Wednesday 19 July 2017

Oceans of love

So, the stash diet this month, is going as well as the actual diet.... This MFT Mermazing stamp set somehow ended up on my door mat. No idea how, honest guv!
I started off by stamping my background on a piece of Tim Holtz watercolour card with black versafine.  I masked off the rock to create a rockier scene. After it had dried, I made a water colour wash with cosmic shimmer pixie powders in teal wash and peacock green and painted the sea. I did the same for the sand using mango blaze, bronze blush and golden mint pixie powders. The pixie powders are similar to brushos, but contain mica and so add a soft shimmer. As I'd painted over my stamping it knocked the black back a little, but I liked how it softened things. Once dry I painted in the rocks and shells, using my zig clean colour pens and a wet paint brush to blend the colours.
I stamped lots of elements from the stamp set on a second sheet of watercolour card, but on the reverse, so it gave me a smoother surface to work on. I then coloured in all the mermaids, fish and shells etc using my zigs and again using a wet paint brush to move the colour. Personally, I find a paintbrush easier to control than a waterbrush when colouring this way. Once dry I fussy cut them all out.
I then arranged them all on my background and glued them in place. The "nemo" fish are cleverly drawn with the position of the eye so that you can turn them to face to other way, without them looking like they have a swim bladder problem and are upside down! I had a tiny speck of orange at the top of my card from the pigment in the pixie powder, but it bugged the heck out of me. I inked up one of the tiny fish stamps in versafine again and stamped over it to hide it. As I said before, the black ink had been knocked back by the wash, and so this one set of three fish was more vivid than the rest. I therefore stamped a few extras on the card to tie it in. I ended up with a few more fish than I intended, but I really liked how it added more depth to the scene. I mounted it on Hunkydory mirridazzle card, amid trimmed down a 5x7 card base to 4 3/4x6 to fit it. Oops, almost forgot to say that I added some glamour dust to the mermaid with a quickie glue pen. A final pic to show some of the shimmer.

15 comments:

  1. Those pixie powders are so pretty and loving the shine from them. What a fabulous scene you've created with all those fabulous elements. Great colouring and the knocked back black looks all watery and so perfect. Love your attention to detail and how you popped on a few more fish x

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  2. Gorgeous card, fantastic background and lovely images and dies, a superb scene.

    Kath x

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  3. Hi Cara, a beautiful card, love the fish looks like some are in foreground and others deeper in the sea. Isn't it nice when the postie brings surprises... ☺ have a wonderful weekend... Megan

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  4. So sweet Cara! Have a great week and happy crafting, Angela xXx

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  5. Wow Cara - what a fabulous card! So much lovely detail - it's just perfect!

    I did laugh at your comment on my blog: Such a lovely scene and the little crab just makes the card. Good to know that they do have their uses occasionally, now if I can just train mine to put the seal of the milk in the bin.....not a chance! on Hello Sunshine!

    I read it a few times thinking 'So why does Cara keep a tame crab?' - then I realised you didn't mean Clarence but your in-house critic! Duh :)

    Hugs

    Di xx

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  6. Oh this is just so cute, your colouring is amazing Cara !
    Hugs, Kaz xx

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  7. I had to show this to Sophie cause she is the mermaid girl in my life and she said 'nanny you have to get that mermaid'. 'that is so so pretty look at the sparkly nanny we need that too'. So it looks like it will need to wash up on our doorstep too!!! wonderful card Cara love it.

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  8. Hi Cara,
    what a very wonderful card and that scene you have created is super and gorgeous.
    Your colouring is brilliant and so good.
    Lots of crafty love. Jenny L.

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  9. Another gorgeous card Cara! Thank you so much for visiting my Blog. And Happy Weekend to you. Judy x

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  10. She is super duper cute! I can see why you broke your diet....

    Susan xx

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  11. Love your composition - especially with the extra fish! I think the Pixie Powder wash is a great idea and works so well with the underwater theme.
    x Anne

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  12. A beautiful card Cara. I love the scene you've created and the way you've used your Pixie powders to pain your background. Barbxx

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  13. You're not helping me with my craft diet either. I keep seeing amazing scenes with these stamps and this is nothing short of perfect. The background is just lovely! Oh to be a mermaid, eh? xx

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  14. Hi Cara
    What a smashing vibrant and fun card.
    Had me laughing about the swimbladder problem lol!
    Best wishes.
    Ang x

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  15. Well that was a lovely surprise to find this fab stamp set on your doormat. Hmmmmm. Guilty as charged M'laud ;)

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Thank you for taking the time to comment. Please ignore any requests to prove you're not a robot and just press publish. Cara x