Hi Creative Friends,
I am sharing a new card design featuring a very sweet trio of feathered friends surrounded by a ring of holly and berries. This charming setting is all in the new stamp by Penny Black called Feather Trio.
I started out with a hot-pressed watercolor panel and the stamp, both mounted in my stamp positioner. Using Antique Linen ink, I stamped the image a few times, enough so I could easily see the illustration.
To prepare to paint the birds and holly ring, I cut a circle from a stout plastic sheet that was just big enough to cover the center of the stamped image, plus a small part of the holly ring around the birds. I think it had a 3″ diameter.
Then, using a blending brush and the plastic circle in place over the center of the stamped image, I gently blended on a light smattering of Vintage Photo ink. This created a halo effect.
Next, leaving the stamped image in my stamp positioner, I started to paint the holly, berries, and birds. I used distress reinkers for their intense color when I could but when I didn’t have the color I needed in a reinker, I switched to a small patch of ink that I had smooched onto a plain acrylic block. In fact, I usually use a large acrylic block (see supply list) as my palette for my ink colors but a simple paint palette works nicely too. For your reference and convenience, I put the re-inker, mini stamp pad, and regular-sized ink pad wherever available for each color in the supply list in case you prefer one over the other. I also used a small brush to paint. I found this works best as there are small areas to reach into.
The colors I used for the holly leaves were Crushed Olive, Peeled Paint, and Rustic Wilderness. After all the leaves were painted, I rubbed ink on all the leaves on the stamp using a dark green Tombow pen, then stamped. Stamping the image again using a Tombow pen recreates the detail and crisp outlines. Just make sure your panel and stamp have not moved!
I continued with the berries the same way as the leaves. This time I used colors Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, and Lumberjack Plaid. After painting all the berries, I did the same as the leaves and rubbed red onto the berries on the stamp and re-stamped. Again, this crisps up the lines.
The birds were the last to paint. I used Black Soot, Vintage Photo, and Wild Honey in the same way as above, including using a brown Tombow pen at the end to rub onto the stamp and restamp.
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The painting was all done, but I still needed a sentiment. So, using one from the Jolly Snippets by Penny Black. I stamped ‘glad tidings’ with Poppy red ink.
Before removing the panel from my stamp positioner, I made sure all the coloring looked good and went over any areas that needed a little touch-up.
Once the panel was dry, it was mounted onto a green Noble Fir panel, then onto a Peppermint red card stock card base that was slightly larger.
A few dots of Rustic Wilderness was added around the wreath to finish!
This was a very relaxing and satisfying painting project. I hope you give it a try… you will be so pleased with the result! ♥
Goodies Used:
