Watercoloring: Two Ways

Hello Crafters!  

I hadn't really planned on posting so many days in a row but I'm running out of challenge time :) 

I actually have two cards for you today. They are both watercolored and couldn't look more different. 

The first one is for the Simon Says Stamp Flickr Challenge. 

I stamped the flowers in distress ink and then used intense watercolor pencils to shade. This card is very controlled. Very clean. I'm going to be honest I think it's pretty but I don't love it. I look at other people's watercolors, how they are fluid and gorgeous. This is not that.It just seems a little too much like it would pass your mother-in-law's white glove inspection. Not my mother-in-law mind you, my mother-in-law is wonderful. ;)

While I was on my retreat I was gifted with the rare opportunity to get a few one on one lessons from truly talented people. I did manage to get one in with the outrageously brilliant Dawn Woleslagle. I'm sure she did it because she is generous and sweet and not all because I'm a stalker she was stuck with for 4 days. Really though she is every bit as kind and amazing as she seems. And I am a stalker. Admitting it is the first step. Dawn went over a few things with me and I decided to try again. 

For my second card I used the sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch for this card. I looked more at the negative space and how I wanted to mask it. 

I used Fresh Cut Florals and Distress Markers. 

I've shared my struggle with builder sets before and after lots, and lots, and lots, and "OMG will I ever stamp/paint/make something that doesn't look like my two year old made it!!" practicing I finally realized I was trying too much. Dawn does all these beautiful arrangements with her watercolors and I just can't. Using all those different flowers is just overwhelming for me. I can't make them look right. This time I decided to stick with just one flower, the rose. 

I also used a card trick for balance. Things are more attractive to our eye when they are symmetrical. Keeping that in mind I did a mirror arrangement to create a nice flow.  I stamped the flowers in full strength and second generation as recommended by Dawn. I also concentrated on leaving hard edges and loose. The key to it is for it to be random. This is a struggle for me since I'm more methodical but man it's beautiful. I also added some petals to make some flowers bigger than others.

 It's not perfect but that's what makes it amazing. I'm so grateful to Dawn for teaching me. I know it's not what others can do, but it is what I can do, and that's enough :) 

I used my MISTI to stamp the sentiment from Altenew (look I mixed companies!! What?!) by first inking with Hero Arts Raspberry Jam and stamping it off. Without cleaning my stamp I reinked with Hero Arts Bubble gum ink and stamped it down. I think it matches the cardbase pretty well, don't you?

Thanks for visiting!

Your support always means so much!!

XoXo