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Have you ever seen a sunset or sunrise in real life that was so amazing it didn't look real? I live in big sky country, so it happens a lot, and I've seen sunsets in New Mexico that if I painted them exactly as they are, you'd think I'd made it up. But nature outdoes us, always.
So this week I've been working on dramatic skies! Bold color combos and a little abstraction in a few mediums. Today is ink!
I grew up Lutheran, and one of my favorite things about our sort of spare, minimalist church was the seasonal color changes in the vestments and the pastor's stoles. It was so appealing to my visual little art brain. I especially loved the deep purple section of the liturgical calendar for Lent and the one pink candle that was lit on the third Sunday of Advent, amidst purple candles for the other weeks. I guess that's why this color combo came to mind this month, now that I think about it.
My mom let us pick out the color combo of the bedroom I shared with my sister and pink and purple was the combo we chose for that too - with these adorable curtains she made for us out of this completely over the top, sort of cartoonish fabric we chose. It was the 70's and I make no apologies for my taste! But for all those reasons, it's a comfortable and familiar combo I put into my art a lot, like today.
I created a very simple, pink, purple and yellow sky with this gorgeous sky scene stencil on a card front, alternating the colors in as non-regular a pattern as I could. I used Wilted Violet, Picked Raspberry and Mustard Seed Distress inks.
Another thing about the big, empty spaces in Texas is the hundreds of thousands of miles that have to be covered with power lines in the vast distances between towns, so this stamp set stole my prairie loving heart. It has beautiful silhouettes that you connect with different sized wires for an infinity design. The little clusters of birds are arranged so perfectly for the wire images too - amazing design work here. The sentiments are all calm and encouraging and I just could not love it more.
I thought that a very abstract sky would be fun too, so I used this gorgeous watercolor brush stroke stencil for a second background, overlapping Candied Apple, Spiced Marmalade and Mustard Seed inks for a bold, fun background for the same images. Does that one little bird facing the other way on the wire not squeeze your heart? This is such a familiar and appealing image to me. This brand new sentiment set is what I used - this is an all year, encouraging set.
On one of my Facebook Lives this week, I showed this ADORABLE stamp and stencil combo that is so ingenious! One stamp gives you everything you see that's in black here - the mouse and all the leaf veins. Then the incredibly well-designed three stencils in the combo - super easy to line up - create the rest of the image in seconds, giving you the illusion of masking with none of the work or planning! And that mouse!!! SO sweet.
The combo of script and serif fonts - be still my heart!
And SQUEE! There's a Buffalo Plaid Stencil!!
There are also TONS of slimline, sentiment and alphabet dies and other stunning stencils - you can see the full release here.
Here are all the products I used today - and there are some giveaways below!
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For today’s hop, Waffle Flower is giving away $25 gift certificate to THREE lucky winners. You can leave a comment on this blog and along the hop by 11:59pm EDT on Wednesday November 9th, 2020 for your chances to win. Winners will be chosen at random from the comments left on any of the posts in this blog hop and will be announced on the Waffle Flower Blog on 12/11/2020.
ALSO - From now till December 7th, 2020, all orders over $50 placed at waffleflower.com will receive a FREE set of Fish & Chips Stamp Set (No code required; Limited 1 per customer; While supplies last).
A kind reminder from Waffle Flower:"We appreciate every order we receive but we also recommend at this time of uncertainties, reserve your resources and use what you have first! Stay positive and healthy!" This is why I used a set from last month's release with the new sentiment set - because Nina always says this and I think it's so sweet, so I wanted to give you some ideas with a little old and a little new!
For those of you who are new to Waffle Flower, they have a Last Chance section on their website that lists many goodies for 25% off until they are gone! This would be a great place to start your collection!
CURRENT COUPON CODES
15% off anything at Marker Universe or any of their other sites - Understandblue15.
10% off the whole store at A Colorful Life Designs - LydiaFan10
5% off at LBC here with code LYDIA5
Phone stand for filming link below in the banner - 20% off sitewide with code UNDERSTANDBLUE
15% off anything at Marker Universe or any of their other sites - Understandblue15.
10% off the whole store at A Colorful Life Designs - LydiaFan10
5% off at LBC here with code LYDIA5
Phone stand for filming link below in the banner - 20% off sitewide with code UNDERSTANDBLUE
I hadn't seen that powerline set ... perfect to use with those gorgeous backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteGreat cards, Lydia! My bedroom as a teenager was bright yellow & orange!
ReplyDeleteLove the color combos and reading about how you find these colors familiar and comfortable!! :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards!
A really great Waffle Flower release! I do love buffalo plaids so that stencil is awesome and the sentiments are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLove the vibrant colors! So pretty! The paint stroke stencil sure made an awesome background!
ReplyDeleteI love that buffalo plaid too. The sentiments are a must have for sure. love your work.
ReplyDeleteThe sky is stunning and beautiful...wow!
ReplyDeleteOk, so I am not sure why this post is making me weepy, but I think first it was that little bird facing the other direction. Then I came to the sentiment set with some of my very favorite sentiments and lastly the sweet quote from Waffle Flower to use what we have. How very sweet. I adore birds on a wire and clouds, clouds are my all time favorite. Well, no cats are my all time but clouds are second and I LOVE your colorful clouds. The abstract sky is stunning and lastly, that mouse! Oh! So cute! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteYour wonderful backgrounds are really fun, Lydia!!
ReplyDeleteThese are breathtaking!
ReplyDeleteisabelzito at verizon dot net
Love how these turned out!
ReplyDeleteAmazing skies! I love your backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteHowdy, I'm new to Waffle Flower thanks to Vicky P. These are too cute for words. A must "go check it out" - Congrats on the line. Beautiful cards!
ReplyDeleteLove your cloud card! So pretty.
ReplyDeleteI am loving the WF release! The colors on your cards is so bright and fun, just what we need right now!
ReplyDeleteThe silhouette images pop beautifully against the rich bold palettes on your cards, paired with these gorgeous script sentiments.
ReplyDeleteLoving these sentiments :)
ReplyDeleteThis sentiment set really is fantastic! It is on my wish list! I love your cards and that the sky is inspired by real life. My childhood bedroom had foiled butterfly wallpaper that I chose and probably belonged in a dentist’s office! I am a child of the 70’s too. I think I was 7 when I chose it lol!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! Your cards are so awesome! I want one of each of them please!
ReplyDeleteThese are all so fabulous. I can see that powerline set in my future for sure.
ReplyDeleteYour backgrounds are simply gorgeous! What stunning cards.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous backgrounds! I love the buffalo plaid too!
ReplyDeleteYour cards are great! I love the little mouse lounging in the leaves.
ReplyDeleteFunny, when I see those power lines, I always think they are crosses! Such vibrant cards you've created with encouraging messages, too
ReplyDeleteYour sky is amazeballs! I love this stamp set!
ReplyDeleteLydia, thank you for sharing a beautiful part of your life in the beginning of your blog post. Your sky really reflected the colors you were talking about. By the way, all of your cards are just gorgeous! This is such a wonderful release to work with and I can't wait to get some of them for myself. :)
ReplyDeleteAngie
abcammack@comcast.net
Gorgeous. I love your cards
ReplyDeleteWow, these cards are something else.. love them!!!
ReplyDeleteLydia, I am just blown away by your gorgeous sky coloring! The Power Line cards briught tears to my eyes as my late husband spent 30 some yrs working on lines like that. I can still picture him up on the pole working away! I need that set for sure. Thanks for the memories!!
ReplyDeleteI’m assuming you meant December 9 not November 9 to comment on this post... Love the first card especially with the purples pinks and yellows definitely reminds me of Advent and Lent! It’s all fantastic as usual Lydia❣️💞
ReplyDeleteI like your nice bright cards. The new sentiments are great, printed and script. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThe sky in the first card is
ReplyDeletespectacular. We also have
power lines running through
town and along the highways
so they are appropriate for
use in our cards. thanks
for sharing.
txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot)com
So many awesome items in this release! Great cards and stories!
ReplyDeleteWow, these are so lovely, beautiful blending & backgrounds!
ReplyDeleteI love the bright colors on your cards- beautiful backgrounds!
ReplyDeleteI love the bright colors you used on your cards- beautiful backgrounds!
ReplyDeleteI especially like the leaves. The colors look cool. And the way you placed them, it makes me think of the wind storms we have been having, which I love. We have very little "weather" in southern California, so I enjoy those times when we have something happening :)
ReplyDeleteI love the skies and I have been trying to get that autumn leaves and mouse stencil!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful background skies. Love the colors!
ReplyDeleteThanks For Sharing Your Beautifully Made Cards 😊
ReplyDeleteSo much goodness with this release 💕
Three fabulous cards, Lydia! I love the vivid colours!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Cards!!
ReplyDeleteYour cards are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous scenes and great pairing with the Tender Thoughts sentiments! Perfect match-up!
ReplyDeleteLove your choice of colors!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful color combos on these awesome cards! Love the stamps and stencils you used!
ReplyDeleteI love your creativity! The powerline stamp, definitely a must have. Great backgrounds
ReplyDeleteLove every last one of these cards...that sky...that mouse....Lydia, you have the brightest, most magical eye!
ReplyDeleteI think these are gorgeous. Lovely inspirational sentiments. I am leaning towards those a lot these days. Such uncertain times. Thanks for these and Happy Holidays
ReplyDeleteLydia you never disappoint. Perfect!
ReplyDeleteLove the pink & purple sky
ReplyDeletelove these designs!
ReplyDeleteI love your bold and bright colorful cards! They are so amazing!!!
ReplyDeleteI love those sentiments!
ReplyDeleteAlways fun to see how you use different products from each release. I especially like the cloudy purple pink sky card.
ReplyDeleteFantastic cards! Love them!
ReplyDeleteThe little mouse nestled in the bright colorful leaves is my favorite!
ReplyDeleteYou can really feel the love that went into this card!
Thanks for sharing.
Lovely cards! The font with script and serif are my fave too!
ReplyDeleteLydia, your cards are absolutely amazing!!!
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful, colorful cards! Thanks for sharing
ReplyDelete