Celebrate .... "Everyday"? | ft Distress Oxide Inks and Gansai Tambi Starry Night Watercolours

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by. I hope you're having a great day.

Today I have a card that I thought would be a lovely encouragement card. I was planning to send this card to someone I know that has been dealing with a cruddy deal for quite a while now and I just wanted to let this person know I was thinking of them, and that every day (that was a hint) is an accomplishment.

However, if you watch this video I will explain why I cannot send this card, and why this card had me so frustrated!!

I recommend watching in HD on YouTube (Seriously, it's way shinier!!)

Check out the video for the full tutorial, the list of Distress Oxide Inks I used to create this background and where the inspiration came from.

This is also the first card where I got to use my new Iridescent Crystals from Studio Katia, and let me tell you I LOOOOOVE them!!

I'm so stoked I was able to capture the shine on this card in a picture. I'm definitely going to be doing this technique again!

I hope you like today's card (and video tutorial) and are inspired to create something of your own. If you haven't already, please follow me on the right side bar, over on Facebook and on YouTube. Drop me a line in the comments section below and let me know what you think.

Product Review Series | Crayola Washable Watercolours

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by. I hope you are having a great day.

Yep, you read that right. Crayola Washable Watercolours. That's today's review. Now before we get into it, let me explain my reasoning for this.

This is a long one, so if you are just interested in my final thoughts, scroll down to the end to see the Pros and Cons, otherwise sit back and enjoy!

We all started somewhere, when we all first started we couldn't afford to get the Gansai Tambi watercolour palette or the Mission or Peerless or any of those Artist Level sets, heck some of us can't afford them now. But that doesn't mean that we can't still make beautiful things.

Today I'm going to be reviewing Watercolours by Crayola, that I purchased at my Wal-Mart for $3.97 plus taxes. And if you bear with me to the end, I think you'll be getting a set too.

Observations:

• Comes with a brush - it was crap and I tossed it. If nothing else, get yourself a decent brush
• 3 removable trays with 8 colours each. I'm guessing, it's a pastels, a basics and a complimentary, not sure their reasoning for how they set these out.
• Lid can be used as a palette
• Resealable container
• These pots are very pigmented
• Paints are very blendable
• Like most watercolours, you just spray a little in the pot to get it going

So for today's test, I thought I would try something new. Generally, I stamp and then colour in an image, but not today. Ohhhh no. Today we're going to be creating a universe. 

That's right. Crayola says I can create anything, so I did. Go big or go home, right?

For the purposes of this demonstration, I used a piece of Strathmore 140lb Cold press watercolour paper taped (with green painter's tape) to a board for maneuverability and because I didn't have any idea how much water I was going to need. For the second demonstration, I used the same paper but stamped the large pumpkin image with Antique Linen Distress ink (for a no line look) from MFT's "Witch Way is the Candy?"

I prepped some of the pots by spraying in some clean water and letting that sit for a couple of minutes. Then without wetting the paper first, I just started tossing on the colours. Randomly, wherever I wanted them to go. I didn't care if they ran into each other or pooled or floated away (just kidding, they didn't float away) I just wanted splotches of colour all over my paper.

Somethings I learned:

• These are seriously pigmented. Seriously
• Paint is very movable 
• Blends well together
• Doesn't really reactivate when new water is applied to a previously painted area, as you can see there is some blending, but in other areas the borders are quite well defined.
• Glossy finish when drying. I thought drying just took forever, nope. Turns out these are shiny and have a waxy feel when they're dry.
• Layering is blotchy because of glossy finish (as you'll see in the next picture)

Once the coloured splotches were dry, I went over it with the black. Once that was dry, I used my Copic Opaque White to splatter in some stars and then the white gold from the Gansai Tambi Starry Colors to create some bigger drops.

More stuff I learned:

• Holy crap, these are insanely pigmented - what is even going on here??
• Glossy finish makes even coverage very difficult - but for this demonstration that was good because I wanted the colours to show through
• The white gold from Starry Colors seemed to pull up some of the colour from below, and that worked for me too, because now the bigger drops look like planets
• Super waxy finish, I can peel this up with my nail
• Waxy finish is transferable - touching this piece made my fingers very messy
• I recommend a sealer or a fixative, I happen to have one and once that was dry there was no more transfer and it looked amazing

I wanted to see how well these paints held up for detail work. So I stamped the large pumpkin in Antique Linen Distress ink. On the left I applied the paint directly to the paper and worked the way I would normally work. On the right, I wet the paper first then dropped the colour in, then added details as the paper was still damp.

• If you allow for adequate drying time, details are possible 
• Colour wicks nicely in the wet on wet
• Blending on the palette to get different colours is very smooth
• These seem to require more patience than my other "Artist" sets

Final Thoughts:

Pros:

• Super affordable
• Very pigmented
• Rich, vibrant colours
• Easy to work with
• Doesn't reactivate when new water is applied
• Wide range of colours
• Easy Blending
• Resealable packaging for transportation

Cons:

• Waxy finish that transfers after it dries
• Must you a sealer or fixative
• Crappy Brush - get a good one
• Doesn't reactivate when new water is applied
• Your kids are going to steal these

I would completely recommend these for anyone who is wanting something fun without the giant price tag to go with it. Use the money you save to buy a couple decent brushes and some good quality watercolour paper. 

In no way are these going to replace my Zigs, or my Gansai Tambi or even my Distress inks for watercolour, but knowing that there is something inexpensive with insane pigmentation available for me in my art room as well, is fantastic.

I fully intend to get a couple more "back up" sets, so that if my kids decide they want to paint - they can, if I leave one at a park - I won't be upset, if I just want to sit down and play - I don't have artist regret (that's a thing) afterwards.

I hope you enjoyed today's review. If you haven't already, please follow me over on the right side bar, if you are viewing this via mobile device, scroll to the bottom and click "View web version" first. You can also follow me over on Facebook. If you have any questions about this review or have an idea for a future review, please toss me a line in the comments section below, I would love to hear from you.

*disclaimer: I am not sent products for review, nor am I paid to review them. I review the products that I find interesting, that I have purchased with my own money; and I receive no incentive, reward or payment to do so.

Product Review Series - Watercolours | Gansai Tambi Watercolor

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by. I hope you are having a great day.

For today's review I have the Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors 12 colour palette and Starry Colors 6 colour palette. I was fortunate enough to pick these up at my local art store, and was super excited to try them out for the first time.

Features:

• Vibrant Colours
• Individual Pots
• Water Reactive
• Blends Easily
• A little goes a long long way

Both palettes come in cardboard boxes, and though the Starry Colors (seen on the right) have the names written above the colours and on the bottom of the pots, the regular colours do not. There is only a numbering system. After that, it is anyone's guess as to what colour they might be. Sounds silly? Well, sometimes it isn't that obvious.

I opted to purchase the 12 colour palette as it was considerably less expensive than the other ones that were available and I felt it would give me a good indication as to whether or not I would like to use them. To be honest, I'm regretting my choice to be conservative here.

For testing, I stamped out the large sunflower from Lawn Fawn's "Our Friendship Grows" stamp set with CTMH's Archival Black ink on to 140lb cold press watercolour paper.

I found that the best way to "activate" these paints was to spray a bit of water on to the surface of the little tray and let it sit for about 30 seconds. 

I was then able to easily move the colour around either to pick it up directly with my brush or to transfer it to my palette sheet for mixing.

The pigment is so incredibly concentrated in these little pots and only the tiniest amount was able to go a very long way. For the three petals on the right of the flower, I used the bright yellow and a little of the light brown to muddy it up. After mixing I found I was able to fill in all three of these petals without having to "reload" my brush.  The petal at the bottom of the flower was filled in with the "Red Gold" from the Starry Colours. The amount of shimmer here - even the camera was able to pick it up - is incredible. 

The "White Gold" on the far right of the Starry Colors tray is transparent enough that you can use it over top of your project to add shimmer and shine without losing a significant amount of the original colour. So YAY!!

For this mini piece - I prepped the watercolour paper with my powder tool and stamped this floral image from Clearly Besotted's "Friends Forever" stamps set using VersaMark ink and heat embossed it with detail white embossing powder.

I enjoy using heat embossing with watercolours because it creates little walls that keeps the colour pooled together.

For the leaves I used the lighter green with a little bit of brown to move away from the brightness and towards more of a forest or mossy green shade.

I started the flowers conservatively, as I worked my way down the blossoms, I wanted to see how well the colours blended. 

I began by wetting the petal with clean water and dropping the colour in. Blue near the centre and then adding a bit of the red. I noticed as the colours came together it was like watching frost form on a window, they kind of grew together to create this lovely shade of purple.

For the final flower (bottom right) I did the same thing, then added a bit of yellow when the other colours were nearly dry. Please note: I expected to get a muddy brown colour. Because that's typically what happens when you mix yellow with purple. To my surprise and utter delight this did not happen. I allowed the petals to dry completely on their own and did nothing to move the colours around. I simply let the water do its thing.

Final Breakdown:

Pros:

• Quality vs. Price is quite good - if you are a serious dabbler or really love to use watercolours
• Individual Pots
• Excellent reaction to water
• Dries quickly - both in the pots and on the papers
• A little goes a long, long way
• Starry Colors are transparent enough to go over other mediums to add shine
• Re-activates after it is dry when water is applied

Cons:

• High Price point - if you are someone who doesn't use or have experience with watercolours, might not be the best place to start
• So far been unable to find open-stock pots. Unless you're looking online, your art store may not carry these individually. Mine doesn't. 
• Not very travel friendly - cardboard box + loose pots may equal accidents
• No colour names for the pots

Given the opportunity, I would definitely purchase a larger palette - not because I don't like mixing, ('cause I sure do!) but because I like all the pretty colours. This 12 colour palette would be an asset in anyone's colouring arsenal, and I expect I'll be reaching for it often.

I hope you enjoyed today's review. If you have any additional information about the Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolours or the Starry Colors, I would love to hear it. Please leave a message in the comments section below. If you haven't all ready, please follow me over on the right sidebar so you don't miss any future reviews or project posts.

Watercolour Wishes| ft. Gansai Tambi Watercolour Paints

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by. I hope you're having a great day.

It's summer here, and boy is it ever summer. We typically don't get super hot during this time of year, but this year it has been crazy. Today, I thought I would share a card that captured the season both in image and in palette. Also, I wanted to try out some new watercolours that have been sitting on my desk staring at me for the last little bit.

To begin, I prepped a piece of Strathmore 140lb cold press watercolour paper with my powder tool. I then stamped an image from Clearly Besotted's "Fresh Flowers" using VersaMark ink and heat embossed it with white detail embossing powder.

I then used my Gansai Tambi watercolours to colour the image. I have seen dozens of videos using these paints and listened to everyone rave about them; so naturally I just had to try them. I have the 12 colour palette - so incredibly basic. I'll be doing a review of these in the near future.

I then used the White Gold from Gansai Tambi "Starry Colors" to create a shimmer over the petals, sadly the camera doesn't pick that up any more than it picks up the Wink of Stella.

After everything was completely dry I used a piece of natural twine to create a simple bow and glued that in place with some Multi Medium Matte by Ranger - I wanted to make sure this wasn't going anywhere.

The greeting is stamped from Clearly Besotted's "Beautiful Friend" set with Lawn Fawn's Black Licorice ink using the MISTI. I'm terrible at lining up sentiments so the MISTI has become invaluable to me. It is literally worth every single penny.

To finish it off, I covered the back with extra strong adhesive and mounted it on a standard A2 sized card base.

I hope you like today's card and are inspired to create something of your own. If you haven't all ready, don't forget to follow me over on the right sidebar so you don't miss out on any future posts. Toss me a line in the comments section below and let me know what you think.