inspiration monday

here's another fun way to create a "faux watercolor",  

without having to get out your watercolors!  

all you need are some water-soluble markers,  a paintbrush, 

a mini mister, a pencil, a piece of watercolor paper, and your 

favorite solid stamp (i'm using a hand-carved circle stamp).

using your markers, scribble some color onto your watercolor paper.  

try to keep your colored area a little smaller than the size of your stamp.

now spray a light mist of water onto the surface of your stamp

{the more water you spray, the less vibrant your image will be}......

and press it onto the colored area of your paper.

the water will activate the pigment of your water-soluble markers 

and create a really cool looking watercolor image!

now you can add some details, if you like......

and you can also add to your design by using some different colors......
 just activate the pigment using a damp brush
{a waterbrush is perfect for this!}.

when you're finished putting all your favorite touches on it,
you've got a sweet little watercolor bliss.....
without the watercolor!


{supplies:  strathmore 140lb. watercolor paper, 4B graphite pencil,
tombow markers #856, #933, & #158,  mini mister, water brush,
hand-carved circle stamp using speedy carve,  pink pilot hi-tec-c pen

inspiration monday

to continue on with this obsession that i seem to have with using markers to create "faux watercolors",  let's try it on some cone-shaped coffee filters this time!  all you need are some water-based markers (i'm using tombow markers), a mini mister, and coffee filters (different brands will probably give different results, which could be a lot of fun to experiment!).

first, draw a simple design using your marker.

you don't need to color in all the shapes.......

because once you spray it with water, the color will bleed out into the filter paper and fill in most of those blank areas.  now comes the hard part.......waiting for it to dry!  the longer you wait, the more watercolor effect you'll get.  (if you're impatient like me, you can also wait for a while, and then zap it with your heat gun to finish drying!)

and some of that juicy color will bleed onto the back of your coffee filter, too!

once your filter is dry, you can add some doodles if you like.

(i used a waterproof micron pen for this step)

and then you can use your new "watercolor" in your journals, for collage fodder,
or you can even create a nice little card!

have fun!

{supplies:  tombow markers, melitta cone-shaped coffee filters, 
mini mister, sakura micron pen, white card stock,  3B graphite pencil,
yellow waxed linen thread (to sew the filter onto the card)}

inspiration monday

hello blog buddies......and happy new year to you!!

after a long holiday break, i've been trying to get back into the creative swing of things, 

so i decided to open my favorite little moleskine journal and just play.  

here's a simple way to create a "painted background" without having to get your paintbrush out......all you need is your journal, your favorite water-soluble markers (i use tombow brush pens), an acrylic block, and a mini mister.

first, brush your marker across the acrylic block several times 

until you have a good amount of ink on the block.

using your mini mister,  spray the ink using a very light touch.....

you just want to add enough water to make the ink "spreadable".

now "stamp" your paper with the acrylic block, and swipe the ink across the page.

for a multi-painted look, add as many colors and layers as you like!

and now that we have a background, let's take this page one step further!

paint a large square of slightly diluted gesso onto the page......

and write a fun message using your favorite pen (i used a pitt pen).

then add some shading, lines, doodle dots,
and all your other favorite little touches!

here's to 2012:  a big, beautiful, blank, new canvas!!


{supplies used:  moleskine journal, tombow brush markers, mini mister,
acrylic block, gesso, 3B pencil,  faber-castell pitt pens}

inspiration monday

have you been searching for a fun way to jazz up your artwork....or maybe add some colorful letters and doodles to your journals?   my sweet friend martha lever is offering an online class through creative workshops called "calligra-fun".....she'll teach you how to look at letterforms in a whole new way using your favorite brush markers!  not only will you learn how to create these unique letters, martha will also teach you how to make flowers, trees, ribbons and other fun doodles that will add that finishing touch to your artwork!  this course includes five lessons that are packed with everything you need towards successful lettering! 

i've been blessed to have known martha for over 15 years.  we've worked together, played together, laughed together, shed a few tears together, and shared successes together.   and what i know for sure is that martha has an incredible amount of energy and passion for lettering, she creates them beautifully, and her sweet, giving personality (along with her fabulous southern georgia accent!) always makes you feel like you've just had coffee with a great friend.   she definitely inspires me every single day!

visit martha at her blog here, or sign up for her online class here!