A unique use of a layering stamp set and die - Stencilled Triad Tree Card

One of my favourite things is to find unique ways to use my supplies.  The more looks I can get from one stamp set, the better!  

For this card, I used the Snapdragon Build-a-Flower layering stamp set and dies to create a stencilled triad tree.

I'm going to tell you how I did it, but first - have you ever heard of triad trees?  It's a really simple but beautiful way to create watercolour trees.  Here's an example I made using basic red, yellow, and blue a while back:

Basic Steps for a Triad Tree:

1. Choose three colours of watercolour paint.  Usually, the three primary colours are used but the process can work with other combinations, too.
2. Splatter the three colours onto watercolour paper.  
3. Spritz the paper with water, allowing the colours to mix, concentrating the spray toward the centre of your "tree".  This will sort of create an amorphous shape with variegated colour.  
4. Once dry, paint or draw a tree trunk, positioning it wherever you think the "foliage" looks best.

This time, I used a variation of this technique alongside some inspiration from the Altenew Academy course, Celebration Stencil Techniques with Laurel Beard.

Here's how I made this stencilled triad tree card:

1.  First, I used two 'stem' stamps from the Snapdragon set to create the tree trunks.  I stamped the upper-stem pieces first, and then extended the base of the trunks with the lower-stem stamp.

2.  I then die-cut the two main flower dies from a piece of cardstock to create a DIY stencil!  I love this idea from Laurel.  (To create a differently-shaped third tree, I just used the stencil upside-down.

3.  I positioned each stencil space over the corresponding 'tree trunk' and splatter-painted overtop.  Keeping the stencil in place, I then misted the splatter-painted area, allowing the paint to spread and mix.

4. I used three colours -- a cool red, a cool green, and a bright-ish blue -- and once dry, I added a few additional splatters just to balance out the colours.

4.  After cutting down my watercolour panel, I realized the trees needing 'grounding' so they wouldn't look like they were floating in space.  I used some painter's tape to mask off a straight 'horizon' line and painted the bottom of the panel green.  It also needed a little something in the upper portion, so I used the lower-stem stamp to create 'corners'.

5.  I stamped a sentiment from the Paint-a-Flower Poppy set in black and then embossed it with clear embossing powder to give it some shine and dimension. 

6.  I then wrapped the panel with twine and mounted the whole panel onto a kraft cardstock notecard.

I think this technique could really open up the possibilities of a person's stamp-and-die collection.  The Build-a-Flower sets would be great for this, because many different stems and flower dies could be used to create an array of trees and shrubs.

Thanks for stopping by! 

😊Teri

A Field of Wildflowers from a Repurposed Snapdragon Stamp Set

This is a card design that's been brewing in my head for ages.  Like, A-G-E-S.

The loose lines of the various layers in the Build-A-Flower Snapdragon Layering stamp set from Altenew have sort of an impressionistic vibe, and when I first bought this set a couple of years ago, I imagined using the smaller stamps and the tops of the larger ones to create the illusion of depth in a field of wildflowers.

When I took the Altenew Academy course called Seasonal Scene Building, taught by Nichol Magouirk, this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  Inspired by one of her lessons in which she creates a framed scene, I set out to create the look of a meadow as seen through a 'window' of sorts.

Here's how I did it:

I started by wetting a piece of watercolour paper all over, and then putting down a light wash of yellow watercolour from the bottom-up, followed by a light wash of sky blue from the top-down.  I added water and pigment as necessary until I achieved a soft gradation.

Then, using Antique Linen distress ink, I used the more solid of the flower stamps to place a light indication of where the flowers would be.  Because I used this pale, warm ink, it easily blended into the inks I layered on top and muting the colours (as would naturally happen when looking at a distant point in a field - the colours diffuse at the further points but maintain their intensity at the closer points).

I started with my lightest purple ink and stamped randomly in the upper portions of the horizon line and down toward the middle of the foreground.  I did this with a couple of the different solid stamps to get a bit of variation in the shapes.

I then did the same with my next-lightest shade of purple, beginning slightly lower down and continuing to fill in the foreground.  I repeated this with another two darker shades of purple, and then went in with some peach and pink inks to add a bit of additional depth and dimension.  I saved the line stamps for last, using them to indicate shadows.

I then went around and dabbed on some muted green watercolour paint in the places where I could still see the yellow background to help fill everything in.  

Once I had built up enough layers -- just enough for it to look right, but I don't know how many, precisely -- I added some splatter with white, black, green, and blue shimmery watercolour to compliment the other colours and add to the loose, artistic feel.

For the frame, I cut a rectangle of heavy white cardstock and added score-lines at 1/4" intervals to give the indication of boards.  I'm really glad that I went with a plain white frame instead of the woodgrain one I tried originally, as I think it anchors the busy card panel.

I cut the banner from the edge of the cut-down card panel and stamped a sentiment from the Altenew Statement Flowers stamp set, added a few little sparkly things, and that was that!

Overall, I'm really happy with how this turned out!  I have to thank Nichol, the instructor, for the inspiration and confidence to finally get this design out of my head!

Thanks for dropping by!

😊Teri

"You Inspire Me" card using Label Love and Build-a-Flower Gardenia

Hi there, and welcome to my brand-new blog!

I'm so excited to be posting my first project for the Altenew Educator Certification Program!  

I chose to start with All About Layering 1, a ten-part (free!) class taught by Nicole Picadura.  Nicole's tutorials are easy to follow and she has some great suggestions for lining up tricky layered stamps.  As I practiced her techniques, I discovered that focusing on a couple of 'nooks and crannies' in the stamp, as Kathy Racoosin might call them, helped me to line up the layers.  These are the inner angles of the V-shapes in the stamp, and they were different for each layer, so I was careful to frequently refer to the colour guide on the back of the stamp set.  

My project for this class features the Build-a-Flower Gardenia and Label Love stamp sets from Altenew.  (PS: Those aren't affiliate links.  I just shared them for your convenience).

Here are the steps I took to create this card:

First, I stamped the flower outline twice, rotating the stamp so it wouldn't look repetitive and overhanging the edge of the panel.  I also stamped the outline on a separate piece of cardstock for the focal flower.

Next, I added the layers of aqua and teal.  I was very careful to study each layer stamp because I wanted to make sure I lined up those layers perfectly.

Since this class focuses on fundamental skills, I decided I should stamp by hand.  With an acrylic block.  Without my MISTI.  So, the next thing I learned is that my hands shake when I'm concentrating.

Thus, the next step was to start again. 😂

It took a couple of tries, but I'm glad I decided to complete the card without my stamp-positioning tool.  It forced me to study the stamp in more detail than I might have otherwise.  Sometimes I find that a back-to-basics approach like this helps me to get out of my 'autopilot' habits, allowing me to learn more in the process.

Once I had the four layers stamped, I started on the leaves.  Here, I didn't have the right green, so I experimented with various teals until I found a shade that would combine with the underlying muted lime ink to create the right shade of green.  In the process, I found that stamping the veins first allowed me to line things up more effectively since there was no outer line to follow.

After die-cutting the flower, I cut apart the leaves and arranged them in a visual triangle, then adhered the layers to the stamped panel, adding a couple of layers of scrap cardstock under the stamped images for a bit of dimension.  I then splattered on some metallic watercolour paint before stamping the sentiment and popping it up for added dimension.  I used the same lime-and-teal combo to match the shade of green on the leaves.

I then adhered some fun-foam to the panel before adding it to the front of a heavy white card base.  The finishing touch was adding some gems from Studio Katia's Mermaid mix.

And that's it! I learned so much from this course and process, and I'm pleased with how this card turned out...though next time, I'll probably use my MISTI. 😂

Happy crafting!

💕Teri