Sunflower Hello

Hello.

I hope you're having a happy day!

I've used just a pinch of salt today.

This happy sunflower was die cut from a salted piece.

It's hard to see the patterns from the salt because of the intricate cut.

The stem and leaves were cut from a snippet leftover from this card.

After I added the brown watercolor to the flower, I used a bit
on the leaves to give them some added depth.

And because, in my yard, all the leaves have brown on them.

I should have shaded the grass border brown as there's lots
of brown in our grass too.  I did sponge some green on it.

It looks like it needs mowing doesn't it?

The Poppystamps challenge this month is

I have a border of grass and a scored border.

and the  CAS Watercolour Salt Challenge is still going.

and my snippet of grass and stem will give me a visit to
Pixies Snippet Playground

Thanks for the shout out, Di.


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Friendship Messages (SSS)

Ink:   Early Espresso, Gumball Green (SU)

Paper:   Rustic White (PTI), Mixed Media (ST), Snippet of Green

Other:  Bountiful Sunflower, Grassland Border (both PS), Gansai Tambi Watercolors, Pink Himalayan Salt, Table Salt, Simply Scored

Flicker and Flutter

Hi there.

I got some new dies for my birthday and had fun using them.

I used some alcohol ink pieces.

Sorry, this time I didn't write the colors down.

I used some embossed pieces from my UFO (UnFinished Objects) box for backgrounds.

Join us at
CAS Mix Up

There are some gorgeous alcohol ink cards in the gallery.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Keep it Simple Get Well (PTI) card 1

Ink:   Emerald Envy (SU) card 1

Paper:   Neena, Photo (Kodak), Tempting Turquoise (SU) card 2

Other:  Alcohol Inks, Blending Solution (Ranger), Flicker and Flutter Die (PB), Layered Leaves EF (SU), Dew Drops (old HA)

Everything Flowers Two Ways

Hi.

Are you getting tired of salted and alcohol ink cards?

Here's something different.

I've stamped and heat embossed the Everything Flowers Background stamp

from Hero Arts, then colored the flowers with Gelatos.

I pressed the tip of the Gelatos metallic colors onto the flowers and spread the

color with my finger.

The color is very much like chapstick and spreads smoothly.

Kind of like making pretty mud pies!

I added some non metallic Gelato to the centers of the flowers.

I added some shading by putting the Gelato on my palette and picking up some color

with an Aqua Painter.

For the background, I used a Pitt Artist Big Brush pen in May Green to scribble on my palette,

picked up the color with an Aqua painter and did a wet on wet wash around the colored flowers.

(BTW, it's so easy to make a palette for markers and ink by

laminating a half sheet of white cardstock.)

I'm entering this in The Flower Challenge #11

also

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge

ADD A SENTIMENT

also

Just Us Girls (JUGS) Challenge

I have shiny embossing and the metallic Gelatos also shine.

Here's a closer look of that shine.

 I stamped 2 small pieces at the same time since this is such a large stamp.

I watercolored this one with Zigs.

Quite a different look!

Both sentiments are from the Thoughtful Messages set at SSS.

This set was a birthday present from my dear friend Loll.
I can see that this set will get a lot of love.
Thanks again, dear friend!

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Everything Flower (HA), Thoughtful Messages (SSS)

Ink:   Whisper White (SU)

Paper:   Neena, Mixed Media (STt), Orchid Opulence (retired SU), Vellum

Other:  White EP (SU), Gelatos Metallics Grape, Melon, Blueberry, & Mint; Yellow (Faber Castell), Pitt Artist Pen May Green (FC), Aqua Painter, Finger

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps: Same

Ink: Same

Paper: Neena, Mixed Media (ST), Brilliant Blue (retired SU), Vellum

Other:  White EP (SU), Zig CCRB (#30 Blue, 82 Purple, 25 Pink, 50 yellow, 52 Bright Yellow, 46 Mid Green, 64 Oatmeal), Aqua Painter

Salty Marigold or is it a Dahlia

Hello dear friends.

Here's another sample of salt play and a reminder that there's still time to enter at
CAS Watercolour.

I covered a piece of watercolor paper with a wash of yellows using my

Gansai Tambi watercolors.

While it was still quite wet, I sprinkled some Himalayan Fine Pink salt in a couple of areas.

I just used a pinch and tried to keep it in a small section.

To my surprise, it looked like a couple of flowers when it dried!

I probably couldn't do this again but that's what's fun about using salt on watercolor.

You never know how it's going to look!

I used a water soluble marker to outline the lighter "petals".

The background piece used as a mat was done using the same colors of paint and table salt.

I've covered most of it up so you can't really see much of the pattern left from the salt.

Sorry I didn't get a photo of the piece before I cut it up.

I'll try to do better next time.

The CAS Watercolour Challenge 

this month is

The challenge is open until the 24th.

The Design Team and our awesome Guest Designer, Ros, have lots

of gorgeous samples to share with you there.

And if you need some video help, there's links at the 

challenge site.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Happy Snippets (PB)

Ink:   Soft Suede (SU), SU Marker (Old Olive)

Paper:   Watercolor (Strathmore CP for background, Arches CP for watercolor)

Other:  Gansai Tambi Watercolors (#43 Mid Yellow, #42 Bright Yellow, #33 Orange), Himalayan Fine Pink Salt, Table Salt

Alcohol Swirls for CAS Mix Up

Hi there.

It's the middle of the month and time for a reminder for
CAS Mix Up

While playing with the alcohol inks, I tried just twisting the felt applicator.

I love the swirls so I filled the piece of glossy paper with them.

I should have written down the colors.

Sometimes I get so excited that I don't write things down and just can't remember what I used.

Do you do that?

I found this butterfly in my butterfly box.  I loved that you could still see the swirls

when I plopped him on.

I used vellum for the sentiment so it wouldn't cover up all the movement.

After stamping, I heat embossed it so it would show up really nice

and not smear.

There's still time to join in the challenge at

CAS Mix Up

Using stamping, alcohol ink, die cuts, vellum and heat embossing.

also adding to  Concord & 9th

Happy Birthday C&9

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Sending you a hug (Verses

Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black

Paper:  Neena, Coastal Cabana (SU), Glossy, Basic Black, Vellum (SU)

Other:  Alcohol Ink, Black Crystals

Salt Water Continued

Hi.

I've had so much fun using salt with my watercolors.

I've gotten so many different looks.

This time I  dripped salt water on my wet watercolor wash.

I used plain table salt to mix.

Kind of backwards of what I did on the cards in this post.

I used the right side of this piece this time.

Then I drew some lines on some of the places where the salt had removed the color.

I've learned that the trick is to not think about what the pen is doing.
Just relax and go with the flow.

I stamped in some of the spots too.

Here's what that looks like on a card.

If you like watercolor, try sprinkling some salt on it, or mixing salt in water

and using it as a wash or on wet watercolor.

So much fun!

CAS Watercolour Challenge

Challenge is open until the 24th

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Choose Joy (PTI)

Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black, Delightful Dijon & Soft Suede for center (SU)

Paper:   Neena, Watercolor (Canson CP)

Other:  Gansai Tambi Watercolor (#34 Dk. Pink, #40 yellow), Micron 005 pen, Table Salt, Stitched Squares Dies (LI)

Card Recicpe (cards 2 & 3)

Stamps: Dee's Blooming Buds (Stamplorations)

Ink: Basic Gray, Regal Rose, Pear Pizzaz, Delightful Dijon Marker (all SU)

Other:  X stitch Borders dies (GM), Black Crystals

Salt Water Flowers

Hi ya'll.

While I was having fun using salt with watercolors,
I wanted to try a technique I saw in this video.

I loved the results.

Let's see what you think.

Imagine this without the stems and outlines that I drew.

I used about 1/4 cup of water and a couple pinches of salt to add a wash to 

my watercolor paper.

Then I dropped some watercolor onto the wet paper.

I didn't get quite the "explosion" that Teela got, but enough so it looked like flowers to me.

(I did blot the edges of the color bursts with a paper towel.)

I added stems with a paint brush and some more watercolor and

some definition to the flowers with a Copic Multiliner Pen.

Since the piece was too large for a CAS card,

I cut it in half and made a twofer.

The black dots on the second card were done by dipping a toothpick 

in Black Nuvo drops.

CAS Watercolour August Challenge

Challenge is open until the 24th.

Lots more videos with salt techniques over there.

I hope you'll play along.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe (Card 1)

Stamps:  Happy Snippets (PB)

Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black

Paper:  Neena, Basic Black (SU), Watercolor (Arches CP) 

Other:  Stitched Mats Rectangles (LI: card 1), Stately EF (ret. Crafts Concepts: c.2), Small Sticky Back Black Crystals