Warning...Warning....This post covers the first 5 days of class and is photo heavy! I have learned quite a bit, but I think the biggest lesson I've learned is that I'll never be very good at water coloring. I'm too much a perfectionist to let thing "bleed" into each other! I keep trying to get the colors to "line up"...which is totally NOT what I'm suppose to be doing! Anyway...off to my cards.
This first card was made using techniques shown by Kristina Werner on Day 1. I heat embossed the stamped image...but for some reason my embossing powder didn't seem to want to melt on the watercolor paper. Then when I tried to "smush" the colors together, I got some muddy looking areas! I finally had to call it quits on this method (we won't talk about how much ended up in the trash!). The happy die cut is a Simon Says die. I tried to heat emboss the word "birthday" but couldn't get good coverage with the white powder. Popped the whole thing up on a deep purple card base and called it good.
For this card, I tried to use a color wash background by coloring with watercolor pencils as we were shown on Day 2...I'm showing you this card...but I'm not really crazy about it! I had to draw my flower pot with pencils, then tried to blend...that didn't work too well. The flowers were made by stamping a stem stamp from PTI repeatedly, then added some blooms to some of the stems. Sentiment is from HA. Popped the water color paper onto some pink card stock then called it finished! I also used some of the distress marker techniques from Day 3
The techniques for Day 4....hmmmmm...I finally gave up! Everything I tried was just to "messy" looking for me. So..here's a card which was inspired by the logo for the class...
I love the look of this....I just need to learn to "blend" my watercolors a little better!
This card is just something I was playing around with. I think I got my blending down a little better. Funny thing is...I did this water coloring on a piece of plain card stock that I found in my scrap box. I had dry embossed it with a hexagon die at some time to use and then didn't use it, so I thought I'd see what water color would do to plain card stock. It bucked and buckled like you wouldn't believe...but I zapped it with my heat tool after it was completely dry and it mostly flattened out. The word "thanks" is a die from Simon Says. I cut it out 4 times and glued the layers together. Then added a bit of sparkly with my wink of stella pen. The stamped part of the sentiment is from a VERY old stamp set...no idea who makes it. I added a few sequins and some pearls and popped the water colored piece on to a dark blue card base. Kinda like how this one turned out.
Finally...you've seen just a few of the cards I kept...but oh so many went into the trash!! On to my
FAVORITE!
This card was a technique shown by Shari Carroll...and I LOVE how this turned out. I heat embossed a partial background, then colored the shapes with my distress markers and added water....WA-LA....LOVE it!! I popped it up on a dark orange card base and added a banner. The "happy" is the same die cut I used in the above card, only I cut the top layer for this one from a teal card stock (even though you can't really tell that in this photo!). The 'birthday' was from a PTI set.
WHEW!...That's a lot of cards, isn't it? Which is your favorite...and why?
Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...
20 comments:
Wow, Susan, I love each and every one of these! I think I like watercolor because it doesn't have to be precise. I don't do precise well. Anyway, I don't know that I can pick one I like more than another! All have a wonderful blend of colors. Don't throw away your not up to standard ones. Punch butterflies and flowers!
Your "Shari Carroll CASE" is perfect! I have that stamp and hope my try will come out as good as yours!
Your cards are beautiful--I get the perfectionist part. I've been waiting all week for my Peerless WC sheets to come, but they still aren't here....so will be using the 'other' kind and do some catching up. Thanks for sharing.
These are all beautiful! I can't wait to give the one a la Shari a try!
I love the card you made based on Shari's card.The colors are great! I find that Tombow markers work very well when you want to get a watercolor look.
What gorgeous cards Susan. It's been interesting to see the different cards that have been made by various bloggers taking this course but love that you've shown most in one post. I can understand your problem with letting colours bleed into each other! I love your blue and green honeycomb card but, like you, think you saved your best til last.....it's absolutely gorgeous with all those colours; can't wait to give it a try.
Karen x
love your work try not to be so critical your cards are fab .. its justa very diffrent way of working fo rsome of us but your results are fabuous im diung the course too and having mixed success .Ilove your last card what stamp did you use? ...thats my biggets problem trying to decide what to use and as ive limited stamps its not easy...nor dio i have an imagination..im hping there s lesson for that to! ;-)....i hope you keep enjoyoing the classes. best wishes and crafty hugs andrea x
These are all so beautiful! It was the poppy card that caught my eye in the class gallery, and what a delightful surprise to find this treasure-trove of cards in your blog post! I love each and every one of them. So creative! I think you are being too hard on yourself. You might be comparing them to what you had in your mind's eye and find them falling short. But we can only see the result, and the results are beautiful! You have achieved what is so difficult for me with watercolours - a balance of light and dark and a soft painterly effect. I am heading back for another gaze at these lovelies.
Wow! You've had a lot of fun - these are all gorgeous, but your fave is probably mine too - I'm resisting the urge to go get that very same background stamp and make the very same card. lol!
Wow, you've been busy! Glad to see you're really getting so much from the class! The card with the hand-drawn flower pot with the individual flowers in it really stood out to me. It's very pretty and you would never know that was one flower stamp used repeatedly. You really did a good job...actually, on all of them! Also loved the one like the class logo where you painted around the letters. Great job!
nice cards. Love the vibrancy of the last one. It just pops. Have a great day
Wow these are amazing you have been busy xx
WOW these are all so wonderful! I love the Thanks one!!
Well, good, I was happy to hear by the time I got down to the end that you actually DID love some of your cards, Susan! Me, personally, I love them all and I kept thinking what a shame it was that you weren't "feelin'" the watercoloring because you sure seem to have a kanack for it and you sure made pretty cards!
I love that last one the most, too! I haven't done Days 5 and 6 yet and can't wait to try Shari's lesson! It's so cool how dimensional it looks!
Happy Mother's Day! Hugs, Darnell
You are a tough critic!! I like all of your cards, can't see one that I wouldn't send... I especially love the thanks!
These turned out great -- I enjoyed seeing them all!
I think you're way too hard on yourself, Susan! Your cards are really fabulous, and I think your blending techniques are working beautifully! I had to laugh at your first statement about water coloring...I know your cards are always crisp and clean with perfect execution...so this must be 'killing' you ~ LOL! I'm not having an easy time either, but I think it will just take some time!
So glad to see you're enjoying the class!
Amazing cards Susan. You have given me even more inspiration.
These are GORGEOUS cards, love what you have done, DON'T put yourself down they are wonderful
These are all lovely Susan. I know what you mean, some colours just don't play nicely alongside each other. I think that's why I tend to stick to similar colours, or stay with the order a rainbow puts them in. I love your greeny blue one best, probably for that reason, but please be proud of all of them. They are all way better than I could do, but you have inspired me to try some for myself.
Post a Comment