easy watercoloring | CraftyPaws

Doggy Trifold Anniversary Card with Viviva Watercolor Sheets

CraftyPaws — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 22:40:58 +0000

Viviva reached out to me to ask me to try their watercolor sheets and share my review of them with my readers. I was so excited to try them, as I’ve never tried watercolor sheets, and I thought they would make watercoloring so fun and easy on the go! I also thought this would be the perfect medium to use to make a doggy-themed anniversary for Mr. CraftyPaws (our 12th anniversary is this Sunday).

I used the Art Impressions “Blessings To You MFT” (mini tri-fold) stamp and die set, but I replaced the sleeping bunny with 2 pups from the Art Impressions “WC (water color) Dogs Set” and stamped and die cut out a card base using Strathmore Bristol Paper cut down to 4.5″ x 11″ and folded in thirds (at 3 5/8″).

Using Black Onyx VersaFine Ink (best for watercoloring without bleeding) I stamped the largest stamp on panel 1 of the card (left third), then die cut out the center. Next I lightly outlined the opening of panel 1 onto the face of panel 2 (right third) with a pencil so that I could center the second stamp onto that outline. Then I die cut out the center of that stamp with the coordinating die. I outlined the opening of panel 2 onto the center panel so that I could center the images of the puppies, which I masked and layered. After all the stamping and die cutting, I erased all the pencil marks (checking that the ink was fully dried beforehand, of course).

I had so much fun using the Viviva Watercolor Sheet colors (after making swatches — a must do since the colors on the sheets are so saturated that looking at them will NOT give you a sense of how they’ll look when you watercolor with them):
* The sleeping pup (Bandito) was colored with a blended Burnt Umber and Persian Blue, and the sitting pup (Babaloo) was colored with watered down Slate Black.
* I used the Persian Blue and Violet for the tulips.
* The drooping pink flowers with yellow centers were colored with Magenta and Chrome Yellow.
* The yellow flowers were colored with Chrome Yellow and Vermillion.
* Light Green, Sap Green and Viridian were used for the leaves and grass, and the sky was done with watered down Persian Blue.
Watercoloring is such a forgiving medium. Just blend, dab off excess, and apply second, third or even fourth coats to get beautiful results! I used a single Pentel Water Brush and just cleared the watercolors onto a tissue every time I switched colors. It was so easy!

Lastly I looked for sentiments that I thought would work well for Mr. CraftyPaws and me for our anniversary. I had an old Cloud 9 Designs “Simple Thoughts – Dog” stamp set that had the perfect sentiment that I could stamp in two parts for the first and second panels: “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” — Roger Caras {with 2 paw prints — perfect for our two dogs). Then for the last (center) panel, I used “happy” and “anniversary” from the Neat & Tangled “A Long Time Ago” stamp set and the “happily ever after” from the Clearly Besotted “Mr & Mrs Hoot” stamp set.

CLICK on the following picture to watch the process video:

Disclosure: The Viviva watercolor sheets were sent to me at no charge for my honest review. I really enjoyed them, thought the colors were very vibrant, and found them super easy to carry and use. Many of the supplies I’ve used for today’s project are linked. Some may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support toward the costs of running this blog!

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Art Impressions To Die For Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Stamp it Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes with Optional Pearls or Lace Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge

Woofing You a Happy Birthday!

CraftyPaws — Sun, 05 Jul 2020 02:34:48 +0000

I absolutely fell in love with the Stampendous Dog Kissses Stamp Set, and I knew I wanted to craft a special card with the adorable pups in the set. I thought that my dad’s 86th birthday just around the corner, was the perfect opportunity to ink them all up.

I kept the card simple; making it a single layer card. I used Strathmore Watercolor Paper and cut it down to 3.5″ x 8.5″, and simply inked up the line of pups on the slim line card card front with VersaFine Black Onyx Ink, which is safe for watercoloring. I then doodled on a rustic wooden fence with a Faber-Castell S Point Black PITT Artist Pen so that all the pups could look like they were jumping up over the fence from their yard into our garden to join in the party.

For watercoloring the scene, I used the following Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers with a Pentel Waterbrush:
Fence: Dark Brown (062), Mid Brown (065), Brown (060), Beige (072)
Golden Retreiver: Yellow (050), Beige (072)
Brown and White Pup (with my Bandito’s coloring): Light Brown (061), Brown (060), Beige (072), Light Grey (091)
Black and White Pup (with my Babaloo’s coloring): Beige (072), Light Grey (091), Dark Grey (095), Black (010)
Black Labrador: Light Blue (036), Dark Grey (095), Black (010)
Bulldog: Light Brown (061), Brown (060), Light Pink (026), Dark Brown (062), Dark Grey (095)
Tongues: Geranium (029), Wine Red (024), Dark Grey (095)
Sky: Light Blue (036)

I kept the inside card liner simple too. As if the dogs on the front were popping up to say, “Woofing You A happy Birthday”, I stamped the sentiment from the My Favorite Things Lucky Dog Stamp Set (retired). For an added “extra” I stamped out the little bulldog looking over his front paws on the bottom edge of the card liner to make it look like this pup was also peering in. The card base was cut from a navy blue card stock to nicely frame the card front.

CLICK on the picture below to watch the watercoloring process video:

Disclosure: Many of the supplies I’ve used for today’s project are linked. Some may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support toward the costs of running this blog!

This doggy birthday party card is being entered into the following challenges:
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Art Impressions Rustic Roundup Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes with Optional Add Texture Challenge
Penny Black and More In the Garden Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Crafty Gals Corner You’re the Man Challenge
Stamping Sensations All Creatures Great and Small Challenge
Crafts Galore Encore Anything Goes Challenge
MFT Birthday Party Challenge

Gangnam Christmas Style

CraftyPaws — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 01:37:54 +0000

As many folks face another Nor’easter in March, it got me thinking about the only thing I love about winter, and that’s Christmas! When our family gets together its always about good food, dancing and singing, so when I saw this super fun Katzelkraft “Christmas Gangnam Style” stamp set, it went on the top of my wish list. I mean, this image is EVERYTHING, right?!

I also got a chance to re-evaluate some more Arteza products (I’ll be sharing a full separate video review of these in a following post). In short, I LOVE the Arteza Fineliner Pens. To color up this image, I used 8 of them: brown, tan, yellow, red, black and three greys and a fine point Arteza water brush to blend out the inks for a watercolored look. Getting into tiny nooks and crannies of the image was so easy with these fineliner pens!

I also used the Arteza Arctic Blue (117) Real Brush Pen and a water brush to create a soft blue haloing background. For some highlighting details, I used a Uniball Signo White Gel Pen on the sun glasses, noses, hooves, boots and gloves; and I added some magical shimmer to the antlers and Santa’s white fur trim with a Clear Wink of Stella Pen.

For the card front, I used scraps from my scrap box from a 2012 Recollections Christmas paper pad called “Memories Never Melt” and inked the edges with some Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Faded Jeans. For a little sparkle, I added a thin strip of silver glitter washi tape on one side. To add the look of a film strip cell (like this was a pic from a music video – hahaha), I used one of the Neat & Tangled Tiny Cuts border dies on the two sides of the image, again inking the edges with more Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Faded Jeans to maintain a cohesive look.

Inside the card, I used the remaining scraps of the Recollections patterned paper from my scrap box. To make it a little more festive, I doodled some bursting stars with the Arteza Black Fineliner Pen. Then to drive home the fun Gangnam Style theme, I used Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder on a scrap of dark blue card stock to heat emboss the sentiment from the stamp set. I cut it into a simple banner shape and added that as the final touch on the card liner.

Arteza Coupon: If by chance you want to purchase any Arteza products, you can use the COUPON CODE (BOE-TOZ-460) for 10% off.

The following is a video sharing the coloring of this image:

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge with Optional Birthday
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes with Optional Reuse/Upcycle Challenge
Art Impressions Water Color Wonders Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Card Mania Embossing Challenge
Penny Black and More Feature a Creature Challenge
Stamp Sensations Forest Friends Challenge
MFT Sketch 376 Card Challenge

Winter Critters Holiday Card

CraftyPaws — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 10:33:00 +0000

I have to say that this year I was really sad to see Halloween come. That is, I had so much fun creating Halloween cards, it was sad to know that I had to move on to Thanksgiving and Christmas. It made me feel a little better to know that I had some super cute stamps from Stacey Yacula at Purple Onion Designs with which I could start holiday cards.

I decided to use Icicle, Puddles and Birch to start getting into the holiday spirit. I inked them up with MFT Black Licorice Hybrid Ink because I knew I wanted to color them up with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers and practice a little watercoloring (I’m still a beginner and figuring things out, but I share my limited experience in the video below–hope it’s helpful to you). These are the colors I used:

Icicle: Light Grey (091); Turquoise Green (042); Geranium Red (029) with light pink in the ears and on his cheeks using a Tim Holtz Distress Spun Sugar (I couldn’t find my Light Pink (026), which I think would have worked similarly)
Puddles: Light Grey (091); Beige (072); Turquoise Green (042); Geranium Red (029) with light pink on his cheeks using a Tim Holtz Distress Spun Sugar
Birch: Light Brown (061); Brown (060); Florescent Pink (003); Turquoise Green (042); Geranium Red (029); and Light Carmine (021) for blush
Ground: Light Grey (091) and Light Blue (036)

Next I ran a white card stock card base through my Big Shot with a Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder to create a kind of wintery frame. I used 4th largest of the Diemond Dies Nesting Oval Die Set to cut out an opening on the card front. Then I used double sided foam adhesive to position the critters in the opening, recessed back just a tad from the card front.

Lastly, to add some wintery embellishments, I used the two smaller snowflakes from the Diemond Dies Winter Snowflake Die Set to die cut six snowflakes to cluster in the upper right and lower left of the frame. I heavily coated all the snowflakes with some Plaid Folk Art Extreme Glitter Acrylic Paint in Hologram to give them all a shimmery sparkly look to them. I also added a 1/4″ trim of hologram-painted card stock at the bottom edge of the card front to add a more finished, coordinated look.

Special Sale: My readers can get 15% off and free worldwide shipping at Diemond Dies through November 12, 2016 by using the coupon code: kristina15. After November 12, 2016, for orders of $35 or more, you can get 10% off and free worldwide shipping by using the coupon code: thankskristina

The following is a watercoloring process video:

Easy Watercolored Artist Trading Cards

CraftyPaws — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 15:33:43 +0000

I learned a heat embossing and watercoloring with Ken Oliver Color Bursts technique from the fabulous Sandy Allnock when she was traveling around the country giving classes (still feel so lucky I got into a couple!). It was so easy breezy and the results were so pretty and painterly. I decided to try it again to make a couple of ATCs for my friend, Karen Sue’s (YT: ScrappyKsue) 50th birthday (woot woot!).

I clear heat embossed a couple of the outline flowers from the Altenew Peony Bouquet stamp set (my favorite floral stamp set of all time!) onto 140 lb Strathmore watercolor ATC card bases (2.5″ x 3.5″). Then I went to town water coloring with Ken Oliver Color Bursts in Yellow Ochre, Burnt Orange, Merlot, and Terre Verte (this Earthtones color set is AWESOME and I have my eye on the Brights for my holiday wish list).

After I dried and mounted these little “pieces of art” onto heavy weight chipboard, I added a few well-placed 6mm and 4mm Pretty Pink Posh Clear Droplets. They add the perfect watery finishing touch. Don’t you think?

The following is a process video:

These ATCs are being entered into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday Red, Orange, Yellow and Brown Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Fab ‘n’ Funky Fabulous Flowers Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Just Keep on Creating Anything Goes Challenge
Addicted to Stamps and More Anything Goes Challenge
Not Just Cards Anything Goes Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes Challenge

It’s a RUFF Life: Marker Coloring Stamps

CraftyPaws — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 14:27:44 +0000

I learned a fabulous technique of coloring stamps with markers at the Art Impressions booth at the Scrapbook Expo. They were using Le Plume markers (which I don’t have), but I thought Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers could work just as well, and I was right!

This started out as just some marker coloring play, but in the end the scrap I was coloring up was just large enough to eek out a CAS ATC (Artist Trading Card 2.5″ x 3.5″). The following are the colors I used to color up the adorable pups on this Art Impressions “Dog Stackers” stamp (top to bottom):

Chihuahua (top): Mid Brown – 065 with Light Pink (in ears) – 026
Mutt: Dark Gray – 095
Terrier: Beige – 072
Pomeranian: Bright Yellow – 052
Dachshund: Dark Brown – 062
Golden Mix: Oatmeal – 064 with Geranium Red (on tongue) – 029
Cocker Mix: Dark Brown – 065 and Beige – 072
I used Black – 010 for all the noses, eyes and the insides of mouths

The water coloring is a bit rough on this highly textured water color paper and my fat Pentel waterbrush, but I thought that added to the painterly look (or at least that’s what I’m telling myself LOL). To finish up the simple scene, I grounded the dogs by adding a floor (bear in mind I didn’t do the whole stack of dogs since my water color paper scrap was too small) and doodled some double lines and dots to frame out the image.

The following is a process video of coloring up this adorable doggy stamp (one of my new favorites!):

This ATC is being entered into the following challenges:
Art Impressions 29 Again Anything Goes Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Create a Scene Challenge
CASology Rough Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Crafty Gals Corner Monochromatic Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes Challenge
MFT Camp Create Coloring Challenge