Time for a Growing In Unity Artist Hop!!

It's time to hop along with the Growing In Unity Guest Artists from January and February!  If you have hopped to my blog from Joyce's blog you've come to the right spot!  If you get lots along the way...I have posted the full hop order at the bottom of this post.

For my project today I am using the stunning image titled Daisy Days.  I chose this stamp as it is such an awesome size and the details of it are equally as stunning.  I've been working on a lot of journaling projects during the stay at home orders, so I have a stack of blank travelers journals that I am using.  I decided that the next one I fill needed a beautiful cover.

I started by covering the journal cover with brown bag cardstock.  This particular journal has a not so attractive image on the cover, so I wanted to replace it with something pretty.  I then stamped the image onto the plain cardstock using Stazon brown ink.

I then trimmed the image and backed it with dark brown cardstock and black cardstock.  I thought these two colors would pull out the details of the image.  I then added the image to my journal cover.  I then used the same colors and created a stack of the same cardstock for my journal title; which is cut from the True Words cut & paste journaling book by Melody Ross.

I then added the small black details using Stazon Studio Glaze in black.

I love the way this image totally transformed this from a plain journal to something I can't wait to pull out and carry around with me.

Here is the full hop order in case you get lost along the way...

Teresa 
Aimee
Denise
Helen
Shanon
Amy
Joyce
Lynda ---- you are here!!

Oh...and don't forget to leave a comment...as one lucky person that comments along the hop route will win an awesome Unity prize!

Happy crafting....Lynda

Growing in Unity Day Five

 Welcome back for my last post at a Growing In Unity Artist for 2021.  I wanted to thank you for the wonderful comments left this week.  I truly appreciate the kind words and love to have been able to share my projects with you this week.

For my final project this week I wanted to create something really fun, so I stamped the main image from the Succ-y Without You stamp set in Memento ink onto a piece of cardstock.  I then stamped the image two more times onto other cardstock.  I then used my Copic markers to color the entire image on my card base and selected images that I wanted to accent on the additional stamped images.  I then cut out three of the succulents from the extra images.  I then used foam tape to pop up the extra images on top of their colored twins.  I then stamped the sentiment onto scrap white cardstock and trimmed it down.  I edged the cardbase and sentiment using brown ink.  The sentiment was added using the same foam tape.

I love how this card turned out!  I hope this week has encouraged you to try some new things with stamps, some new coloring mediums, and maybe a trick or two using an image a little differently.

I have enjoyed sharing my projects with you and hope that you will keep an eye on the Growing in Unity page to see if you were selected as one of my lucky winners if you leave a comment.  Thank you so much for sharing this week with me!

And be sure to check back each week throughout the year to see what other wonderful creations are made by other Growing In Unity Artists!

Happy crafting....Lynda

Growing In Unity Day four

 Welcome to day four of my week as the Growing in Unity Artist!  Today I'm going to share with you a project I created using that tried and true favorite stamp set of mine....Succ-y without you!

Today we are going to explore another of my favorite mediums to create with.....watercolors!  I love that watercoloring is so forgiving when you are creating.  Something seems a little too dark...add a little water to it...a little to light...put some more color on it...make a mistake, just dab it with a paper towel and poof better.  Even better than that is to keep a magic eraser on your art table while you watercolor and buff away an stray spots to return your base to like new!

For my project I used paints from four different pan sets from Prima:  Woodlands, Essence, Currents, and Terrain.  I love the way these particular paints blend together and the fact that they are pans means I can carry them around and create anywhere....so this card was painted while watching tv.  I then came back into my art room and stamped the sentiment using brown pigment ink.  I also used that same ink to edge the entire card to better define the space.

When you watercolor you want to use a permanent ink.  So this image was stamped using a Stazon black ink pad onto watercolor paper that I had trimmed down to card size.  I then mixed and transferred the colors onto my image using mainly a round 2 paintbrush.

I love the look of the watercolors.  Here's a closeup of the card that shows the slight blue wash I put behind the entire stamped area to ground the image a bit.

Watercoloring allows you to be purposefully not so careful while you create and allow the paint to just flow across the paper.

Well...tomorrow if my last day... hope you will come back...and leave a comment for a chance to win an amazing Unity prize!

Happy crafting....Lynda

Growing in Unity Day 3

 Welcome back Unity friends.  I hope you have enjoyed my projects so far this week featuring the Succ-y without you stamp set.  This set was part of the August 2020 Whit-Kit, but you can still pick it up in the store, so it's not too late to grab it!!!

So for today's project I wanted to share with you this fun journal I made to keep track of my succulents in my garden. I started with this cute little book that I picked up in a package of 8 at the Target Dollar Spot.  It is 8 x 8 and the perfect size for making notes about my friends in the garden.

I started by stamping the image onto white carstock. I then colored the image with my COPIC markers.  I trimmed the cardstock down to 6 1/2 x 6 1/2.  I then edged the paper with some Distress Markers in complimentary colors.  I created a frame like border around the edge of the journal using this wonderful paper I received at Christmas this year.  (this paper is called Eucalyptus and for some reason people were saying it was the "unicorn" of pattern papers, so I had to ask for some for Xmas)  It is beautiful paper and complimentary to the colors that you find in succulents.

Now to show you what didn't work out...and how there are times when even your best project turns out a little succ-y and makes you pivot and go in a new direction.  This project was suppose to kick off my Growing In Unity week.  When I first started this project, I stamped and embossed the image in brown ink directly onto the cover of the journal.  I decided to emboss because the cover is a glossy texture.  What I didn't realize is that no matter how hard I tried and no matter what medium I used, the colors were not going to be smooth.  They turned into this weird sticky kind of mess.  When nothing was working, I put the project aside and moved on to the other things I wanted to create and share this week.  I just let my creative brain roll around with ideas of how I could fix it and figure out that I had to cover up the embossed image on the cover.  Here is how succ-y it looked...

I'm sharing this because it is so easy to get frustrated and think a project will not work out if the colors are off, or something isn't quite right.  I am a big believer in "make it work" from Project Runway.  Stamp the image again and do a coverup; just a part of it, or the whole thing like I did.  It is a great way to turn a project that you might think is headed to the garbage can into something that is worth saving!!

Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win that awesome Unity prize at the end of my week!!  And stop by tomorrow...

Happy crafting....Lynda

Growing in Unity Day 2

 Hello Unity friends, today is Day 2 for my week as the Growing In Unity Artist.  Today I am sharing with you another project I have created using the same Succ-y Without You stamp set that I used yesterday.  

For my project, I stamped the main plant image from the stamp set onto white cardstock using Memento ink.  I then colored the image with Copic markers.  I then used some brown pigment ink to edge the card.  I then stamped the sentiment along the bottom.

I just LOVE this stamp set and how detailed this image is!

I hope you will take a look at this awesome stamp set and see all the wonderful things you can do with it!

Happy crafting...and hope to see you tomorrow!!

Lynda

Growing in Unity Day 1

I am so excited to get to participate as a Growing In Unit Artist once again.  It was such a thrill to see my name on the list for this year and really was a great way to start off 2021!!!.  What an awesome opportunity to share my love of stamping and coloring.  Unity Stamps are among the best quality you can purchase.  Their deeply etched red rubber leaves a clean crisp image every time.

For my first project I am using this wonderful image of a group of succulents from the Succ-y without you stamp set.   My youngest daughter and I are HUGE succulent fans and have quite a collection of them.  We've been growing babies from clippings all summer and they are safely tucked away against the house for the winter.

To celebrate her love of these plants I thought it was fitting to create something she can hang in her room near her window where her favorite little friends reside in cute little pots.  I had this wonderful letter "O" that was ready to be altered.  I stamped all around the letter using Memento ink.  Being careful to fill in the gaps with extra little parts from this wonderful stamp.  The images were then colored using various colors of Copic markers to show off the amazing colors that these fabulous plants can come in.

Look at the amazing details included on this stamp!!!

Here is a close up of one of the sections:

This was a fun project to make and any excuse I have to pull out one of my succulent plant books for color reference is always a good day!  I hope you have enjoyed my first project this week and come back each day to see what I have created.

At the end of my week I get to chose two people that leave me a comment to win a fabulous Unity prize.

See you tomorrow...and happy crafting!!

Lynda

Finding time to reconnect

To say this year has been stressful and less than normal would be a complete under statement.  Having pushed aside all my art to work from home in my studio meant it was not a space that I wanted to be in during my non-working hours.  I had to find a new balance some how, so I decided that I needed to move everything around within my space and reorganize it all so the work "stuff" was just a small part of the space and not the center of the space.  So, I started a new job and thought it was the perfect time to change things up all over....I added a standing architects table to the corner of my studio and relocated all the work electronics there and off my standing studio table.  Now the center of my room is not work space, but back to being art space!

Slowly over the course of the last few weeks I have gotten back into creating in my space.  Physically putting my back to the two work monitors and laptop and allowing the painting, color, and playing to take center stage again.  It feels good.  I don't have room for my lightbox to take good photos, so I'll have to figure something out for that, but for now...I'll make due with phone images and letting the creative side of my brain take over and just PLAY again!!

I decided to play along with the Creative Embellishments November challenge.  The challenge is to be inspired by this image and create something...the twist is to add a quote.

For my project I decided that since I had just gotten a new travelers journal to start with my recent Lets Make Art Journaling box  would make some cover art for it.  I started with the Wooden doily chipboard piece from Creative Embellishments.  I used it as a stencil on the front; spraying four colors inspired by the image onto the page.  I then printed my quote onto white cardstock and used the same sprays to color it to match the journal.  I then added the wonderful Dandelion shape that I painted white as a play on the word "wish" in the quote.  This chipboard selection is also inspired by the image as things are flowing in the breeze.

To finish off my cover I added some gems to the doily piece and some doodling around certain places to highlight things.

here is a closeup...isn't that dandelion amazing...

I have been practicing my watercoloring every other day and took some need felting to play with on Thanksgiving.  I think the change to my space is working as I haven't created in months and it feels good...

Happy crating.....Lynda

Watercoloring is relaxing!!

So for my birthday last year I asked for only one thing...a subscription to the Lets Make Art box.  It delivers to your door four watercolor projects, complete with paint, paper, and instructions.  There are weekly paint alongs and full tutorials for each project.  I considered this the gift that would keep on giving as I would have no excuse not to paint since I would have everything I needed without having to step foot out of the house....

I shared two of my projects on this blog post...along with the paintings my daughters did with me. 

Since then I have painted this fun tree branch...I think I'm going to redo it with more fall leaf colors:

And then this weekend I worked on this piece...

I have to say that I adore Sarah's teaching style.  She's super zany and cookey, so she's perfect for me to learn from.  She constantly reminds you it's just paint and paper...don't worry.  The world needs more Sarah type influence...

I am super excited to start incorporating watercoloring into more of my projects.  I think it would be awesome to watercolor through a stencil....

If you have a chance...check out Sarah's site and take a peek at her tutorials...I think you will be inspired just like I was...

Happy crafting...Lynda

Canvas for the cat lovers in your life

I have to admit that I have ignored my blog for a bit.  The sudden sale and dismissal of the design team for Canvas Corp left me feeling a bit off balance.  I had passed on a few other teams so I could focus on creating projects that showcased their products exclusively.  I've taken some time away to work on my watercoloring skills and to just reflect on what I wanted to do next with my art.

I've been volunteering with our local cat rescue non-profit organization since our fires here in October of 2017 and I was able to put to use the skills I learned from them to assist in tracking and finally tracking a cat that had been missing for almost three weeks.  Gato the Great has been on of my proudest accomplishments; from patterning his behavior; learning about him, to having him spotted and eventually trapping him.  This past Thursday his Dad finally was able to come pick him up; reunited with his boy after almost five weeks apart.

I created this canvas as a tribute to the amazing cat and animal rescue friends that I have made in the past year and a half.  I am blessed to be part of this amazing community and could not image a more selfless group of individuals that I can truly call my friends.

This cute canvas panel is a tribute to all those that help.  It features a digital image that I printed onto watercolor paper.  I then used Gelatos to paint the colors.  I love love love how gelatos blend and can create such great depth of color.  I added some white gouache accents.  I then printed the sentiment onto the same paper and added it to the canvas using Mod Podge.  I then outlined and added some doodle lines to the sentiment.  I then used Mod Podge to seal the canvas.  This will proudly sit on my desk at work!

So thanks to this cute project I feel like I'm back in my groove.  

Happy crafting....Lynda

One more card for the coffee lovers!

It's time!!!  Love when the Coffee Lover's Blog Hop happens...having lived in Seattle for almost 18 years.....I have a good collection of coffee themed items...so I love to participate in this hop!!  So...welcome to my possible last card for the Spring/Summer Coffee Lover's Blog Hop!

For this card I used this cute freebie that was given away by Mommy Lhey:

She was printed onto watercolor paper.  I then used Prima Watercolors to give her some dimension and add the fun abstract background.  I think she's fabulous and perfect for a Thank you card with a starbucks card for a friend that has been so nice.

Happy crafting...Lynda