But in reality, I love her style - it's just like her. Sweet, whimsical, funny and smart. I have not laughed as hard in a long time as I did with her over those few days. She's also one of those people who knows how to give herself completely over to a laugh, which is one of my favorite qualities in a person.
My process for this simple first card took a few steps. First I stamped the foxes from Flopsy Forest Friends in Fadeout Ink on watercolor paper, and then masked them with masking paper. I also masked the ground with Post-It tape. Then I stamped the wheat images over them in Mustard Seed Distress Ink, leaving the stamp on the MISTI. Then I used a wet paintbrush to spread the ink around. With Wild Honey, I then overstamped the yellow watercolored ink. I repeated this across the image. Before removing the fox masks or the tape, I painted a little bit of blue in between the wheat stalks.
Then I just removed all the masks, and listened to a podcast while I painted the foxes.
I'll do anything to procrastinate prepping for my retreat next week, I tell ya. This stamp set is so cute - remember my Flopsy Birds card? This set is its cousin - Flopsy Forest Friends. I LOVE how she always has sets of two critters that can face each other - it's so sweet. This image is all one one stamp, but many of the other critters are separate, so you can make all sorts of scenes. Adorable.
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Then I moved on to the ADORABLE Billy Silly Goat set. I really would love to have a goat, but I think our HOA frowns on it. Dictators! I think Splotchy would love to ride around on a goat. I'm basing this on how much he rides around on our shoulders.
I stamped the hay bale first in Fadeout Ink. Then I stamped the goat - and I didn't bother to mask because I knew the ink would fade out, so I didn't have to worry about the images being stamped on top of each other. Then I just painted him, using light flicks with my brush on the hay and on his fur.
The sentiments for both cards is stamped in Nocturne.
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Now to send these off, I also used one of her new sets that's designed just for mail art. Mail art was one of my first stamping loves, and I used to (inspired by Nick Bantock) decorate envelopes for the LETTERS I used to send before I started making cards. A lot of us wrote letters to each other in college. I'm officially old.
I still maintain that it's way better than a text, so don't start with me. Even though now I've practically forgotten how to hold a pen, I long for the days of letters about daily life.
Anyhoo - I used one of the many cute borders in the Envelope Mail Art stamp set to stamp the paper airplane. Then I just lined up the other three stamps in the MISTI and stamped all of them at once. I used an ice blue and a white Blick Studio Pencils for quick coloring. I LOVE my Studio Pencils - these are an excellent quality, affordable pencil. I picked them up in Columbus last year and I find myself reaching for them every time I do a colored pencil card.
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You can see the rest of her fun goodies here for her May release.
She's an awesome mom, friend, teacher and a sweet girl. I love being able to call her a friend - buying stamps is a bonus!
Loveyameanitbye.
What adorable cards, and envelope! I love those stamp sets (here they go on the wish list) and of course I love how you painted those cards. The envelope is cute too, and you now have me intrigued with the Blick pencils, like I need more pencils. Ahhhhh
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! Billy Silly Goat just went on my wish list! I love him!! Speaking of letters, did you know they stopped teaching kids to write in cursive in school?! I don't know if it's all schools, but my friends grandkids school doesn't teach it. What is this world coming to! ;)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with every kind word you said about Tifany. Laughing with her was truly one of the highlights of that trip. And her talent as a stamp designer is completely over-the-top. She is masterful, as are the cards you made with the stamps you purloined from her at a vulnerable moment. Honestly, you are a fantastic user/demonstrator of her stamps, because of your whimsical style and incredible coloring abilities. I’m going to go order some stamps now.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t think it was possible for me to love goats more than I already do - then I see THIS! And lo and behold! I can! I can love th goats more than I did!
ReplyDeleteHaving hand reared a goat (Fletcher) that I got during my large animal practicum (many, many, many years ago) this adorable card brought back many fond memories of a hoof tapping me of the side of my face when Fletcher was ready for his morning bottle! And he much preferred cat food to goat chow! Thank you Lydia, for a beautiful card and a great memory! 💖
ReplyDeleteYour coloring is fabulous !!
ReplyDelete[margessw(at)icloud(dot)com]
Missing you. So glad I can come read your blog. I was just reminiscing about pen pals today. I loved writing letters and receiving them. Your mail art is beautiful.
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