Hello friends of Doodlebugs! My name is Michele Ferguson, and I am so very happy to be joining the very creative Toni, and Mayra as the newest member of the Doodlebugs Design Team - thank you, so very much for the invitation, Cathy!
I have been creating cards and blah, blah, blogging about them for years at I Card Everyone! It all began because I needed a place to use my words - and found a home for them in the form of card sentiments. I actually used to type my inside and outside sentiments in WORD and print them out! Then I discovered the world of stamps - the rest is history - as I'm sure you ALL can relate!
I'll be your Gal Friday here on the blog and will focus on florals and all the ways I love to color them! There are florals galore at Doodlebugs! Try doing a product search at the shop and you'll find 10 pages of them - so let's get started, shall we?
I've chosen a lovely floral from Altenew: Paeonia Japonica from their Paint-a-Flower collection of outline stamps for my premier. The gorgeous blooms were simply stamped on watercolor card with Versafine Tuxedo Black, then clear heat embossed, and water colored with Distress Inks using these colors:
I simply smoosh each of the inks onto an acrylic clipboard, add
a little clear water and paint very loosely in several layers, drying between layers helps - nothing very technical about my water-coloring style! I look for the
natural shadows for the darkest tones and leave highlights using very watered-down shades. Remember to leave a bit of white for this loose look.
Because the Paint-a-Flower sets don't have coordinating dies, I very carefully fussy-cut a few of the leaves with a craft knife keeping in mind that, this time, I want to preserve the background created with lots of water mixed with the leftover paints on my palette and splattered with a paintbrush.
Popping those cut leaves up with foam tape gives a one-layered card just a bit more interest - adding a simple sentiment [this one from Altenew's Fashion Monger Dahlia set] to a tiny tag tied with black quilting thread adds a playful touch, don't you think?
I'm looking so forward to sharing my florals with you each week! Until next time - I hope you take time to get crafty and share your florals with us at our Doodlebugs Community on Facebook, and on Instagram @doodlebugswa and tag me too, please @mfergu01 - I'd love to see what you're creating! Thanks!
=] Michele
Links to products used or recommended are listed below:
Congratulations, Michele! How exciting! And your first card on the team is a beauty. Thank you for sharing how you watercolor and bravo on an excellent fussy cut! Enjoy your new adventure, looking forward to seeing your next installment! :)
ReplyDeleteYAY for Fridays and Michele!! Congrats my friend on your new gig, and you've started out with a bang! Your card is absolutely BEAUTIFUL, and I love the water colored look! And awesome fussy cutting skills too! AND your sweet little tag with the black string! It all adds up to perfection! Looking forward to next Friday already!! Hugs. :0)
ReplyDeleteThis so rich with color and is nothing short of lovely! As you know, I am intimidated with florals so I really look forward to this fun Friday gig you've got. Yay all over!!
ReplyDeleteSomething to look forward to every Friday...what a delight. As is this inaugural post and this gorgeous Japonica. Love that you've used the loose water coloring style and that sweet, tied tag. This is going to be a fun venture.
ReplyDeleteYour debut card is marvelous, Michele! Love the olive greens, plum purples and all those little speckles. Looking forward to your Gal Friday posts ~ CONGRATS!!
ReplyDeleteYour loose water coloring is like no one else's -- fabulous, Girl!
ReplyDeleteSo very pretty, just as we knew it would be! Loose watercoloring is my favorite!
ReplyDeleteYay! We can look forward to one of your awesome projects every week! You have colored these flowers beautifully! The light wash sets them off and the added leaves give wonderful depth! Love these purple flowers, my friend!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, my friend. So happy for you. This one is such a beauty. Your watercoloring is so wonderful as usual and I just love that tiny tag.
ReplyDeleteYay Michele, gorgeous card!
ReplyDeleteJust as I suspected, your card is gorgeous Michele! You have colored these gorgeous blooms and leaves beautifully. I love how you popped up some of the leaves after cutting them lose. Give this one layer card dimension! Congrats again my friend, this DT is lucky to have such talent as yours! Hugs, Brenda
ReplyDeleteBeautiful stamped flowers, love the loose water colouring and the tiny tag x. Many congratulations Michele on joining the design team and you are off to a flying start x.
ReplyDelete