... realize Card

I’ve been intimidated by this stamp kit, but I thought I’d give it a try anyways! I cut down a piece of Arches cold pressed watercolor paper and stamped the image from Unity’s ...realize kit using Distress Antique Linen ink.

I used my Schmincke’s watercolors on this and took artistic license with the image (note her hands are positioned in front on mine). Partly error and partly how everything flowed. I also made a rockier coastline, added my own clouds and birds are moved around. A techniques I tried on this one is scraping with a palette knife while wet (parts of the sea... leaves dark and white impressions in the paper depending how wet the paper is when you do it). I’m still learning and playing with watercolors but I think the painting turned out fairly okay. After I finished I also took some pencils and added texture and color and used pens for added definition. (UPDATE: added details shots per request).

To put the card together I found a wood grain patterned paper and cut down my own “frame” around the painting. To do this I cut the 2 longest horizontal pieced edges identically, the right size, with right angles at each end and lined up the other two pieces underneath those two. Then I glued them all together and trimmed the vertical pieced edges. To make sure my picture stood out, I decided to use a square card base. I found another watercolor looking striped paper I could use underneath and another darker blue paper I could use as the foundation and to back the sentiment.  To finish the already busy card, I just added cream twine at the top. 

This stamp set really has a beautiful image and is the result of Phyllis Harris’s work. Her stamps are usually children, but I think, with how I painted this, it doesn’t have to be interpreted that way. Hope you like this one. Be back soon with another card I worked on at the same time as this one! Till then, happy crafting!