The Love of Whimsy by Gennette Houghton

 

Welcome to Watercolor Weekend! One of the best pieces of advice I had ever heard when I first started making cards was “Find Your Style”. That is one of the things I love most about Art Impression Stamps, the watercolor line is so versatile, even better when you can also use their regular line up as well.  Your only limit is your imagination.  

I love the new 5935 Fairytale Houses set, both of my cards today feature this set.  For my first card I used the cluster of mushrooms, set in a wreath of foliage and branches. I used the 5064 Circle Double Stitched die set and used the 2^nd to largest as my guide, tracing the inside with a pencil. Stamping the mushrooms in 565/969 and stamping off once, leaving room below for the branches and foliage and masked them off.  I then used the larger branch from set 4964 Branches set with 027, creating an overlapping wreath around the inside of my pencil guide. (Tip: stamp end to end, then stamp in-between.)  I then used the large foliage from 4051 Foliage set 1, to create a bed of moss, first using 126 with a portion of the stamp and then separately adding 177 to add more texture and blending with water. (Tip: If you use too much water, after it’s dry you can stamp back over to add detail back in.) Unmasking the mushrooms I first pulled the color out of the lines and then used 992 and 969 on the stems, and 885 on the cap with Bleed Proof White for the spots. I added a little more foliage with 177 over the base of the stems. Using the smaller branch with 969 I stamped around the circle adding just a touch more texture, dabbing the bare branch area with some water to soften it just a bit adding a touch of 177 here and there very lightly. Finishing off with 526 for the sky and some BP White in the mossy area. Using the same die from the beginning to cut the circle out and erased the pencil line. The card is layered with paper from the 5832 Gnome Paper Pack. 

Using the same set, 5935 Fairytale Houses for my 2^nd card, I chose the boot. I love this boot, its whimsy with a country vibe and right up my alley!! 

Since the main part of this boot was going to be brown, I just stamped it in 969 and stamped off once. I used the 4^th largest die from 5063 Rectangle A2 Double Stitched Dies and traced inside with a pencil to frame in the boot, masking the sides with Post-it tape. Pulling the color out in the shaded areas and adding more 969 to the boot area.  For the roof and doors I used 373 and added in shingles and additional texture. For the windows I used 526 and 565 for the shadows on the windows and doors.  The patches on the boot were colored with 025 and a touch of 026. The bottom of the boot I used N25. The black Micron is perfect for adding in those little details for the ironwork and the boot lace holes.  At this point I added in the sky with 526. I created a mask and covered the boot so I could add the foliage in.  4051 Foliage Set 1, the large foliage is so useful for different things and excellent for texture.  I used 126 first and then added in some 177 with just a small portion of the stamp and blended it with water.  I then chose a branch from 4964 Branches Set, colored it with 947. The vine from Foliage Set 1, in 249 for the leaves and softened it with water. Once dry I added in Bleed Proof White for the flowers with a touch of 026 in the centers.  For the ground in the more shaded areas I used 249, blending out with some 177 as it came forward. 969 was used for the paths to the doors. The grass from 5826 Large Tree Set 2 is my favorite and the one I go to the most. When I use this stamp I like to color it with 177 and in just 2 spots I add a small touch of 969, I then stamped in the 2 front corners to complete the scene pulling the color out lightly to finish.  Using the same die I used for my guide, die cut and erased the pencil lines.  The card is matted with 5939 Fairy Garden PP, it was absolutely perfect for my image. I used a solid green cardstock to create the banner with the decorative edge die from 5543 Journal Template Die Set and heat embossed the sentiment from 5797 Little Things Sentiment Set.  

Thank you for joining me and I hope you enjoyed my cards! Until next time, Create…Share…Inspire!

Houses! Guest Designer Challenge #8 with Julie Worthing

Hello everyone and welcome to the August Guest Designer Challenge!

HOUSES!

We want to see your projects with houses on them.

Everything from real houses, haunted houses, fairy and gnome houses...even bee hives.
Hey, the bees live there...lol! 
If it's a house, then it works.

This month we have Julie Worthing as our Guest Designer
and she created a stunning scene to inspire you.

Before we see what she created, let's see who won our POCKETS challenge
in July and will be out Guest Designer in September.

We selected Barb E.

Congratulations Barb!

You will be the Art Impressions September Guest Designer.

Barb,  please contact me at Renee@artimpressions.com
so that we can discuss your challenge theme and to claim a free stamp set of your choice.

The lucky winner of my Freebie is...

Diane Z.

Please contact me at Renee@artimpressions.com with your address to see what freebies I have and claim your free stamp.

Now for our August Guest Designer.
Let's see what Julie has to share.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Hello to all of my AI family.

My name is Julie and I was honored to be chosen to be this months Guest Designer. I have been into the card crafting scene since 2006. But I first learned of Art Impression in 2016 at a craft show. I really didn’t start my obsession until 2021 and now can’t seem to get enough of it. I try to paint regularly but life does get in the way sometimes. I am always amazed at how you can use a few stamps and create a masterpiece to keep or give away. My hobbies are playing the piano, singing, painting with Art Impressions and making cards, framed pictures, journals and more. I so appreciate everyone's talent, especially the Queen Bee and her entire family who go above and beyond with sharing their talent, instructions, and products.

This months challenge is Houses. As you know there are so many possibilities with all of the structure stamps that AI have to chose from. Any house will do whether it be traditional or whimsical.

I chose one of the Cape Cod houses for my example. It is from set 5524 - WC Cape Cod Houses.

Here is how I did it:

First I stamped the house after applying our usual colors to the stamp - 565 and then 969. I stamped the imaged off twice and then to my Canson 140lb cold press watercolor paper.

Next I pulled the color out for the shading of the house.

Then I stamped the image on post it tape, cut out and applied to the house. Then I stamped the tree (From set 5373 - WC Lg Tree Set) onto the right of the house. Next I drew in a horizon line and removed the masking.

 

Next I colored the house roofs, porch, and window ledges with 947, then added a little 969 for variation. I used my brown twin tone to add lines to the roof, porch and ledges.

I mixed a little 969 and 856 together to paint the chimneys and then used a pencil to create bricks.

I used the Blue Twin Tone to draw in the windows.

I painted the door with 856 - red, and then used the brown Twin Tone to add the handle and hinges.

Then I painted the tree with 947 and highlighted with 969. Then stamped the leaves using the leave cluster from the tree set (5373 - WC Lg Tree Set) with Tombow 177. After dabbing the leaves I repeated adding more leaves in 249 to create contrast.

Next I added the sky with Tombow 565.

I then added small grasses form the Foliage Set 4051 along the front and side of the house and added some vines from set 5126 - WC Foliage Set, leaving room for flowers.

Next, I stamped in the red flowers using Tombow 856 and the small cluster of flowers from set - WC Flower Set 2, to the left and right of the house.

Then I added additional flowers using Tombow 676 on the flower cluster form set - WC Flower Set 4052.

I dabbed and blended the grass, vines and flowers, pulling some of the color out beyond all.

I added the shrub along the horizon line with Tombow 177 with the shrub stamp from set - 5372 - WC Mini Foliage Set and the added water by dabbing and dragging some color out in front of the shrubs.

Then I added a little of 947 and 969 to create a path from the steps. I also used a little of N45 on the base of the house to look like a stone foundation.

Next, I added some shading as Bonnie has taught us and Twin Tones to enhance where needed.

Then I added white paint to the composition flowers, grasses and vines.

I hope you give this a try and I can’t wait to see what you create!!!

Julie

Stamps used: 

5524 - WC Cape Cod Houses 
5373 - WC Lg Tree Set - Tree and Leaves
4868 - WC Flower Set 2 (small heart bunch flowers)
5372 - WC Mini Foliage (shrubs)
4052 - WC Flower Set - 4052 (cluster of flowers)
5126 - WC Foliage Set 4 (vines)
4051 - WC Foliage Set (small grass)

Twintones used:

 Brown
 Blue
 Red

Tombows used:

 249, 856, 676, 565, 969, 177, 947, N45

Wow Julie!

What a fabulous card.

Thank you so much for setting the inspiration for our Houses challenge.

I also have a little bonus prize!

For as long as I have duplicate stamps I will choose a random winner.
These will be for U.S. residents only since these will be mailed by me personally
and not Art Impressions.

This month I have 24 different freebies to choose from.
I've been offering them one at a time with a photo here but almost everyone
has had the one I've offered when they've won and selected a different one.

If you are selected as the freebie winner I will send you a photo of what I have
and you can choose from that.

Good luck to everyone in August!

Here is the fine print...

✻ Please make a new card or handmade crafty creation.
✻You can make any item you wish; this is not limited to cards!

✻ Limit two submissions per person. 

✻You MUST use Art Impressions stamps or dies! You may use other companies products but the main focus should be on Ai items.

✻If you win, you will receive one free stamp set of your choice. In return you will create a brief write up explaining how you made your item and email it to me. (Reneé) 
We will share your creation on Art Impressions social media.
✻If you would like to participate in the challenge but not be
considered to be a guest designer please place an X after your name.

 ✻Please include your first name and last initial on your submission.

✻We love to comment on your entries, but keep in mind if you use a private group or a platform that you need to sign up for, we probably won't be able to.

✻ The Ai Challenge is open to everyone, international submissions are welcome!

✻ Include a link back to the Ai Blog or grab our button on the top right of our sidebar!

✻ Share the Ai love if you can, by clicking and commenting on your fellow crafters.

✻ Make sure to get your link up by the deadline to enter your creations.

✻ Good luck and happy crafting!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter