Thursday, February 11, 2016

With fronds like these, who needs anemones?!

My kids watched Finding Nemo this past weekend, and I'll admit that, after watching that movie a BAJILLION TIMES, I seriously just (like just) understood that joke. I didn't get it. I'm a dunce, apparently. A 30 year old dunce who doesn't get jokes. But hey, at least I finally got it, right?

Anywho, my sad revelation is my segue into my card for today. It uses the anemones from Bold Blossoms by Papertrey Ink, and that set... oh. my. peas. Those anemones are faaaan-tastic. I wish I'd known about anemones when we got married, because they seriously are near hydrangeas and peonies on my favorite flower rankings. (Doesn't everybody have one of those? Just me? Hokay then....)


This completely flat card is relatively simple, though it took quite a long time to complete. I used a no-line watercoloring technique, which means that I just stamped the flowers in a pale gray ink and then used my Zig markers to watercolor them. I used another favorite technique for this project: masking. I stamped and cut a mask of each size of flower from Post-It paper. So, so simple, but when you pull the masks up and see all of the dimension that this one step has created, it's like magic. 


The color scheme is a unique one, but I can already tell it's going to be a favorite with me. Our friends' daughter is turning one, and the peach, purple, and pink flowers were on her party invitation. I just fell in love with it. So unique, not something I would normally put together, but I really, really love the way it turned out. The anemone centers were heat embossed with Versafine and clear EP, as was the sentiment. The background was done with a wet-on-wet watercolor technique: I wet the paper, then dropped in color (diluted Pumice Stone from the Distress Line) where I wanted it to be heaviest, mainly right around the edges of the flowers. The sentiment, from PTI's Graceful Greetings, was heat embossed with Versafine and clear EP, and a smattering of sequins added some sparkle to finish it off.

I hope you've enjoyed this card! It combined some favorite techniques of mine, and I hope it inspires you to do some masking and no-line coloring of your own! Have a fabulous day, friends! 

2 comments:

  1. Hi Emily,

    This card and the one before are STUNNING! I am in LOVE with your work and talent and have been a subscriber of your blog since I saw your cards for The Ton. Your talent is SUPERB and your color combinations and compositions are AWESOME! I am trying watercolor myself and although It turns out OK, I have yet to make a card as yours or Kay's. Do you have a video channel? If not please consider making videos of your creative process so that mere mortals as myself will take advantage to be better! Thanks and take care!

    Cariños,
    María Alba

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    Replies
    1. Maria, thank you so much for your kind words and support!! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. I don't have a YouTube channel... I'm not really tech-y enough to know how to edit videos haha! There are many talented artists on YouTube that are fare more knowledgeable and give much better advice than I can give. The best advice I can give with the watercolor is to practice! Don't be afraid to waste paper, don't be afraid to experiment with more water, less water, more color, etc. I've also found good paper to be extremely important. Strathmore or Arches are my current favorites. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer to the best of my ability! Thank you again for your support and kind words! You have no idea how much I appreciate them both!

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