Friends of Unity Blog Hop - Watercolor

Hi everyone!!! 

It is my favorite day of the month - time for another Friends of Unity Blog Hop! 

Thanks  to Crystal who kicked things off again this month, and for putting in so much work keeping our  Hop flowing and seamless! You rock! (If you missed this girl's designs this month you REALLY need to check out her Blog! Go here!) 

I have been working like a busy bee over here, because normally winter has begun here - snow usually arrives by Halloween for sure... and it stays! But this year, Mother Nature has been kind, and blessed us with a leisurely long stroll of Fall ... I am NOT complaining! Gorgeous weather, no snow and freezing temps - Yes please! Otherwise I hibernate just like a bear ;) It's my time to craft away and create!

This month we have a fun cue to inspire you - I have to say, I think it's our best one yet - Watercolor! 

I used to be soooo intimidated by watercolor, and I still am - to me, it seems like  the quintessential true "artist" technique! I am always SO inspired by Angie Blom, Donna Baes and our very own Bobbie Sue McConathy (OMgeee - is she not freakin amazing or what?!)  I strive to do a "Bobbie Sue" when I watercolor! She rocks! 

I have a few projects for you this month (what can I say - I was super pumped about this cue, and practice does make perfect!)

 Here's what I created first ;) 

I have loved this stamp from Unity from the moment I saw it, it is called Girl In a Garden and I don't know why I waited so long to add it to my stash, but now that I have it, I have inked it up alot! 

A full disclosure here - I totally CASE'd a card by Donna Baes - I am not kidding when I say she inspires me.

 I give you the best advice that was given to be - using the right paper makes ALL the difference. Watercolor papers are all so different -  I have so many kinds - but I find Canson 140lb works so well (and it is inexpensive as far as watercolor papers go!) But YOU do YOU! Try everything!

This card was stamped on Canson heavy watercolor paper (with Stazon ink)  I have Zig Real Brush markers that I love to bits, and I just used an Aqua painter to blend a little. 

It really is THAT simple! 

Up next, this watercolor card was even EASIER (if that's possible) Good ol INK SMOOSHING! 

Unity has so many great stamps for watercolor it was a wee bit insane to try and choose, but I settled on Beautiful Things Change, designed by Lisa Arana. Friends - if you don't have this in your crafty stash - GET IT, GIRL! It has great encouraging sentiments, and even if you don't use them  - those tree images are perfection for a simple, quick and easy card! (I know you are TOTALLY going to use those sentiments!) 

But back to ink smooshing... ;) 

Unity has been great in the Show&Tell Dept giving us videos to watch and I loved this technique - I added my Zigs to an acrylic block (just scribbled a bit - really!) I misted it with water and just set the watercolor paper down gently on the puddle... a little lift and twist - and would you look at that happy accident ;) 

That was the "SMOOSH" - I just dabbed a bit of water here and there with the Aqua painter on the ink blot to give it some more movement in the color. 

The sentiment and tree trunk are stamped using Stazon - it was done after everything was really dry. Waiting was the hardest part lol. 

A bit of "flicking" with the black Zig marker added just a bit more to the background. 

That's a simple layer of patterned vellum with distressed edges, hanging out behind that torn watercolor layer.

Up next, I had sooo much fun inking up and coloring this sweet little stamp I used!

Do you see the theme/pattern I have going with my projects this month? ;) I was going to make something with all 4 seasons, but Christmas/Winter is coming soon! (eek!) So here is card # 1, using Winter Birdie Swag. Isn't he just adorbs?) 

I love the sweet sentiments included with that kit, but I needed something a bit more "Christmassy" ... so the sentiment you see is actually from a Winnie the Pooh set called Merriest Time. 

I had a wee scrap of that patterned vellum left from my earlier card and I couldn't let it go to waste. Combined with that festive pattern paper I can't wait to pop this in the mail and brighten someone's day. 

Finally  - the last card for this month's cue ..... 

This card is filled to the brim with sparkle - I wish you could see it! I went in with a Wink of Stella on the petals of that perfect poinsettia from the sentiment kit called Poinsettia With Love. Lisa Arana designed this one too - and it's filled to the brim with perfect choices for year round card designs! 

I watercolored this design and then masked it to add all that spray background with Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain in Speckled Egg and a bit of  Oxide Iced Spruce. I texturized the watercolor panel (love how it turned out!) and then layered a sentiment from an itty bitty called Snowman Season because I wanted to show off as much of that gorg flower as I could. I even added a bit of crystal effects to the berries and the centre of the flower. Done! 

Did I go a little nuts again this month?? LOL 

I couldn't resist - Unity has so many stamps that are just calling out to be watercolored. I still have a couple on the way from the recent sale - so I can't wait to play with them once they arrive and the weather turns to... you know! 

Thanks for stopping by, and up next is Alaine! 

Peace, Love n Ink

Amber