I'm travelling into a new way of working, a new country, a new language, and a new hobby which I'm passionate about. Come with me for some of the journey...

Saturday 23 February 2013

Don't eat the daisies


Hello all, hope you're having a wonderful weekend. 

Here we are, and back with the turquoises after yesterday's hit of vivid colour with the Dragon Butterflies

I seem to remember that I promised, during all the excitement of the PaperArtsy releases, to share some of my samples with you in more detail over the next couple of weeks... well, somewhat tardily, here's the first batch: a series of six co-ordinating pieces.

When I saw the new JOFY stamps, they sang to me of what we might do together... yeah, I know - but that's what happened.

And though I would in no way count myself a watercolourist, when you're using Distress Stains, it doesn't feel like watercolouring, so I don't have to stress about skills or whether-I'm-good-enough at it... I just get to play with pretty colours.








I immediately saw them as tall and elegant, so I sliced my watercolour card (well, it feels like thick watercolour paper, it looks like thick watercolour paper, I've no idea how long it's been on my bookshelves, but I happened upon it in the search for the cheap watercolour pad I could've sworn I'd bought from The Works but either I didn't or it's just disappeared in the way things seem to in this house) in half lengthwise and started stamping.





Everything is stamped in Olive Archival by Ranger, and if you want to know which stamps are from which sets, have a look at my release post - all the information is there.


I daubed the Distress Stains onto my craft sheet a few colours at a time, and used my Pentel water brushes to apply them.  (I'm oh so in love with this butterfly stamp!)







The Distress Stains blend beautifully, and there was plenty of "play" from the paper (making me all the more sure it's some sort of watercolour paper), giving me time to move colour around, or dab it away with paper towel or lighten it with water.










I mostly used combinations of blues: Chipped Sapphire, Faded Jeans, Stormy Sky, Weathered Wood; turquoises: Peacock Feathers, Broken China, Tumbled Glass; and greens: Mowed Lawn, Peeled Paint, Bundled Sage, and the odd touch of Pine Needles... so the palette always co-ordinated.  


I haven't worked my way to adding the contrasting colours to make things "pop" yet - but I'll get there soon!




One of the delights of the stamps is that you can encourage the slender stalks to bend slightly, so that you can have a flower leaning the way you want it, or alter the same stamp so that it can be used next to itself without looking completely identical.

One of my favourite brainwaves here was using the sentiments as blades of grass, growing up out of the ground with the rest of the stamps.  Of course, it partly arose because with my long slender "canvas" some of the longer phrases simply weren't going to fit straight across them!






There is a "grass" stamp in one set, but for the most part I used strokes of stain to create a grassy base to the picture and then added some scribbly grass freehand using the fine end of the Forest Moss Distress Marker.  Great fun to play with some freehand next to these deliciously drawn pieces.

And then I decided to highlight the delicious scribblyness a bit further using my Inkssentials white gel pen.







I think it gives a twist of freshness and modernity to what might otherwise be fairly traditional looking watercolours - not that there's anything traditional about these flowers!


I tore corrugated card from some packaging boxes to create backing frames for my watercolours, and used some Versamagic White Chalk ink to shabby the backgrounds up (shabby them down?).









And rather than struggle with glue (let me spill the beans here... these were created from about 4.30am to about 7.30am after I woke early full of ideas and plans for how to use the stamps which had arrived the day before and which I was aiming to post samples for to Leandra the following day, so struggling with glue really wasn't an option at that hour!) I used double sided tape to stick them down.

Another little insight there into how I get everything done!










I've done lots of watercolouring with Distress Stains since; it's become one of my favourite things to do - so pleasurable - but this really was only my second proper go at it, and I'm so pleased with how they turned out.  

(I was also dead chuffed to see they made it onto the display boards at Stitches where all the new PaperArtsy products were revealed in real life - take a look!)




These stamps really took me by surprise.  They aren't in my usual style, but whenever I saw the early release of JOFY 9 in action on other blogs, they really appealed to me, and they turned out to be an absolute delight to work with  - they're beautiful, fresh, quirky, and give you a fantastically sharp image every time.  Save your pennies - they're worth it!


Thanks so much for stopping by today...  I'll aim to share some close-up details of some more of the samples soon, and I've also been creating new things with the stamps, so some of that will be making its way on here quite soon, I'm sure.  For now I'll wish you very happy crafting, and a lovely rest-of-weekend!

The earth laughs in flowers.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us. 
Iris Murdoch

I must have flowers, always, and always. 
Claude Monet

46 comments:

Craft Addicts - Tracy Evans said...

The more I see these stamps the more I like them. I love the elongated stems and quirky shapes. I love how you have worked with the length of the stamps and as usual my favourite colours. Great pieces Alison. Take care. Tracy x

Amanda said...

How very spring inspiring, they are lovely. I can't wait to get hold of these stamps.
Love
Amanda x

Claudia N. said...

I am honestly not too thrilled by PaperArtsy's new range of stamps, but I am by what you made using it, Alison!

Lovely!

Hugs,
Claudia x

Annie said...

Hi Alison............Can't believe I am blogging at this time of night but I had just finished posting and saw you had left a comment. Low and behold you were posting too!!!!

I have to say that these stamps are stunning and I understand why you love that Butterfly....its gorgeous.
Beautiful colour palette you have used. I have not used the DS to watercolour but love the results that you have shown here.

Hope you have a restful weekend. I cant make my mind up whether to craft or go to the boot sale.........see how I feel in the morning.

Take care

Annie x

Nan G said...

Whoa, I come back to comment on the fab and colorful butterflies and you've got a new post! Love the softness of these colors. And oh how I hope these come across the pond!!

Redanne said...

Love your beautiful samples Alison, saw the video and I was so impressed to hear Leandra give your name when she showed the samples you made! I really want the butterfly one (sigh) but have to wait until next month (sigh again). Love how you watercoloured with the stains - so effective. Hugs, Anne x

House of Bears said...

Sigh, more stamps you've made us covet. We'll blame you when Wilbear receives the next shocking credit card bill. We love the colours you've chosen here, can colours be subtle but bright and cheery at the same time? That's what we think when we see these. We're inspired now as we KNOW we have a water colour pad from The Works, we looked at it in surprise when we arrived home as we could have sworn we'd actually picked up a canvas paper pad!

Netty said...

they really are such gorgeous stamps and your colourings are perfect for them. Fab work Alison. xx

Chris said...

Oh so pretty Alison and everything about the way you presented the stamps looks so right for them! Love your colouring with distress stains, such a gorgeous palette of colours too. Congrats on having these up at Stitches, that's wonderful and I'm off to see the photo's now. Chris x

Debi said...

these are lovely! very spring like Debi x

Michelle Webb said...

They are totally wonderful Alison, and they should be showed off on a big board because the stamping is gorgeous and it's genius putting them on corrugated card. I love that about your makes. The stamps are coloured in so beautifully too. Michelle x

Dianne said...

The art you have created here is amazing love them all thanks for sharing...

maria's knutselplezier said...

Wow, I really love all your tags, I'm really in love with those beautiful stamps and I hope I can get them very soon,they are so beautiful, I really want them all!!

Greetings
Maria

barbarayaya62 said...

So beautiful! Love colors and stamps! Very great tag! BArbarayaya

Helen said...

I love these!! I can't wait to get my hands on these stamps (and hope I will be able to, in a few hours time, at Stevenage, lol!!) I love how you've used the sentiments, that is gorgeous. I love all of these art panels... sooooo much!!

Inkypinkycraft said...

Great colours, love the watercolour feel and the corrugated card is fab ! Trace x hugs x

Brenda Brown said...

Wonderful pieces Alison with gorgeous colours, you have certainly done the stamps justice in the way you have designed and used colour.
I know what you mean about things disappearing. I am sure I have a black hole in my work room.
Happy Sunday.
Hugs Brenda xxx

Jenny Marples said...

Beautiful samples which show off these stamps in all their glory. Have a great day today. Hugs, Jenny x

Mandy's Crafts said...

These are just my favourite colours and love these stamps. .. think I must get them..... love the way you have used them.
Mandy.

froebelsternchen said...

I love love love it Alison.. this is whimsical artsy fartsy stuff that makes my heart HAPPY!

xxx Susi

Claudia N. said...

You are right, Alison, the Sarah Neumann range is awesome, but as PaperArtsy stamps are quite expensive and I don't have a sponsor letting me have them to just try, I have to make choices... :(

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Claudia x

Astrid Maclean said...

Like Claudia, these are not my kind of stamps really (just being honest) If I would want to do something like that I would doodle myself lol. But they look a fun set altogether like that and love your water colouring technique!

Ephemera said...

Beautiful and creative Alison, very stylish and quirky at the same time, love them. Have a great day. xx

Evil Edna said...

wonderful.EE

Alie Hoogenboezem-de Vries said...

Gorgeous Alison, the stamps are great and you've used great material and colours to improve the images...lovely!

have a great Sunday, Alie :-)

May said...

Gorgeous stamps, your samples are Fabulous... I NEED THOSE STAMPS!!! Stunning work Alison... Hugs May x x x

Gez Butterworth said...

STUNNING Alison, love what you did with the stamps xx

Carol Q said...

love what you are creating with the JOFY stamps Alison. your colour scheme is very calming.

Terry said...

Very pretty display of Spring! Love all these images on the corrugated cardboard! Fabulous! Happy Sunday! Hugs!

Mikaela said...

OMG! thats so beutiful. love colors and the flowers

Unknown said...

Your showcase of the JOFY stamps is spectacular Alison. I love them and the pieces you created. The corrugated board as a backdrop is the perfect choice. TFS! Hope your weekend has been fun. :)

catherine said...

These just look so fantastic Alison and I love those stamps. Lovely soft colours
x catherine

Sophie said...

Super schön, Alison.
Die Farben sind so zart und fein wie der nahe Frühling.
Ich bin begeistert.

Sophie xx

Cinderella Moments said...

The colors are beautiful. This design is so fantastic.
hugs♥,
Caroline

Unknown said...

Another stunning collection Alison. Where did you find the 48 hour days? lol Chris xx

Janny Jager said...

Very very beautiful Alison and the stamps you used are great.
love them.
Greetings Janny

Dorthe said...

Dear Alison, you made some wonderful tags, -I love you used the corrugated card behind the stamped pieces and your colouring is very beautiful and springlike---but the stamps are not my romatic style,- and I would have difficulties using them. I know it is part of the deal for you, and admire what you did.
Hugs,Dorthe

Daniele said...

so in love with these stamps they are so darn sweet
hugs

craftytrog said...

Purchased 3 sets of these today at Stamperama, where I saw your beautiful artwork in the flesh. Was sorry to miss meeting you Alison, as I heard you were there too.
Hope you had a good day,
Alison xx

Hettie said...

These are gorgeous Alison and so fun!
Love em!
xx

Vee Cassidy said...

These are beautiful. I love the watercolours and your displays. Vee xx

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

Love these! Fun and happy and vibrant!

Marjie Kemper said...

They're fabulous! Such whimsical images and I love the stain-watercoloring.

annes paperfun said...

Beautiful...beautiful...
Love it ♥

Silvia(Barnie) said...

Fantastic, great spring feeling.

Kezzy said...

Wow gorgeous, I so love what you have done with these stamps. I have the earlier ones from this year and can't wait to purchase these. I love how you have have mounted them as well. Hugs Kezzy :-) xxx