Tonight I have added a watercolor that I did using Art Impressions water color images from their unmounted set "In My Garden" Project 7, set 1 and set 2. I have deviated from Copics temporarily as I work to complete samples that are part of my responsibilities as a new member of Art Impressions design team. I signed and returned the contract yesterday. I am so excited as I have never done anything like this before. I feel like I have walked thru a new door not knowing what is inside. I have always loved water coloring and love the way Art Impressions WC stamps allow me to feel like an artist. Watch for their announcing of me on their website...got to send them a picture and a bio. YIKES!

I just love this stamp, makes me smile just looking at it. It was an easy one to color with the Copics but unfortunately it required a large amount of markers. It took longer to pick out the markers than it did to color. The stamp is by Art Impressions T-2832, "Luigi". I used the following Copic Markers: E0000, E00, E02, E13, E25, E27, E29; B32, B34, B37; R01, R05, R37; Y15, Y17 and W0, W2.

Art Impression Iris stamp Q1074 was fun to color. Loved working with the different violets and using them in different ways. Adding yellow Y13 to the leaves helps to make them more natural looking. It doesn't show much but I also added V15 violet to the tips of the leaves.

Copic Markers: G0000, G20, G21, G24; V0000, V12,V15, V17; and Y13, Y17. I outlined or shadowed using G0000.

This House Mouse stamp is a new arrival at the store. Can't you just smell the lilacs? I grew up in Pennsylvania and Lilacs were plentiful in the spring. We would pick armfuls and bring them into the house.

I stamped the image twice, trimming out just the flowers of the lilac and popping it up. Had to make sure I matched up her arm with the first image. I love this because Monica really looks like she has her face immersed in the flowers.

Enjoy!

Stamps:

House Mouse Sensory overload Monica, Stampabilites HMLR1056

Smell the Flowers Stampabilites CR1057

Ink pads:

Memento Tuxedo Black

Adirondack Lettuce

Copic Markers:

G20, G24

E51, E53

W0, W2, W5

V000, V04

This is a new Hero Arts stamp (S5382 Dogwoods) that came into the store this week. It was very easy to do because of the shading on the stamp. No blending and very little coloring. I stamped the image twice, coloring one of the flowers on the second image and cutting it out and popping it on the first image. Be sure to leave lots of white for highlight. Enjoy!

Second card using the same Hero Arts clear stamp set "What's Perking" This time the toaster was stamped twice and the toast was colored on one image and the toaster on the other. After coloring with the same Copic Markers as before the two images were cut out and covered with Glossy Accents. After allowing the Glossy Accents to dry throughly, a tab was added to the toast and then a slit was cut to place the tab into.

Also I distressed the patterned paper with Ranger Distressed Walnut Ink.

This Pop Up Toaster card was inspired by a card I saw on the Hero Arts website. I love this vintage toaster...had one like it when I was growing up. (CL416 What's Perking Hero Arts)

I colored it with Copic markers:

R22, R35, and R29. Glossy accents was applied over the complete toaster. The toast was colored with E55, E53 and E51. The patterned paper is from Graphic 45, Domestic goddess, quilting bee #4500126. This paper was layered on Bazzil vanilla and then Bazzil Pomegranate. The base of the card is plain Black.

This is an image I stamped and colored with Copic Markers last night. The stamp is from The Artful Stamper #1539P. A friend asked me to play with it and this is what I came up with. I know it's not fall, yet, but as fast as this year is going I better start planning Christmas ideas now. Enjoyed yesterday at the store demo'ing and meeting new customers. The best part of the day my friend and mentor, Diana White was there to work in the classroom. Always a joy to see her....she just is a breath of fresh air! Thanks Diana for your kind words and encouraging spirit.

Back to this image. I used E51, E53, and E55 for the Butternut squash. YR04, YR09, YR15 and Y35 for the pumpkin. The three smaller squash I used G40, G85, BG78 and Y35. I shadowed the whole image with E51. Thanks MH...this was fun to color.

This is a card I made using my Copic markers. The image is from Art Impressions oldies line called "Square Dancers" U-1929.

What makes this card work is the contrast between the blues. Getting the dark blue into the deepest part of the ruffles and the lightest on the edges.

This didn't scan well as the conch embellishment kept the printer cover from lying flat. I also don't have the list of blue markers I used. Will try and do better in the future.

I used E000, E01, E02 and R02 for the skin and C1 and C2 for the hair.

The beginning of the journey

This is the first post of my very first blog. A new adventure. My goal is to be able to blog and post my art...a central place to share what I do on a daily basis. As I discover new techniques and ideas I hope to post them here as a way to share with other artist with similar interest. I have many projects that I would like to finish and I hope that this will be my motivation to do so. I recently completed one project that I started over a year ago. An inchies alphabet.

I used the Hero Arts alphabet sets along with miniature ephemera, embellishments and paper in my stash. Welcome to my creative journey.

My quote for the day:

"There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again. Elizabeth Lawrence