Watercoloring again

Hi Everyone

I guess you wonder where I have been. Well, I have been working feverishly on a few projects that I have to have done by tomorrow. I am almost done, so, I thought I would take a  break and share with you some cards I made using the watercolor technique. I really love the look you get when you watercolor.
I just used a piece of plastic as a palette, scribbled the colors I needed on the palette and for the colors I used Permapaque Markers. Next I dipped the brush in water and then drug the watercolor brush across the scribbled color and applied it to the area I was coloring. Don't have Permapaque markers? Well, you can use markers, it works just as well. I've used Tombow Markers and LePlume Markers, but if you have other brands try it, I'm sure your results will be great.I also used watercolor paper and a permanent ink to stamp the image on the paper.

   All the stamps I used are from Sparkle N Sprinkle and are in set 328, Floral - Magnolia. This is a great set to use for watercoloring.

Today is Memorial Day and lets remember all the ones who have served their country to ensure we have all the freedom that we take for granted.

Be sure to check back Wednesday for the Garden Girls Blog Hop.

Well that's it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

Enameling

Today I learned a new art technique. Now, enameling is definitely not new, but I had never done it before so it is new to me. I found that the technique is pretty easy and here are my first attempts at enameling.

Here is the first piece that I enameled today.

                 Next I got a little bolder and made this masterpiece.

Ok, here is the third piece. Adding more colors and expermenting more.

Here is the last piece I did. It is a metal bowl and this pic shows the enameling powder applied to the surface. The oven is about 1400 degrees and melts the powder onto the metal surface.

And here is the bowl after it baked for about 3 1/2 minutes. I thought it came out pretty good for my first day working on enameling.

I have always loved enameled pieces and was so happy to get to learn the enameling process. So here are the masterpieces I finished today. This is something I would like to go further with. So time will tell.
(Sorry for the glare on these pictures, since the surface is shiney, the photos show the overhead lights at the studio.)

 

 

 

 

 

Well that is it for now, Thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

New Stamps - My Rose Garden

Sparkle N Sprinkle has announced a new stamp set, My Rose Garden, set #402. I think this set is beautiful. It contains 9 words stamps and 3 flower stamps. I don't know about you, but I never seem to have enough words. So, if you are like me, this set will definitely help you add to your words and give you 3 flower stamps. Click here to go to the Sparkle N Sprinkle site to check out this set and all the other products that they have to offer.

Here are a couple of cards that preview the rose stamp. You're going to love this set.

Well that is it for now, thanks for stopping  by, see you soon,

Barbara

Fathers Day is coming

Fathers Day will be here before we know it. So, to get you in the mode, I made a fathers day card. You all know, man cards are sometimes a challange to make. I have a stamp from Paulines Kit Club and I thought it would be the perfect image. If you notice the background, it looks like wood. Quite appropiate for masculine cards, I think. Hope you like the card.

Well that is it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

Antique Show Goodies

Hope you had a great Sunday. Today is the third Sunday of the month and about 10 miles from my home is an antique show that is held monthly, The Burlington Antique Show.This is the 29th year for the show. It runs from April thru October. Last month it rained, so, I didn't go. The show is outside so if there is rain it makes for a soggy show. I  have never gone in the rain so, I have no idea how many vendors set up, probably none. The show this month was well attended and I got there about 10:40a.m. This show is held at the Boone County Fair Grounds and covers a lot of acres. Went up and down all the aisles, looking for stuff. You know, the kind that when you see it, you'll know that's what you need, want or have to have. You know, the stuff that you have no idea what you are going to use it for, but you know you gotta have it.

Well I saw a few things that I knew I could use but didn't want to pay the price. But all in all I really hit pay dirt. At least, in my eyes, I did.

I love altered art and I was looking for some stuff that I can use in that venue. Then, I saw items that will work with cardmaking too, and I found a few things that I just had to have. (You know how that is, don't you???)

So, here is what I picked up:

I am not a Pepsi lover, actually I am a Diet Coke girl myself, but I fell in love with these little 4 1/2" high bottles. And what will do with these?? Clueless.

The watch faces will be used in some altered art ideas I have.

These are drawer pulls. and for $.50 each I just had to have these. Now these are probably going to be included on some block dolls that I am going to make, hopefully within the next week. As soon as I get those done, I will post those.

Look at this treasure trove!!!There are red buttons, and these definitely caught my eye.(These will be a great addition to a card.) And those marbles were colorful and they called my name. The gold item reminded me of an art stamp, 3 ladies faces overlapping, and it's a barrette. Each of those item piles were $.50 each. Also in this picture you are seeing 2 different swatches of lace. These are each about 3' X 3' and I only paid $1.00 for each of the 2 large lace swatches. Again, these will be great for cards and altered arts stuff.

Look at the watch faces and the drawer pulls.

I love this barrette and for $.50, what a bargain.

Here is a better look at the marbles and the buttons and the lace.

The rain held off this afternoon 'til after I left the antique show. It started around 2:00 p.m. and the show goes til 3:00 p.m. As I left, some of the vendors were starting to pack up, as they knew there was a great chance for rain.

There is another antique show in Lawrenceburg Ind. and it is held on the 1st Sunday of each month. Their show series started this month and their 1st show was wet, wet, wet. I didn't go, so I will have to see what June is going to be like. In the past I've liked the Burlington show better, but I haven't been to either show in a few years so Lawrenceburg may be the better of the two. Time will tell.

It's time to put my treasures away. I want to make card using the lace. So you may see a post with the lace used in some way, tomorrow.

I've been working on Medallion cards for Sparkle N Sprinkle for the May/June assignment and I am almost done already. As soon as they are done I will post, so you can see what these stamps can do for your cardmaking needs.

Well that is it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

72 Hour Sale on Embossing Powders

Have you heard?? Sparkle N Sprinkle is having a 72-Hour Sale!

Buy any 5 embossing powders, get one free!
Buy 5 any type of our fabulous embossing powders and get one of equal price free!
Offer applies to 1/2 ounce, 1 ounce and JUMBO sizes!
After placing 5 embossing powders in the shopping cart, simply select the name and product number of the desired freebie in the COMMENTS SECTION during the check out process.
Buy ten get TWO free! and so forth.
It's a great way of acquiring our newest colors!
To view all our embossing powders, click here.
(Offer Expires Midnight Friday May 14)

The Challange

A week or so ago I was given an image and asked to make a card using it. I thought about it for a few days and came up with my idea. I wanted to incorporate a few different things into the end result.

First I decided to copy the image onto a transparancy sheet.  I placed the transparancy onto the image and using a Sharpie fine tip pen, I traced the image. Next, I flipped the transparancy over and traced over the image with a glue pen. I worked in small areas and applied glitter. I did the leaves first. I let it dry overnight. Next I went back and traced the center with the glue pen and added blue glitter. Again I let it dry overnight.
I brushed off the excess glitter and that was a chore from the beginning because the transparancy has static in it and the glitter will cling to every area of the transparancy.

I flipped the transparancy over, now the glitter is on the back and I can see the sharpie outline . The glitter shines thru also and makes for a striking result. I decided the background needed to be something other that a plain color or just white. So next I cut a piece of glossy CS the same size as the transparancy. I then got my alcohol inks out and applied green where the leaves were and a blue where the center flowers were. Next I used the gold mixitive  over the leaves and silver over the center flowers. Where there was still white, I used butterscotch and filled in the last of the white areas, adding gold over that area as well. I trimmed the pieces and added brads in the corners to hold the pieces together. Lastly I adhered it to a card (5" X 7") and added the ribbon & button.
Sometimes photos just do not show all the glitter on a card. This card turned out fabulous, too bad the pic doesn't really show the glitter in all its splendor.

Well that is it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,
Barbara

The Duveneck Memorial Art Show

Yesterday I attended the Deveneck Memorial Art Show. It is always held on Mothers Day and it was a great day for the show. The show was located in a park on Riverside Dr in an old section of Covington, KY  by the Ohio River. This is such a nice area of Covington. Some of the homes are from the Civil War days and they have been lovingly restored. It's just a beautiful part of town. It was a great day for the show, even though it was cold and windy with very little sunshine til I left. There were about 40 vendors and quite a lot of jewelry. My friend Carla and Angie were there, sharing a booth.

There was a lot of  diversity at the show.  But one of my favorites was a gentleman selling his art and some of it reminded me of zentangle. I really loved this man's work. I saw a few artists that were into pottery and one lady had exquisite paper art. I bought a few little items and took a few pics and looked at all the booths and then came home. By the time I was leaving the sun was finally coming out to warm up the day.

The next really nice art show will be Summerfair, held at old Coney Island June 4, 5 and 6. It is a show worth going to. It is a large event and very well attended. I like to go and spend the day. There is a lot to see.

Well that is how I spent most of Mothers Day. Then I went to a friends house for dinner. Hope you had a great Mothers Day too. 

That is it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

Happy Mother's Day

Here is a card for all of you whether you are a mother or not.

The other day I posted watercolor cards and I wanted to do more, so I looked at a new set of flowers I received from Sparkle N Sprinkle and here is the result, using a water color technique. I stamped the image on watercolor paper, using a dye ink. Next, I used a watercolor brush and markers, and I watercolored the image. I actually did two different cards so, you get to choose your card for the day. Hope you have a great day.

Well that's it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

The Rose

I just recently received this stamp from Sparkle N Sprinkle. The stamp is really pretty so I decided to stamp it using India Ink and use colored pencils to color in the rose. I also used gamsol to shade the colors. Seems like every time I use colored pencils, I automatically get the gamsol out. I rarely use my pencils without the gamsol anymore. Gamsol allows the colored pencil to melt, so to speak, and gives you the capability to shade. I generally work from the outside to the center. You will need to work with paper stumps and I usually get mine at Hobby Lobby.

Added a little glitter some ribbon and now the card is done.

Have you tried any of those Martha Stewart corner punches yet??? They are great!!! I have quite a few an they really add a great look to the card.

Well, that is it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

Medallions

Ever do a medallion card?? They are pretty easy but they do take some time. You have to stamp and heat emboss 4 or 5 times, the same image, and then you have to cut the images out. The technique is easy but time consuming. But, don't let that scare you away, the end result is so worth it. Here are a few medallion cards I just finished for the month of April. The stamps I used are all from Sparkle N Sprinkle. Make sure you stop over at their website and check out her stamps. There is a large variety to choose from. You're bound to fine something you will like.

Well that's it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

Watercolor Cards

I attended another watercolor class a few weeks ago and here are the results of my class. Thought you might like to see the cards. I really like to do the watercolor technique. It is easy and makes such a nice card.

These two cards used Art Impressions stamps. I have other stamps taht I want to do this technique with, so as soon as I get those done I will post those as well. Tomorrows post will be the cards from stamps from Sparkle N Sprinkle, so stop back and check them out.

Well that is it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara