This is my second post for today! You can find the start of my unicorn obsession by scrolling down or clicking here! 😉
Good afternoon! It’s Anything Goes week over at Christmas Card Challenges and I can’t wait to show you my cards today! 🙂 I made two versions of the same card: one uses watercoloring with zig clean color real brush markers and one uses no-line distress ink watercoloring.
I love these sets from The Greeting Farm! They make some adorably cute critters and this mug holding bear is one of my new favorites! So first up, no-line watercoloring with distress inks!
To create my backgrounds I masked off the bottom of a piece of watercolor paper and then did a watercolor wash using my Gansai Tambi watercolors. I let that dry and then stamped the trees in dark grey ink to create some interest in my scene. Then I flicked white paint across the panel to create snow. I removed the masks and used more watercolor paint to create shadows and depth in the snow. Once that dried I stamped the sentiment and heat-embossed it with silver embossing powder.
Next it was time to work on my bear! I stamped him in hickory smoke ink on a piece of scrap paper and then stamped him again on watercolor paper to get a lighter impression. Next I smooshed hickory smoke distress ink onto an acrylic block and painted my bear. I painted the lines of the bear first, making them darker and then pulled the color across the rest of the bear. While it was still wet I added a little more paint to darken the shadowed areas. I let that dry and then painted his scarf in shaded lilac, the coffee mug in antique linen, the coffee in ground espresso, and his nose and ears with worn lipstick. I used just a touch of worn lipstick in his scarf to pick up some of the colors in the background night sky. Finally I added spectrum noir clear sparkle to his scarf, glossy accents to his coffee mug, and mounted him to the card with foam mounting tape.
For my second bear I stamped him onto watercolor paper with versafine and heat-embossed him with clear embossing powder. I outlined him with a zig clean color real brush marker in gray brown and then pulled the color across the bear with a waterbrush. His scarf is colored with deep violet, his mug with brick beige, his coffee with brown, and his nose and ears with light carmine. Like the first card I added glossy accents to his coffee and spectrum noir clear sparkle to his scarf before mounting him to the card panel with foam mounting tape.
I am really happy with how both cards turned out…but I think I’m most excited that I kinda prefer the no-line distress ink watercolored bear which is totally new for me since I am usually less than pleased with my attempts at no-line watercoloring! I feel like I was able to achieve shadows and depth more easily with my distress inks than my zigs!! CRAZY! I know I’ve still got a long way to go but I finally feel like there might be light at the end of the tunnel! 😉
And now it’s your turn to get crafty! For even more inspiration, check out what the rest of the Christmas Card Challenges design team has created!
Thanks so much for visiting and have a fantastic day!
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Gorgeous night skies on both cards. And I like both bears…which, by the way, are adorable. The noline watercoloring makes him look softer and cuddlier, that’s the only difference I see. I think you’ve mastered the technique.
Hi Jess, so cute! I like them both, they really have such different looks. Your skys are always beautiful. I have that lovely as a tree set, I love it! TFSAI.
Jess, both cards are incredible!!! Love the night sky! And that bear is adorable!