Ai Bunnies!

 With the month of April upon us, I had to paint something pretty & spring-like for Art Impressions' Watercolour Weekend, so I've pulled out nine different stamp sets to put my scene together:

I began by colouring the boots from 5194 - WC Shoe Set in #N55 Tombow Dual Brush Marker, leaving the top edge uncoloured.  Using my stamp positioner, I added the bunny from 5425 - WC Peeking Animals, the pail from WC Containers and the sitting bunny from 4874 - WC Bunnies Set, all in #N55.  I painted in colour on all of them, adding #533 and #565 to the boots, N55 to the bunnies, and #N55/451 to the pail.  For the bouquet, I used the pinecone from 5472 - WC Christmas Wreath Set, adding #993 to the center, and #725 around it, to create the roses (be sure to not colour the entire pinecone!).  As a filler flower, I used the tiny blooms from 4868 - WC Flower Set 2 stamped in #606, and the tiny leaves in 4867 - WC Foliage Set 2 in #177 as the greenery.  After masking the boots & bunny, I stamped the two grasses from 5007 - WC Foliage Set 3 in #177, and used it as a wash on the ground.  The two carnation stems in 5475 - WC Flower Set 6 were coloured with #993/126, and added to the pail and on the ground.  To finish, I added some #526 to the sky, and die cut my scene with 5063 - Stitched Rectangle Die.

Be sure to check out the Ai blog on Saturday to see what Dot & Tricia have to share.

Creative Containers

 Spring is just starting in my neck of the woods, so I was inspired to paint something springy for this week's Watercolour Weekend on the Art Impressions blog!  Our theme this week is Creative Containers, and Bonnie has designed so many great ones:

I stamped the wellies from 5194 - WC Shoe Set, masked them, and then stamped the larger watering can from 5012 - WC Wishing Well Mini Set, colouring both in Tombow #969 Chocolate, with #565 Deep Blue overtop.  I left my mask in place, and coloured up the bouquet of tiny flowers from 4868 - WC Flower Set 2 in #177 Dark Jade/606 Violet, then used the Daisy Bunch from Flower Set - 4052 in #676 Royal Purple to fill in the other side of the rainboots.  Changing colours to #565, I stamped the Daisy Bunch several times in the watering can, then with #177, I used one of the ivy stamps from 5126 - WC Foliage Set 4 to add some greenery around it.  Using the Leaves and Salvia images from Flower Set - 4052 in #725 Rhodamine Red and #606 I stamped them both around the top of the watering can bouquet to finish it off.  Everything was touched with a damp brush just enough to enliven the colours.

I picked up #476 Cyan from my palette and painted several layers onto the boots, concentrating the colour in the darker areas, and leaving the shiny highlite as white.  I used #N25 Lamp Black watered down to add a grey shade to the watering can, then used touches of the colours from my bouquet and boots as some colourful reflections on it.  I added #565 in shadowy areas for a bit of depth.  With the larger grass from Foliage Set - 4051, I added grass to either side of my scene using #177, and painted #493 Relfex Blue onto the sky.  To finish it off, I spattered the black paint lightly over everything.  I cut my piece to a 4 1/2" square, then used the 5061- Square Double Stitched Dies to cut out a blue frame - 4 times, and layered them on top of each other to make it more substantial.  Be sure to check out the Ai blog on Saturday to see what Dot & Tricia have to share!

Bouquet for Watercolour Weekend

Time for another Watercolour Weekend post.  I love the 5194 - WC Shoe Set for it's versatility!  Each of the shoes in the set can create a totally different kind of card, and today I've chosen the work boot:

I began by colouring the boot with my Tombow Dual Brush Marker #565 Deep Blue, and stamping it off on scrap paper.  Then I reinked it with #969 Chocolate, and stamped it onto my Canson XL Watercolor Paper.  I used my damp #4 paintbrush to soften the lines and pull out the colour, concentrating it where the shadows would be: the lower edge of the boot, under the creases, and in and under the laces.

I always build my bouquets from the bottom up, so using the two trailing sprigs from 5007 - WC Foliage Set 3, I coloured them with #249 Hunter Green, and stamped them trailing over each side of the boot.  Next I used three different blooms from Flower Set - 4052, stamping the daisy bunch in #837 Wine Red, always 3 times in a circular pattern to create a cluster (this is a filler flower, and appears lower in the bouquet, so I start with them).  Using the Lupine-like bloom, coloured in #993 Chrome Orange, I stamped it twice.  Finally, with the tall bloom, I stamped it in #565, filling in areas that needed some shape, being sure to vary the height and angle of them.  After touching everything with a damp brush, I could see which spots needed to be filled in with greenery.  I used the small green from 5009 - WC Mini Flower Set coloured in #177 Dark Jade, stamping it repeatedly in and around the blooms, filling out the shape of the bouquet.

With my image complete, I picked up #565 from my palette, and added a few shadows, in and under the flowers, and on the boot as well.  I also painted the suggestion of shadows along the ground, and after watering the blue even more, I painted a background around the bouquet.  I stamped the sentiment from 5136 - WC Sentiment Set 2 using Versafine Onyx Black ink, then used my sewing machine to stitch the rectangle to some indigo cardstock.  I decided to mount it to my base on an angle, and added a few deep pink enamel dots. 

Signs of Spring for Watercolor Weekend

We're still enjoying wintery weather around here, but I decided to paint up a spring scene for this week's Watercolor Weekend on the Art Impressions blog.

 Using the Wellies from the 5194 - WC Shoe Set, I inked them in Tombow Dual Brush Marker #565 Deep Blue, stamped the image on scrap paper and then reinked it with #N45 Cool Grey 10 before stamping it on my Canson XL Watercolor Paper.  I masked the boots, and then stamped the large watering can from 5012 - WC Wishing Well Mini Set in 565/N45, positioning it about 1/2" higher so that it would appear to be behind the boots, with the help of my Stamp Positioner.  I used a damp #4 Paintbrush to soften the lines, and pull out the colour, keeping it concentrated in the areas that would be shadowed, or darkest.  Using a pencil, I sketched in where I wanted my polkadots to be, and with my #905 Red marker, I coloured them in, and touched them with a damp brush.

 I used 4 of the flowers from 5008 - WC Flower Set 3, and after masking the boots, I stamped them with #245 Sap Green on the stems/leaves, and coloured the blooms in #933 Orange, #755 Rubine Red, and #905 Red.  I added the ferns from 5126 - WC Foliage Set 4 coloured in #249 Hunter Green. To create the cobblestones, I masked the boots and watering can, then inked up the image from the retired Market set (I liked the design of it, but you could use 5018 - WC Cobblestone Set!) in N45, using my Stamp Positioner to get it just right.  I used a damp paintbrush to pull out the colour, and picked up #565 from my palette to add in shadows on and around the boots and can, and in between the cobblestones.  I used my #126 Light Olive marker directly on the paper to add in the grass, tucking little bits of it in between the stones.  I picked up #443 Turquoise from my palette and painted in the boots, going carefully around the dots, and keeping the front of them white to indicate that they're shiny.  I used the same blue to paint in the sky.

My scene was cut out with 5062 Rounded Rectangle A5 Double Stitched Dies, and matted with a dark brown.  I picked some patterned paper to show off the blue of the boots and used some bright orange thread to zigzag stitch the papers together with my sewing machine onto the base.  I used a sentiment from 5136 - WC Sentiment Set 2 and stamped it with Versafine Onyx Black Ink onto some watercolor paper that I die cut with the small tag from 5132 Tag Stitched Dies, and added a Baker's Twine bow.

A Vintage Shoe for Watercolor Weekend

Art Impressions came out with this wonderful shoe stamp set in their watercolor line last summer, and this is the first time that I've put it to use!  I've paired one of the vintage shoes with a teapot, and went very girly with the colours that I chose.  Here's what you'll see on the Ai blog this Saturday:

Today I'm using the 5194 - WC Shoe Set, along with 5123 - WC Decorative Jar Set.  I coloured my shoe with my Tombow Dual Brush Marker #565 Deep Blue, and went over it with #N57 Warm Grey 5.  I stamped it on my Canson XL Watercolor paper, and then pulled out the colour with with a damp #4 paintbrush.  I concentrated the colour in the areas where the shadows are strongest - under the arch, the heel and under the rolled top edge.

I've used two of the flower images from 4761 - Watering Can, starting off by colouring just the bloom of the hydrangea-like image with #533 Peacock Blue, and stamping it multiple times.  After cleaning, I stamped it several more times coloured with #991 Light Ochre.  Using the multi-bloom image, I coloured the flowers with #772 Blush, and the stem in #312 Holly Green.  With the tiny foliage stamp from 5009 - WC Mini Flower Set, I stamped it repeatedly in #312, filling in spaces, and allowing the greenery to spill out the sides.  After dabbing the flowers with my damp brush, I went in directly with the fine point of my #312 marker, darkening some areas, drawing in leaves on the tall flowers, and adding dots around the bouquet.  I did the same with the other markers, adding shading to all of the blooms.

After masking off the shoe & flowers, I used my #4774 stamp positioner to stamp the teapot slightly higher, so that it would appear to be tucked in behind the shoe, colouring it in #565 and #N57 again.  I pulled out the colour with my damp brush, concentrating the colour close to the shoe where it would be in shadow, and on the undersides of the teapot, keeping in mind that it is quite curved, so I wanted to leave some white area.  After scribbling some #565 onto my palette, I picked it up with a wet brush and painted in the suggestion of a background, and a few sideways strokes to indicate the surface they're sitting on.  I also added the blue to the shaded areas of the shoe and teapot to deepen the shadows.  I added just a touch of the blush colour to the background and teapot to look like reflections.  The Decorative Jar set includes 3 small images that you can use to embellish the containers, so I stamped a swirly one onto the teapot using #533.  To finish things off, I used the 5062 Rounded Rectangle A2 Double Stitched dies to cut out my scene, then matted it with a periwinkle blue cardstock and used 3D Pop dots to adhere it to my background.  I tied some pink organdy ribbon under the image and tied it in a bow, and added a few tiny pearls.