Coastal scenes

Well I did promise the next project to be more artsy - so here are a some cards I've made using the Create-a-scene Coastal or Village sets and Distress Inks. I've really taken to the create-a-scene stamps. So far I've only got the Coastal and Village set in my collection - but I've made so many different cards from the sets. I like the flexibility that lets you decide how big you want your scene to be and also how complex. They also mix and match nicely too as you'll never find two elements the same on the sets - even the grasses and clouds vary on all the different sets. These cards have been stamped using Distress inks - an ideal companion for these stamps. Simple stamping in just one colour then drag a little of the colour using a waterbrush to give a little softness to the images and then perhaps a few touches of glitter or Stickles to add a little detail. Any of you who know me well, knows I can't stop at just one or two cards when I can post six... that involves deciding which two and how could I pick! In a future post I'll give more detail on how to achieve the background of my first card - a handy technique to know!





I've found a handy tip with using these stamps is to ensure that your elements are always touching something else. So rather than putting in a rock all alone, just touch it up against something, grass, sand, the boat, it seems to help with the perspective of your piece. Also when using the waterbrush, don't try too hard to paint in the detail, just a few strokes with the brush to spread the colour it sufficient to give it some body. The inks used here are broken china (the pale blue), aged mahogany (that lovely burgundy) and peeled paint (green). I hope it gets you inspired to give them a go - they are great fun!
happy crafting
Jane