That is being resurrected with a small group of friends of mine, and it's giving me happy memories of those old JFFs.
We decided we'd pick a day each month to all post using one company's products - just someone we love and want to support. It's not about the latest, greatest new stuff. It's a dive into our stash of brands we adore.
I picked a stamp set that had a characteristic that I love - it has images that can be switched out for each of the four seasons. I just think that makes a stamp one that doesn't get filed away after the first time you use it.
This gorgeous bird set is a builder set, where you can change the way you color the bird for a season, and you can add seasonal items onto the branch - leaves for summer, spring and fall, berries, evergreen sprigs, berries and pine cones for winter, flowers for spring and summer. It has a total of 21 builder images in the set, which makes it a steal for the price. The main image is big enough so that it can dominate and A2 card, so it also makes for quick cards, unless you're someone like me who likes to take a whole day to paint something.
I sat down this weekend and watercolored it. I stamped it first in Fadeout Ink on cold press watercolor paper, and then stamped the extra leaves on the branch. I watercolored it with Daniel Smith watercolor, painting the leaves like I remember them from Rochester, and Ultramarine for the bird, like the buntings I used to see there on my walks through Mt. Hope cemetery. This bird could also be painted like a cardinal - they've kept the bird form one that could represent lots of breeds. You could even paint a little crest onto his head!
I found while I was painting these that I liked the color I had added to the leaves, but I didn't love it. So I decided to glaze all three with Indian Yellow when I was done, and that made them really POP, and be the fiery leaves I remembered. (All the colors I used today are from the "Lydia" split in my watercolor split group.)
The sentiments in the set are also builders and really flexible for many types of cards.
I can't tell you how satisfying it is to go back and take a deep dive into a set I loved so much when it was new. It's the little things that make us bloggers happy! :) Stay tuned below the card for how to get this set at an exclusive discount!
To get those blended leaves, wet the whole leaf first with just clean water. then drop yellows and oranges and a few spots of brown and green in and let them do as they wish. When dry, add the finer details in brown with a detail brush. Easy, I promise! And, on the way to the final details, you WILL think it's ugly and you ruined it. KEEP GOING.
So since we decided to use Concord & 9th for our inaugural month, those sweet people were nice enough to give our readers an exclusive discount! Click the banner or here and use the code to get 20% off! YAY!
|
Want more inspiration? First - head to this blog post for a completely different way to paint this bird! On this one, I used markers. Then, check out what my friends have done! There are no giveaways, you don't have to comment - this is purely for fun, and for sharing our favorite companies and some discounts with each of you! We will do this each month on the 20th.
Jenny Hall
You are here >> Lydia Fiedler << You are here
Jen TimkoLoveyameanitbye.
As usual, your watercoloring is amazing, I love your little bird and those leaves, my goodness they look so very real..
ReplyDeleteYour watercoloring is fabulous! Beautiful card!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! I loved those good ole JFF challenges and still do.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful! And I love the JFF idea!
ReplyDeleteyour painting of this is just breath-taking-ly beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteDang that is a beautiful card! Love the coloring and the simplicity of it all, yet stunning!
ReplyDeleteAs always, your watercoloring is stunning. I think my favorite part is that you made the branch a birch branch!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful waterproofing and the bird just comes to life in this card. An inspiration to this not so talented painter.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely beautiful watercoloring!
ReplyDeleteThis is just magical. I love this!
ReplyDeleteJFF is a great idea! Not all of us can get the latest, greatest and I need to use more of what I already have so I don't feel guilty when I get new products. I love your blue bird, it reminds me of earrings I received many years ago, and lost.
ReplyDeleteWhat an adorable bird! I love your water coloring. I think that the bird might be my favorite!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful bird Lydia! The color depth you got in those leaves is just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteYay to the Crafty Friends for digging into those stashes! Love how your watercoloring just pops on these images. It just makes me more anxious for falling leaves in those glorious colors.
ReplyDeleteThe depth of color on this is really breathtaking. All the patience and detail...sigh...you amaze me!
ReplyDeleteLove your color choices, so beautiful in it's simplicity! I have not yet tried Daniel Smith paints but I think I will now :-)
ReplyDeleteThis little guy is so handsome...it feels like he could be right outside my window. You have a beautiful way with color!
ReplyDeleteYour bird looks really nice. I think I have seen him in my neighborhood.
ReplyDelete