OCC Day 5: Expressive Florals #1

This has been my favourite day of class! I had fun making these types of cards, and look forward to practicing some more. I was glad I could cover up a big blob on this card with my sentiment, though.

OCC Day 3: Negative painting #2

Maybe this is cheating, but I kept this very simple! But I like it the best so far ;) I stamped the woman, painted her dress first, then loosely put a bit of blue paint around her. I grounded the image with the sentiment. This card is going to my mother, as she is turning 90 in a couple of weeks. The inside says, "Celebrate with style!" I also put some Wink of Stella on her dress to put a bit of sparkle on it. The flowers are done with a gold gel pen for a bit more sparkle. It's a big occasion, after all!

OCC Day 3: Lifting

I struggled with this one, mostly because I'm still learning how to paint "loosely". I'd love to be able to do it, but I am a detail person, and everything seems to bend towards "photorealistic"...at least, that's what I aim for. Anyway, the lifting technique is new to me and a great help in trying to lighten up areas, instead of trying to always paint around a lighter area. I lifted the paint from the centers, as well as the white streaks in the flowers. The ink I used to stamp this was too dark, though, as it shows through the paint much more than I'd like. Note to self: buy some light, waterproof ink!!

OCC- Day 3: Negative Painting

Did you catch Dawn saying, "This looks a lot harder than it is?" Well, I beg to differ!! Lol.
 Also, I don't have many outline stamps, and--can't hardly believe it--but NO outline leaf stamps! This took me two tries, and I'm still not satisfied. How is that possible, when I have a gazillion stamps??  I want to try this again, but with some outlined flower stamps (which I DO have), and make a panel for a card.
Anyway, here is my second effort. The feathers are not a great stamp for this technique.

 And here is the first one. You know how some of us say, "It looks better in real life?" Well, trust me--this is one time where it looks MUCH better in the photo than in real life. Lol.  The colours in the background were very overworked and muddy as a result.

OCC-Day2: Rose

My second effort, as my first one was horrible.. But I'm encouraged that maybe I can do this, after all... I think??? Again, this will be turned into a card, eventually!  (Sorry for the off-center photo...)

OCC Day2- Flowers

LOVED doing this, and will definitely try this again! And now...on to more Day 2 exercises!

OCC Day 2-Pears

This was fun. It will be made into a card for my husband for our upcoming anniversary, and will say, "We make quite a pear!"

Day 1-Brush Techniques and Washes (Wash)

Here is my first project for Day 1 of the OCC Watercolour class. I will be using this on a card...eventually! I'm behind on my "homework" already, and it's only day 1! But I'm loving all the terrific videos and hope I can improve on what I'm painting.

Make it Monday #235:Adding Colour to Stamped Images

Hi all. Happy New Year!
 Laurie has us adding coloured pencils to our stamped images this week, to add a little more detail and depth to the images. So I dug out my OMS (aka Odorless Turpenoid), but couldn't find my paper stumps. I haven't used either for a couple of years! So I used a Ranger Cut-N-Dry Pen Nib, which worked beautifully! The stamps sets are PTI's "Twig Wreath", "Birthday Basics", and "Choose Joy".
Adding in a little shading with pencils added that little extra "somethin', somethin'". (Although, looking at my close-up photo, I realize there are many imperfections!) I added a little Wink of Stella, Clear, to the centers of the flowers, and a little Glossy Accents to the "berries'".

I must say, I've really had more fun with Twig Wreath than expected! I've made about 10 cards with this set, and haven't even used the dies, yet.

 Here's the close-up of the added pencil shading.

 And here's another card.

Thanks for looking!

Make it Monday #233: Splattering

Danielle (shown here) is showing us some wonderful splattering skills this week, using a fine spray along with splatters. I have been busy doing over 30 Christmas cards, all using spatters to make either stars or snow on my cards. Here are just a few of them.
This first one uses the new Petite Places: Nativity stamps. I tried many different ways to do the background: mainly painting with watercolours, or using Distress inks sponged then either spritzed with water, or picked up with a paintbrush. For the stars, I splattered with water first, then with white paint. For some of the cards, I brightened up the splattered snow with a white gel pen, or a Perfect Pearls solution for the stars.

And here are just a few more, trying various colour schemes.  Thanks for looking!