Cartoon Farm Scene with a Distressed Twist

The Ways To Use It Challenge on Splitcoaststampers today is to use Stazon.  Stazon is a permanent solvent ink that can be used on almost anything.  It is perfect for watercoloring as it will not run.  I use either Stazon or Brilliance Black Graphite ink for watercoloring depending on the type of stamp I use.  Stazon is perfect for red rubber stamps but does not seem to like the polymer or clear stamps.  Brilliance works great with those.

I dug around in my stamp stash to find something I haven’t played with before.  I found a barn, sheep and cow that I purchased from Gina K Designs quite a long while ago and that had not been cut out.  Poor babies were screaming to be put in a barn yard scene so I happily obliged them. I stamped the sheep and cow, masked the cow and then stamped the barn. The barn image was so perfect.  All the lines were so straight and perfect and I had to fix that before I went any further to create the scene.  We all know that barns are weather worn and there are no perfect boards on them. I used a waterproof artist pen and added lines, roughing up the boards a little and adding small nail or knot holes around. The silo was so perfect sitting next to the roughed up barn that I had to add some wear to it with my pen as well.  While I had the pen out I sketched out the tree trunks, ever green trees, and the fence line.  I painted all the images with Adirondack Dye reinkers and then started sponging on brown path and green grassy area with a large dauber. I finally pulled out my trusty Watercolor Minis Fern stamp and created the leaves for the trees and ground texture.  Poor little fern stamp had been sitting unused in my drawer since early fall.  By the way, I just bought a back up set of WC Minis from Jan Tink. Anyone want the other stamps in the set? The first person to write a response asking for the set "minus the fern" will receive it. I used a dry brush to add some Caramel ink to the silo to create the look of rust and age.  I sponged on a yellow ink around the sky to make the hillside and trees pop.  The card was basically compete but it was just so cartoony. Ahhh….I decided to age the picture, cartoony or not.  I pulled out my brand new bottle of Inkssentials Sepia Accents and decided to try adding it to the scene. I didn’t really follow the rules as I just smeared it all over the whole scene with my finger but I really liked the look. I decided to layer the image with brown cardstock and decided to distress it with Vintage ink and then sprayed the edges with water and worked them with my paper tool.  Sherry (Badsherry) told me water really helps to distress paper but I’m not sure if I got everything in the right order.  I like the look and decided I needed to distress the main image as well.  I then used Peeled Paint Distress ink on the Olive layer.  I looked through all my ribbon and finally decided on a wonderful dark green gingham that just seemed perfect for the strange and delightfully distressed cartoony scene. I really loved creating this scene.  I am never happier than when I am trying to make a silk purse out of a sal’s ear.  Oops…there is no sal in this scene.  I know…I need to quit.

The card size is 5 1/4" x 5 1/4".

Stamps:  Gina K Designs-Barn, Cow, Sheep, Watercolor Minis, Itty Bitty Background

Paper:  Olive, Brown, Watercolor

Ink:  Stazon, Adirondack Dye Inks and Reinkers, Distress Inks

Accessories:  Artist Pen, Dauber, Sponges, Brushes, Crackle Accents, Gingham, Distressing Tool, Corner Punch,