Saturday, January 21, 2017

CAS Watercolor for January

I love to watercolor so I don't know why I was having so much trouble with it the other day.  I did end up with a card for the CAS Watercolor Challenge but I'm not too happy with it.
This is actually the third try and since the deadline is nearing I'm going to enter it anyway.  I was glad to see that Tim Holtz has come out with distressed snowflake stamps because these SSS ones look like they're in distress to me.  Maybe it was a heavy hand with my Dr. Ph Martin watercolors which I rarely use but pulled out for the CAS Mix-up Challenge. Maybe is was not enough embossing powder.

While I was typing this I decided to show you the other two.  I can probably salvage them to make cards but it will take some creative thinking.
I love the background on the left but you can see that large snowflake didn't emboss well.  On the right I left the stamp in my MISTI, stamped and embossed again but it looks blotchy.  Let's hope February's challenge goes much better.


Thanks for dropping by and have a great weekend.


9 comments:

Happy Dance said...

My artistic endeavors are limited to stick people. I can't paint, draw, sculpt, or any kind of artsy thing whatsoever. I always feel lucky when a watercolored card works fairly decently; mostly I sploosh on paint and die cut... Anyhoo... Your first card looks pretty. I like it. The snowflakes have an 'extra cold' element to them is all. And I don't think you'll have any trouble salvaging the bottom two. Bev

Bonnie said...

I've had trouble with embossing too, Bobby! I was wondering if my embossing powder had gone bad. The first card turned out great and I think you can salvage some of the other 2 backgrounds. Maybe some die cut snowflakes? Thanks so much for sharing with us at CAS Watercolour!

Lisa Elton said...

They all looks extra frosty with all of the flakes and icy blues! Watercolors and I don't get along well either. I do the smooshing thing pretty well though LOL!!

Loll said...

I have trouble heat embossing on watercolour paper. It take so many stampings to get enough coverage for the powders to stick evenly. I tend to stamp at least three times with versamark before adding the powder. It helps, but it doesn't always work.

The card is pretty and I think you are being too hard on yourself. And you could always cut down the other panels to create a smaller piece around the snowflakes you are happy with. Look at me with all this advice. :) When things don't work for me, I usually throw it away. I know, it's terrible. But if it's really frustrating me, then it's worth me chucking it and going on to something new. :) I'm glad you stuck with it and ended up with one that you're happy with. Thanks for sharing with us at CAS Watercolour, Bobby! xx

nancy littrell said...

I like your frosty snowflake card too Bobby. Since getting my MISTI I seem to have perfect heat embossing images and sentiments everytime....because I can stamp and stamp again my image with either Versamark or a colored pigment ink. It seems like my issues were always with not getting enough pigment ink on my images, esp. when using watercolor paper. If you do not have a MISTI, then a stamp-a-ma-jig or other repositioner would work. TFS your card with us at CAS Mix Up. I think you can salvage parts of your other 2 cards...dies and /or punches are great for that... Hugs.

Kate said...

Beautiful - although I'm sorry it was such a challenge for you. Something I've tried in the past (although isn't a perfect solution) is to add more powder when I've just finished with the heat. Quite often, the powder will stick to what's there.

Anita in France said...

What a fabulous background, Bobby ... all texture-y and almost fabric-like. The snowflakes look lovely from here ... frosty and chilly and surrounded by an icy mist! I discovered when working with watercolour paper, if I double stamp the versamark (with Misti, of course!) before adding the powder, I seem to get a crisper result than with double embossing. Might be worth trying if you want more 'pop'! Hugs, Anita :)

cm said...

As someone who is 120% water-colour and embossing (don't do it often because it causes me more frustration than a sense of accomplishment) challenged, I'm delighted with all of your panels! Anita's described them aptly: frosty, misty, beautiful...
Hugs~c

TK said...

I think your end result is fab! It's always frustrating when things just don't turn out, I had one of those days recently... Either way I see it, it all worked out!