Transmogrified Roses

Every Sunday, I do a Facebook live session with my team. I usually make the cards from my classes that week for them, or go over a new product or technique. It's a fun, relaxing hour where all of us who are spread out across the country can hang out and chat. They're a nice group of people - they take turns typing what I'm saying for my hearing impaired team members (sometimes with editorial  comments that are hilarious).

So one Sunday - I wanted to do some no-line watercolor with the new Petal Palette stamp set. The lines on these images are very bold and heavy, and I wanted to soften them with watercolor, so I thought I'd do that for Show Me Sunday for my team. However, I'm a VERY slow painter, and so this was an extra long SMS. They were very patient with me.  Here's how the card turned out. The sentiment is from Gina K - Grand Greetings.

Petal Palette Clear-Mount Bundle... [ SUP ] Grand Greetings- Clear [ GNK ] Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors [ BLIC ] Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad... [ SUP ] Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Ink... [ SUP ] Silver Brush - Black Velvet, Round #2 [ BLIC | AMZUS ] Fabriano Artistico 140 lb. Cold Press... [ AMZUS ] Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth [ AMZUS ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSW | HA | SBC | SSS ] Stewart Superior India Ink Pad / Reinker [ ART ] Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock by... [ SUP ] Whisper White Cardstock - Thick [ SUP ] Multipurpose Liquid Glue by Stampin' Up! [ SUP ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] The Ultimate Mixing Palette: a World... [ BLR ]

You can see how different it is from the stamp image here.

I love changing the feel of a stamp image - it's pretty much my favorite.

I posted just the work in progress in a demonstrator Facebook group and people were dying to see a video, so I attempted the download, which Facebook doesn't really make all that easy, but I finally got it. Please note it is NOT my normal HD format - downloading it from Facebook turns everything into terrible quality - but so many people asked to see how I painted this after I posted a photo of it, I figured the bad quality was better than nothing!

Loveyameanitbye.

All the Feels for Greg & Angie

I'm feeling fortunate to be able to head to our industry trade show this week - Creativation - formerly CHA. Seeing the upcoming product releases is just an incidental bonus on top of seeing the wonderful people that I work with in the crafting industry. It's like a giant retreat with all of your friends, except you're working your butt off and walking 36 billion miles a day inside the convention center. I love it, and I'm looking forward to it.

Two of the people I'm really looking forward to are my beloved Greg & Angie from Concord & 9th. These are two really kind, sweet friends that I wouldn't trade for all the art supplies on earth. I adore them. They give me all the feels.

This month they came out with an AMAZING release, including the world's most incredible alphabet set. I can't wait to get home from the show and crank out more cards with this ingenious collection. It's subdivided into special, focused bundles, or you can buy the whole collection for a discount.

I took the heart from the Monogram Hello Lovely bundle, and did a few little tricks. I stamped the solid image multiple times in the MISTI in Smoky Slate to get a slightly darker grey. I stamped the bottom two flowers four or five times in Tempting Turquoise to get a darker blue, and then stamped the top flower just twice to get a lighter blue. They've invented sooooo many things - the Turnabout stamps, matching paper and stencils - on and on, but one of my favorite things they do that's super unique is these solid stamps with matching images that fit into them, so that you have beautiful color opportunities. That's why I was filled with squee when I saw this bundle. It speaks to my CAS, color-loving heart. I added some sparkly enamel dots, and gold glitter flakes too, and then stamped the sentiment in black.

Monogram HELLO LOVELY BUNDLE -... [ C&9 ] Monogram Collection BUNDLE - Concord... [ C&9 ] January 2018 Release BUNDLE - Concord... [ C&9 ] Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad... [ SUP ] Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin'... [ SUP ] Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad... [ SUP ] Stewart Superior India Ink Pad / Reinker [ ART | AMZUS ] Gold Glitter Flakes by Stampin' Up! [ SUP ] Glitter Enamel Dots by Stampin' Up! [ SUP ] Ranger .5 Oz. MINI MULTI MEDIUM MATTE... [ SSS | ELH | MFT ] Marvy Uchida JEWEL PICKER Tool 91GRC [ SSS | ELH | ART ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSW | ELH | SSS | SBC ] Whisper White Cardstock - Thick [ SUP ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... [ AMZUS ] Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 [ SSS | AMZUS | ART ] Bone Folder by Stampin' Up! [ SUP ]

You can see the rest of the January release here. It's amazing, as are they.

Here's a tip on the glitter flakes - which are amazing little hexagonal foil pieces that add so much sparkle! The way I adhere them is to put little dots of multi-medium matte all over my card. Then I use my Jewel Picker to pick up the flakes and put them down onto the adhesive.

Easy and sparkly!

Hope you have a great week! Check out my Facebook and Instagram feeds for peeks from the show! If you're going, I'd love to see you there.

Loveyameanitbye.

Are Fish Actually Zombies?

Have you ever wondered if fish are zombies?

They behave exactly like zombies. They don't blink. They look like they're talking but they don't make sense. They eat each other. They never sleep. I can't find a difference.

You're welcome for that theory. That's what happens when I'm allowed to think too much. #fishzombies

I actually think of this because of the stamps I'm using today. I think of it every time I see "just keep swimming" because my mind starts to wander to how tiring it must be to be always swimming, and then the thought just devolves until I end up at zombies.

Today's card is the result of an experiment I did with paint and alcohol on my Gel Press. I wanted to see if I could do this technique with monoprinting.

I found that some colors worked better for the "bubbles" I was trying to achieve, like blues, and some didn't move as well, like reds.

Red pigments are strange, so I wasn't surprised. It was fun to see how much better and clearer the second print ones with the bubble textures. You'll see in my video how it seems like there's no detail in the first print and then the second is often a wow. I used one of the less detailed first prints to die cut the seaweed - does that remind you of anything? When I look at those two together it reminds me of what I think was my very first art crush - Leo Lionni. I absolutely adored what he did with watercolor and his stories and art were quiet, and maybe a little sad. I think my little fishy today is quiet, and a little sad. See how he's not smiling?

I think it's the zombie bomb I just dropped. I could be wrong. See what you think.

SB109 Color Layering Goldfish Bundle... [ HA ] AF331 Dandelion Bold Ink | Hero Arts [ HA ] AF333 Tangerine Bold Ink | Hero Arts [ HA ] AF332 Caramel Bold Ink | Hero Arts [ HA ] Hero Arts Intense Black Ink [ HA ] Whisper White Cardstock - Thick [ SUP ] Golden Fluid Acrylics - Phthalo Blue... [ BLIC ] Golden Fluid Acrylic - Quinacridone... [ BLIC ] Golden Fluid Acrylics - Ultramarine Blue [ BLIC ] Gel Press 5 x 7 REUSABLE GEL PRINTING... [ SSS | BLIC | AMZUS ] Speedball Deluxe 4-Inch Hard Rubber... [ AMZUS | AMZUS | BLIC | BLIC ] MISTI Stamping Tool - The Most... [ SBC | SSS | MSW | MFT | ELH ] Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth [ AMZUS ]

Aren't those little bubbles fun? There are two colors of paint there, and then the little seaweeds on the right are from the part of the video where I used the mister bottle for a more granular texture. I cut those with the dies that match the goldfish stamp set.

So here's a quick video, with some tips on the things I found that did and did not work. Hope you enjoy it!

Loveyameanitbye.