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Tuesday, October 9, 2018

A Songbird Manifesto

I have no hoarding tendencies whatsoever. In fact, as time goes by, I feel more and more like a monk. I'd like a swept stone floor and only one cup, one plate, one fork per person. I'd like enough watercolor and paper to last the rest of my life, and sunny days and some Earl Grey delivered every day by my monk's assistant.

But if I have one weakness in the stamp category - it's birds. I think I imprinted on encyclopedias and nature books my parents had. Those were all on the low shelves in my dad's bookcase and so I spent many hours looking at them. I fixated on botanical and animal illustrations, and that is still one of my favorite art forms.

So if someone makes a bird stamp, that bird stamp is endangered, because I will swoop in like a predator and snatch that little birdie up and make it mine.

It seems that Concord & 9th has sensed that with their awesome release this month and they've come out with a STUNNING bird, among many other goodies you'll see below. And I have a video for the card I made with this bird, because I used a new medium I found at the Artisan Expo, and I love it! It's a water-soluble pen with a firm AND flexible nib (not a brush) that can be used for lettering (hence the flex), fine point writing (hence the firm nib) and what I saw this amazingly talented young lady doing at the booth - watercoloring. So read on for the video. I used just the markers and the packaging from the stamp with my Arteza water brush to paint this image, after stamping it in Fadeout ink. I have some important life tips in the video as well. See the little sparkles in the birdie? That's an accident and one of the life tips I'm sharing. :)
Songbird Watercolor by Understand Blue
Songbird
[ C&9 ]
28950-0129 - Pentel Arts Sign Pens -...
[ BLIC ]
VersaFine Clair Ink Pad, Nocturne -...
[ ELH | SSS ]
Fadeout No Line coloring Detail Ink
[ INK ]
Neutrals Glitter Paper Pack - Concord...
[ C&9 ]
Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White
[ GNK ]
Fabriano Extra White Cold Press...
[ BLIC ]
Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100#...
[ SSS ]
Escoda Versatil Brushes, Travel Round...
[ UTR | BLIC | INK ]
Arteza Water Brush Pens, Set of 6
[ ARTZ ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT ]
Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth
[ AMZUS ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding...
[ AMZUS ]
Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675
[ SSS | ART | AMZUS ]
Essentials by Ellen Storage...
[ ELH ]
Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC
[ ELH | SSS ]
Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two...
[ SSS | ART | BLIC | ELH ]
Ink Off Cloth
[ INK ]
Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045
[ SSS | ELH | CST | ART ]
Nesting Porcelain Bowls - BLICK art...
[ BLIC ]
My Favorite Watercolor Sketchbook
[ UTR ]

NEXT OH EM GEE do I love this bundle!! I will be using this turnabout stamp on 80 squillion envelopes soon, but what was in my head HAD to come out with this card.

The dies from the bundle are genius - the paintbrush is segmented - so you get the whole paintbrush, the handle, the hozzle thingy (is that a word?), and then the tip of the paintbrush so they can all be different colors. I, HOWEVER, was too excited to notice this and so I cut the big paintbrush image out three times - once from black, once from Desert Storm, and once from glitter paper and cut it up myself. 

Don't be me. Use your eyeholes to look at the set of dies before you run off and do something stupid. 

Anyway, then I drew on the tip of the brush with a white gel pen. I took a watercolor background and hand cut it into a puddle shape and glued that down onto white cardstock, and glued the paintbrush on top of it. I stamped the sentiment from the bundle in Nocturne and Lucky Clover, which matched my watercolor. 
Crafty Friends by Understand Blue
Crafty Turnabout Bundle
[ C&9 ]
Crafty Turnabout Stamp Set
[ C&9 ]
Crafty Dies
[ C&9 ]
Neutrals Glitter Paper Pack - Concord...
[ C&9 ]
Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- Black Onyx
[ GNK ]
Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White
[ GNK ]
Neenah Classic Crest 80 LB REAM...
[ SSS ]
Fabriano Extra White Cold Press...
[ BLIC ]
GKD Color Companions Ink Pad- Lucky...
[ GNK ]
VersaFine Clair Ink Pad, Nocturne -...
[ ELH | SSS ]
Escoda Versatil Brushes, Travel Round...
[ UTR | BLIC | INK ]
Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors
[ BLIC ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT ]
Sakura CLASSIC WHITE Fine Line 05...
[ SSS ]
Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth
[ AMZUS ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding...
[ AMZUS ]
Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675
[ SSS | ART | AMZUS ]
Essentials by Ellen Storage...
[ ELH ]
Notable Numbers Stamp Set
[ C&9 ]
Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC
[ ELH | SSS ]
Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two...
[ SSS | ART | BLIC | ELH ]
Ink Off Cloth
[ INK ]
Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045
[ SSS | ELH | CST | ART ]
Nesting Porcelain Bowls - BLICK art...
[ BLIC ]
My Favorite Watercolor Sketchbook
[ UTR ]

My last card today is with this set. You're in luck because it's their free with purchase set for this month's release. I freaking love design elements like this because they are great for backgrounds, or quick, duplicatable cards like mine. The message is sweet and perfect for all those just because cards. The inks are Passionate Pink, Key Lime and Nocturne.
You Matter Card by Understand Blue
You Matter (Free with Purchase)
[ C&9 ]
Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White
[ GNK ]
GKD Color Companions Ink Pad-...
[ GNK ]
GKD Color Companions Ink Pad- Key Lime
[ GNK ]
VersaFine Clair Ink Pad, Nocturne -...
[ ELH | SSS ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT ]
Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth
[ AMZUS ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding...
[ AMZUS ]
Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675
[ SSS | ART | AMZUS ]
Essentials by Ellen Storage...
[ ELH ]
Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC
[ ELH | SSS ]
Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two...
[ SSS | ART | BLIC | ELH ]
Ink Off Cloth
[ INK ]
Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045
[ SSS | ELH | CST | ART ]

Here is the rest of this amazing release, including this awesome easel die for their customizable desk calendar, or you can use it to display a card.

https://ldli.co/e/5pjpmx



Then there's the craft themed turnabout - SQUEE! - that matches the dies I used about - this is available as a bundle.


Then there's the All Season Turnabout and matching dies. This stamp set is designed to be used with the calendar pages, and if you die cut the stamped turnabout image, it will fit perfectly on each page and then you can stamp the months.



Here's what the calendar looks like.



The stamp, the dies and the calendar are all available as a bundle as well, here.

You can also use the Notable Numbers stamp set and dies - here as a bundle - either with the calendar bundle, or to create cute birthday cards.


Now if you are freaky like me, you'll want to hit the buy it all button, a.k.a. the Lydia button for the entire release!



After you shop, come back and watch me irreverently color that sweet little songbird.



Loveyameanitbye.

3 comments:

  1. I love your little bird and the beautiful happy colors! Thank you for sharing your talent, and it is good to know national geographic won't get us for coloring bird the way we want! ;) I will keep your # on speed dial just in case! <3

    ReplyDelete
  2. Stunning! It's all stunning! I watched the video! Such a gorgeous bird. Thank You! I am always telling my husband, "it's art! it doesn't have to be perfect or true to color" :) I adore that free with purchase stamp. Love that fabulous key lime color. TFS!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your blog hates me..... eats my comments! Lydia I ADORE your predatory nature! You inspire me daily in ALL things not just arty

    ReplyDelete

Every time you leave a comment, a new LOLcat is born. ALSO - don't panic if you don't see your comment right away - I moderate my comments to keep those spammers out, so your comment will show up in short order. Unless you're linking me to Russian brides or Nigerian princes.