The Way to Use It Challenge on Splitcoaststampers celebrated it 200th week of challenges by using stars. Any kind of star could be used from star stamps, dies and even stars in the sky. I knew for sure I wanted to do a starry night scene of some kind and decided to do another Hanna Stamps sneak peek using the Lighthouse image from the new Ahoy Anna set. I love how this project turned out but it became an experiment after a few steps into the project as I messed up and kept trying to come up with ways to fix it.
I stamped the lighthouse image on the watercolor paper with Black craft ink and heat dried. I used a *dual mini tip applicator to apply small dots of Summer Sun craft ink to create stars in the sky and embossed them with clear embossing powder. I knew embossing the stars would guarantee they would show up in a dark blue sky. I took a large flat brush and applied a light layer of water all over my watercolor paper to moisten and prepare to receive the sky and ocean ink. I used a large round brush to apply a very intense mixture of Faded Jeans reinker and water. Watercolor paint or reinkers dry 50% lighter than the color is when wet and I wanted the night sky to be dark. I then added an even darker mixture of the same color to the ocean portion of the scene. All the time my blue inks were washing into my unpainted lighthouse and I kept trying to wash it away but it was a battle not be won. Note to self…..next time pop the light house up over the scene instead of in the middle of the scene and avoid this problem. The last step in laying down the main color base was an intense mixture of Vintage Photo for the sandy ground area and the last step was painting the light house a mixture of Vintage Photo and Fired Brick. I sat back and looked at the project and was disappointed and almost stopped at that point as the scene was very, very dark.
I mustered up a second wind and decided I would go ahead and try painting a yellow beam of light from the top of the lighthouse. We all know that blue and yellow mixed creates green. I did not want a green light beam and once again almost stopped. I remembered Bob (Watercolor course I’m doing) showing how a wash of orange would make a painted scene pop and decided I had nothing to loose in trying. I used a fairly intense mixture of Spiced Marmalade reinker and water and started brushing over the whole scene. With step the blue, brown and red inks moved and blended with the orange and created a really interesting scene and adding a little additional orange layer to the light beam corrected that green beam issue from before . I sort of liked it but decided I would not upload the piece to the challenge gallery or my blog but I had to try and finish seeing what the finished piece could look like. I used a Rigger brush to add sea oats to the base of the lighthouse and a small round brush to add white craft ink to the water to create the rolling waves behind the lighthouse. I was sort of pleased with these additional steps. I wondered how the white caps would look embossed with clear embossing powder. Note 2 to self….be very sure your scene ink is totally dry before trying to emboss craft ink or the powder will stick to every little damp place. I embossed and had embossing powder stick to over half the picture. Grrrrrrrrr. I figured the one way to fix this problem was to sponge the versa pad directly on the whole scene and to emboss the whole scene with clear embossing powder. This step created a scene that looked almost like an oil painting. I picked up my little “comedy of errors” and took it out to show Bob and he loved it. What?????? He loved it and definitely thought I should finish it into a framed card and upload it. So, I used two Nestabilities dies to create the frame and mounted with mounting tape and finished the piece by adding the multi loop grosgrain bow.
So, What do you think? Please leave a comment with your honest opinion, good or bad, and you will be entered into a drawing for a brand new unmounted Stampin’ Up! set – Boho Backgrounds. Any comment placed before
5:00 a.m.
Monday will be entered into the drawing and I will post the winner in my Monday post. Remember, honesty is always the best policy!
Below see a picture of the mini tip applicator and here is a link to the mini tip applicator. They are an extremely useful tool for creating small images and for sponging color into small areas.
Stamps: Hanna Stamp- Ahoy Hanna
Paper: So Saffron, Arthchoke, Watercolor
Ink: Black Craft, White Craft, Distress Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick, Faded Jeans, Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint, Adirondack Lemonade, Summer Sun Craft
Accessories: Grosgrain, Mini Tip Applicator, Brushes-small and large round, large flat, rigger, Clear Embossing Powder
This card is just proof that mistakes lead to creative opportunities that pop!
what a great card love everything about it
Hugs
Norine
If this is a mistake, then I want to make mistakes just like you! It is a Kittie Spectacular scene. I love it – look at those waves! You are a true artist, Kittie!
I think the card is beautiful. Just love the lighthouse.
I think it looks great, and that you did a great job. I love all of your work and follow your blog and you have taught me so much and given me the courage to try new stuff. Thank You Ever So Much.
Sharon W.
OH Kittie! I am so glad you finished this and shared it. When I first saw it I thought it was GORGEOUS. In fact, even though I was just doing a quick glimpse of my emails I had to read how you created it before I get to work. Then I had to leave my message to tell how truly beautiful it is. My mother’s favorite painter/teacher would call this a “happy, little accident”.
Well, I have to agree with Bob…this is fabulous! I absolutely LOVE the rolling waves. You are so talented!
Kittie, it’s beautiful, I agree with Bob (and please don’t enter me into the blog candy, I have way too many stamps as it is . . . LOL). Your scenes always thrill me and this is no exception! Your frame is awesome, so gorgeous!
your mistakes always turn out to be a thing of beauty. keep making them. 8-}
love the card!
Perfect Kittie, love the waves!!
Kittie, you crack me up — you should have NO doubt that this card is terrific! You’re amazing.
(If I win, pick another winner — I have this set 😀 I just wanted to tell you how much I loved the card!)
You are a true artist Kittie. No one would begin to know the problems you had because the card is just beautiful. I know you had some problem putting in the light beam but this makes the picture so realistic. You said next time you would pop the lighthouse to avoid some of the problems. Maybe that would also give more dimension to the card because the waves look so realistic and might appear more behind the lighthouse. I love the cardstock colors and ribbon you chose to finish off the card. As always, another beautiful piece of art.
This is drop-dead gorgeous. I love what you did. The colors are just magnificent. I visit your website often to see what you are doing because you are one great artist.
Since I don’t have much experience with watercolors (read none) I can’t critique, but to me it looks really great and I clicked and viewed it close up. You have a talent for creating what I will call “rustic” scenes which I love. tfs
Wow…………This card is totally beautiful. Love it. Amazing how sometimes the little mistakes turn into a great thing. I enjoy your blog and look forward to all your creations. Oh ……. to be so talented.
Kitty, any card you make would be outstanding. I always love the little extra touches you add that make your work so different. Thanks for offering the Boho Backgrounds set. That’s one I don’t have. Keep making those “mistakes” that inspire all of us.
Well I love it. It’s very interesting to read all the steps you took to acheive this. I never would have thought “orange”!
The card is just breathtakingly beautiful.
All of your blending and knowledge of colors is just pure genius.
Bob gets a 5 star rating on his wonderful perception and keep appreciation of your true talent.
Kittie, I do not see anything wrong with this beatiful card it just really catches my eye.Thank you so much for always being so kind and shareing with us.
Dianne
I think it’s beautiful and deserves being framed!
I think it’s absolutely beautiful — you’re another Thomas Kinkade!!
This is just wonderful Kittie! I love the stars and the foamy water on this – super ribbon too!
Kittie – It looks great! I have a photographer friend who told me to never point out my “mistakes” and no one else would probably ever notice. I think he’s right!
WOW! WOW! WOW! enough said!!
I love the colors and the depth. I would be happy to create anything half as beautiful.
I think it came out really neat. The “orange” beam is kind of haunting. I’ve just found your blog, and if that’s the way you make mistakes, I’d better be prepared to have my jaw fall through the floor for the “good” stuff!
A beautiful creation! Absolutely gorgeous!
Please don’t pick me for the blog candy. I just had to leave a comment to let you know I love your card!
I loved your card. I check your blog everyday to see your beautiful cards.
You are so talented,. Thanks for explaining
step by step how you create the cards.
I love lighthouses. Smetimes the things we see as mistakes turn out to be blessings. I think it’s beautiful!
I gotta agree with Bob on this.
You put a lot of work into each card – they truly are works of art.
This one looks like a very upset sky – I’m not sure I’d want to be out on a night like that!
Kittie, I love the card period! Give someone else the goodies, just send me the card. I totally agree with Bob 100%. It’s not awful, it’s not a comedy of errors, it’s just plain and simple AWESOME!!!!
very cool, I will have to say what I like the most is the white caps in the waves! Reminds me of swimming in lake michigan when the waves are really big!
Wow what an amazing card and eading your post – Awesome!
oh but I love how it turned out. Its funny how a mistake can turn something awesome
Kittie…you are a wonderful artist and they didn’t even appear to be stamped to me. I really enjoy your beautiful work and your blog of words…thanks for sharing your talents with soooo many!
Kittie, you always do such breathe taking work. This piece is not exception. You inspire us all! Your creativeness & talent is out of this world.
Kittie I don’t think you could ever make a bad card. I think it turned out.