Hi, friends! It's a new week and I hope I'll have more than one Christmas card to share. I took the time to watercolor this one -- Power Poppy's Glistening Paperwhites. This arrangement of paperwhites with juniper and eucalyptus was the perfect colors and shape for the one leftover part from when I made this set of cards. My leftover part is the filigree mat which I'd cut in Sage Shadow (retired SU!). I made it prettier by smooshing it all over with Versamark ink and embossing with iridescent embossing powder. Now it's all sparkly!
I stamped the image on 140 lb watercolor paper with Ranger Archival Shadow Grey ink and watercolored with Tombow Markers. Only seven markers were required, whereas I probably would have used a bazillion Copics. That always amazes me. Speaking of Copics, I did use some warm grays to shadow around the image after watercoloring. Why Copics? Well... they won't run the water-based ink, so I was able to get into all those small spaces without making a mess of my finished painting. Ordinarily I'll do the shadowing first and then color the image, but I forgot this time.
After the watercoloring was complete I added a little shimmer to the blooms with silver Gansai Tambi paint, then splattered the panel with gold.
When I was painting my paperwhites I got to thinking I was making them too blue, so I did a Google search of watercolored paperwhites and found quite a variety of interpretations. So I say don't doubt yourself, just color and enjoy. Each painting is an individual work. Heaven forbid they should all look the same, right?
More info in the recipe below. Have a good day!
Stamps: Power Poppy Glistening Paperwhites Paper: 140 lb Arches hot press watercolor paper, retired SU! Sage Shadow, Shimmery White card base Ink: Ranger Archival Shadow Grey, Versamark for sentiment, Tombow markers for watercoloring Other coloring: Gansai Tambi silver and gold watercolor paints Accessories: Embossing Arts Iridescent Peacock embossing powder, Spellbinders Devine Eleoquence and Labels Twenty-Eight
I find your paperwhites simply lovely! I'm always impressed with your coloring skills and just look at all that wonderful embossing!
ReplyDeleteOh my this is beautiful! Your painting is superb! Fabulous colours and I hope whoever gets this one frames it! Sheer perfection Leslie!
ReplyDeleteLeslie, this is just gorgeous! The softness of the greenery is amazing against those pretty white paperwhites! Beautifully sparkly frame too!
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful Leslie and I love the color! Your highlighting on the berries is perfect! You are such an artist when it comes to coloring these images! BEAUTIFUL job my friend!
ReplyDeleteLeslie, your paper whites are exquisite! I love the berries and colors you used to show them off. You are a very special artist.
ReplyDeletewhite on white is really hard to do. You did a beautiful job with it. Lovely card. Have a great day
ReplyDeleteBeautifully colored paperwhites arrangement Leslie. I love your sage shadow heat embossed filigree frame and your added glitter and splatters on your main image. You normally do your shading before coloring your images? I have never tried that...Thanks for the tip and your detailed description my friend. Happy Holidays, Nancy
ReplyDeleteThis is so beautiful . The die background is perfect for the lovely watercolored paperwhites.
ReplyDeleteLeslie, this is absolutely gorgeous. Everything you do is gorgeous, and this is no exception. Sage Shadow is such a nice green; I wish they'd bring it back. I'll have to put that in the suggestion box. :-) I hope you, Rich and Wally & Lulu have a marvelous, Blessed Christmas. Hugs
ReplyDeleteSoft gorgeous blooms Leslie! Oh girl you can watercolor like no one else. This is fabulous. I like the softness of the colors and the sparkle is PERFECT. Just gorgeous! When it comes to paper and coloring I figure it can be whatever color you want anymore. hee hee I am a rebel! ;-)
ReplyDeleteoh so lovely Leslie! Now you have me wanting to make my frames all glittery! I love inking and embossing powdering things but need to do some frames! lol
ReplyDeleteI love the glittery frame! One of the many things I need to remember to do:) Your image is beautiful and so is your coloring of it. What a fabulous card. I love the gold, too.
ReplyDeleteYour paper whites are just beautiful, Miss Leslie! Gorgeously designed card with magical winter colors, and that sentiment is really amazing! Such loveliness. Wishing you well this week! love, de
ReplyDeleteA beauty of a card, Leslie! So peaceful and serene! Your watercoloring is perfect for the image. Love the colors and shading with your pretty and sparkly Sage Shadow mat!
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty card! I love that die especially with the embossing powder. Your colors are so soft and definitely easy on the eyes! Great job!
ReplyDeleteOh Wow this is absolutely Gorgeous, all the details you put into this is just amazing and brings the bouquet to life. Love the splattering and shimmer you added! Your framing of them is just a wonderful way to top it all off!!
ReplyDeleteYou are without a doubt the queen of coloring flowers . NOBODY can color them the way you do and bring them to life . Love the frame!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous!!! The paper whites are perfection...I just saw some in a store yesterday and thought of you! I saw this first on my Kindle Fire, but never comment on that for some reason, passwords I guess...lol...anyhow these are amazing and I love the pretty frame too
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! Leslie this is absolutely gorgeous! Your soft palette of colour makes your paperwhites come to life. You are the queen of watercolouring. Love the gold splatter and the glittery embossed frame - wow!
ReplyDeleteWow that's gorgeous Leslie! Interesting you shadow first. Would love to see a photo of that sometime. I do that last but then I'm shadow challenged! You're right about just having fun coloring! Only a snob would point out the flowers were too blue or whatever! I showed a colored pansy once and this woman said I had it upside down. I told her the wind blew it over!! She was being nice actually.
ReplyDeleteOh, Leslie! I am SO IN LOVE with this card! Your paperwhites are stunning with the juniper and eucalyptus! Your coloring is out of this world, and I am so impressed with your shading. And the frame is amazing! I also love Sage Shadow and have about ten sheets left (and wish they would bring it back...ha!). But the iridescent embossing is brilliant and really works so beautifully! Amazing! Hugs, sweet friend! xoxo
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