Sunday, May 18, 2014

Your Father Smelt of Elderberries

I got a few new Hero Arts stamps recently, and I decided to play with one of them today. A radical idea, I know! I started out earlier today, did a little, set it aside, came back later and did a little more, until finally I called it finished! Here's the end result, then I'll explain:


Yes, you see purple, my second least-favorite color, just above (gah) pink. When I was looking through my pigment inks, I decided to use Elderberry instead of black. Why do I even have Elderberry? Because when I was perusing the list of Memento Luxe inks, trying to decide what I needed for my first purchase, I saw the color Elderberry and immediately thought of this clip from The Holy Grail.



I think the whole thing is hysterical, but start around 1:30 if you just want to hear the Elderberry reference. So yeah, I bought Elderberry ink because I love the Holy Grail. In my world, this makes total sense.

So I inked the image with Elderberry Luxe ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder. Then I taped it down to my board and water colored the background. Yeah, I'm still under the influence of the OCC: Watercolor for Card Makers class.

Once I'd colored the background and let it mostly dry, I realized the error of my ways. I'd colored over all the open circles in the image. Boo. So I pulled my paints back out and went over them with white paint. Several times, and then again. After it dried I did even more white. Then I decided I meant to do that, and stopped.

Once the white paint dried, I added some white enamel dots to a few of the circles. At that point I liked my not-quite-white circles even more. :)

I spent the next half hour embossing a sentiment on some card-stock-weight vellum and trimming it, over and over again until I got one I liked. With loopy letters like this, I find it easier to trim the sentiment strip narrower, stopping at the loopy letters, then hand-cutting the loops so they slop over the edge. I taped the sentiment to the watercolor panel, then popped the whole thing up on foam tape on a purple card base.

So you see, I've managed to learn something from the water color class and incorporate it into a card I'd make without too much stress. What? All that stuff I just whined about (about which I just whined)? Pffth, that's normal for me when I make something. I excel at making pretty trash.

So there you have it: a purple card with Elderberry. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go set up my DVD player and watch The Holy Grail. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Stuff I used: vat of clear embossing powder, miscellaneous off-white water color paper cut down from a pad of the stuff I got from who knows where, SU card-stock-weight vellum, and the following:



5 comments:

  1. There’s no Elderberry ink in this house even though purple is a favorite of mine. I have had some Elderberry wine, and as I recall, it was delicious. Thanks for the clip and the reminder of a good film. Love your card! The background is fabulous and perfect for the stamp.

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  2. I love Monty Python and I haven't seen that movie in such a long time. Your card is lovely, the background is so pretty.

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  3. You silly little knnnniggghittt!! LOL! Monty Python's Holy Grail is one of the best movies ever! Love this card Leslie! Wow you used a purple hue! That's not one of my favorite colors either but you made it look so fabulous!

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  4. I fart in my husband's general direction all the time. LOVE your digressions :) And purple...yeahhhhh, I find myself making a concerted effort to use it because so many people like it, but it just doesn't turn my crank. I love this :)

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  5. ok, i had many complimentary things to say about this gorgeous inky masterpiece, but they all fell out of my mind with a "thump" whilst i comtemplated whether this weighs more or less than a swallow, and whether the swallow in question would be european or african, laden or unladen??!?! soooooo much to consider in the glorious world of greeting card science.

    (even more than usually tangential ps: "help, help, i'm bein' repressed!!") :) :) :) (i think i could pretty much karaoke MP&THG... sign of a blissfully misspent youth!) ♥

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