately and I’ve been enjoying it.
Those are words I never thought I would say to you!
It started a few weeks ago when I was experimenting with the distress crayons and texture paste. I had a brick stencil from Kindred Stamps and I was loving the texture paste. I mixed a bunch of distress crayon colors to get the brick color that I wanted and then I used my spatula and smeared it onto mixed media paper through the stencil. I tried to only cover parts of the stencil because I wanted a really distressed look.
I LOVED the way this texture paste from Ranger is super flexible when it dries. It is not at all dry and brittle. The distress crayons colored it beautifully and it dried perfectly.
I added some tea stain and antique linen distress oxide inks to the spaces to make it look less white and knock down the brightness of the paper.
Then I pulled out my Indoor Garden stamp and die set from Altenew. I stamped several of the images on to watercolor paper and pulled out my Kuretake watercolors and started painting. I stamped the images in the Antique Linen distress ink to create a no line watercoloring effect. I have been following Debby Hughes and I have taken a couple online classes that she’s taught.
She is amazing. My personal watercoloring hero.
I’ve been watching her videos and practicing my technique. I have a ways to go, but I’m happy with how this little scene came out.
I made a giant card out of it that I think I will put in a frame until I make something I love more.
I tried using a variety of blues, greens, and yellows to make the leaves look more interesting and to give the variety you see in real leaves.
I’m a work in progress, but I am making progress! I’m delighted about that! Practice is improving my skills. The woman who runs the 30 Day Coloring Challenge says that you just need to keep coloring or watercoloring every day and you will see an improvement in 30 days.
She is right.
I’m no Debby Hughes, but I am enjoying this immensely and I’m getting results I’m much happier with now than I was a couple of months ago.
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Thank you for stopping by today! I so appreciate that you drop in to see what’s new! Leave a comment and tell me about your latest project!
Kim I really like the way this card came out. I tried a handful of times to do scenes but never like them. Someday when I have more time I will take some of these classes. Kim I am very interested is trying the Altenew artist markers and I see that you can buy the small sets of 12 or 4 packs of different shades of the same color group. Those would be great for blending but not as cost effective. What is your take on it? I really am interested in coloring especially with all the beautiful floral stamps. Just not sure how much I will do and also the best markers to buy. If you think you are a work in progress, think of how behind I am ha!
Thanks always for your advice!
Hi Anita!
I started out with the Altenew markers because they had a good price point and only 36 colors. Now they have added several more sets and I’ve slowly added them to my collection. One thing I like about Altenew is that they have a lot of sales. Those markers are sure to go on sale every couple of months. Plus, they have free shipping on orders over $100 which is usually a big savings. Then they will send you a coupon code for 5% off your next order. I almost never buy anything that isn’t on sale and I wait until my wish list is big enough for free shipping. If you want to start out with just a set of 12, you might try marker set B. That has a set of blues, greens and reds that would give you 3 blending families to try out that would be perfect for florals.
I find that I can spend several hours working on a watercolored piece, a marker piece, or a scene building one. They are very time consuming. I too am looking forward to the days when I have more time to devote to just relaxing and creating! I’m down to counting months now, Anita! I love my job, but I can’t wait until my days are mine!