Annabel

Annabel

Good Morning Sunny Monday!
Back home, after 5 days in a very loud, busy and windowless NEC.
So very grateful to be sat at my window, with the warm sun and beautiful freesias, which a very kind lady gave me at the weekend.
  
Monday’s blog is Trees and Flowers, so let’s take a look. 
This is a real masking challenge, but well worth trying.
I have lost the photos in the middle for the trees masking, but we can talk it through!
And we have rustled up a great offer on these stamps and masks, so if you fancy having a go, check out the offer link at the end!
I used:
Tall Trees Stamp
Annabel Stamp
Making a Pointillism Texture set of stamps

Stamp Annabel with black Adirondack onto A5 Claritycard.
Cover her up with an Annabel Mask 
and Stamp the tall trees into place.

Remove the mask and replace it on the wax paper it came on.

Colour in Annabel with Promarkers.
Now for the Tall trees scene. 
Cover Annabel up again with her mask.
Let’s look up close at the finished image. 
This will help you work out what’s what.
The first thing is to decide which part you want to work on, 
and mask off the rest.
So let’s do the background first. The sky, the hills and the grass.
This means we have to mask off (cover up) all 3 trees, including their trunks.
AND the outside of the image with Post-Its. 
Go to the inside line of the border with the Post-Its, so that the little border is clear for the black and white addition. See?

So when the trees are covered up with their masks, 
add a paper moon mask, and with a torn piece of paper
you can use a make-up sponge to add the sky, hills and grass.
I used a blend of Butterscotch and Stream to get all these different greens and hues. Amazing huh? 2 inkpads….
The Blending Mat helps for mixing.

When you have finished the background, cover it up, too.
Now the whole picture should be masked off.
We will tackle one tree at a time. This is where the pointillism set comes into play. It is a set of fantastic little texture stamps, which come in 3 different sizes.
these stamps add shade AND different illusions of texture. 
So uncover the treetop at the front, 
and start stamp-stamp-stamping with the dots. 
Use the different sizes to get funky shade.
Let’s get in close again.
Do one treetop at a time, 
covering up (masking) the surrounds as you go.
Then do the trunks with a beige Promarker. 
Then do the grass, with a make up sponge and the texture stamps.
Always mask as you go.

Remove all the masks 
and replace them on the wax paper, for next time.
Add some little white daisies in the grass
 with the white fineline pen.
Mount the square card on a nice yellow paper,
or drag the chisel end of a yellow Promarker around all four edges.
Hope you were able to follow this!
I think I will do a You Tube using the Tall Trees and the masks.
It’s much easier than it sounds!
Honest Guv!!!
Now let’s see….
If you fancy these stamps, let’s change the deal.
Now I’m off to read through all the instructions sent in for Saturday’s HOW TO competition! That should keep me entertained for the rest of the day. 
Winner to be announced tomorrow 
xxxx
much love

38 thoughts on “Annabel

  1. Oh Bum !! I read the blog on Saturday at work and thought that I will do that when I get home, but when I got home things were just so hectic it totally went out of my head !! bloomin' div !
    I have the above stamps and remember the tall trees lesson very well, it was very enjoyable and such an eye opener using the texture stamps to colour the trees to great effect. Enjoy your day and the freesias are beautiful, thank you again for a great blog xx

  2. After all that hard work you have just done how did you come up with such a lovely card?? Mmmm I am supposed to know how???? I love these trees really stylish, not got Annabel yet! Hope you don't mind but I am going to follow your style of matting and layering, it makes so much sense and looks lovely too. xxx

  3. Lovely colous in this one and I have no excuse as I have these stamps……. Do need some more adirondaks though. I think I'd have to chisel around the edge first – my luck would be geting a perfect picture and then ruining with the chisel at the end! Glad you have a good weekend at NEC. Enjoy your window view and good luck with the competition entries!

  4. What a lovely view from your window. Oh how I wish I had a garden, but then when I have to look after my parent's I always manage to kill something off despite following my Dad's instructions to the letter, so maybe it is a good job I don't have one! I loved watching your Gelli plate demo yesterday at the NEC with the Birdhouse set and will have to have a go at this. Spent a fortune on the Clarity stand and can't wait for the weekend so I can play with all my new goodies. Great card on your blog today which looks really summery. Enjoy the rest of your day and try to relax.

  5. I am just surprised you even know what day it is after your hectic session at the NEC. Something of a marathon. I haven't got Annabel yet, but I do have the other stamps and masks, so I can use another focal figure, and it will be good to get the trees and the pointillism set out again to remind myself how to use them. I still have not managed to do the chisel edge in the same way as you, but I have worked out my own method which makes me feel happier that I am not going to ruin my work at the end. I love your piece of amethyst together with those lovely pieces of glass. Amethyst is my favourite semi-precious and the colour is glorious, especially in the sun.Hope you are enjoying a giggle at our instructions for Saturday. Hard work but fun to do. Make sure you keep your feet up while you are doing it, maybe out in your little house, if it is warm enough there. xxx Maggie

  6. Good Afternoon Barbara,
    What a lovely design for a sunny day, it's so spring like! You make everything look and sound so easy so I will have to have a go at this.
    Lorna D

  7. Beautiful photo of your window, with the flowers and the sun coming through. Great card and I really love the way those texture stamps have been used. Yet more stamps for my wish list! x

  8. oh Barb this is fab I loved those texture stamps at the time they came out for the classroom but didn't get them for one reason and another – now I'm so very tempted!!!!! Great piece and glad you're getting the chance to sit and see the sunshine – its glorious here xx

  9. When I got this stamp my granddaughter Annabelle thought she was named after her I love what you did with the stamp Barbara I'm glad the nec was a success love always June ps my blue tits are still very busy in the nesting box xxxxx

  10. Awesome! I love the trees and pointillism stamps, I think they are my absolute favourite. I have many many of your stamps and love them all, but I do adore the trees and little stamps! Glad the NEC was a success and bet you're glad to be back at base. Enjoy the weather…who knows how long it will last!!

  11. I'm sure you're delighted to be home Barbara, and what a lovely scene out of your window today! Cheered me no end – just managed to get up for a while, as I've caught my partner's man-flu. Back to bed for me, and hopefully a well earned rest for you. Thanks, Susan x

  12. Freesias are my favourite flowers another stunning card love the little pointillism stamps and the tall trees such pretty colours nice to be sat at home looking out into a beautiful day enjoy your well earned rest xx

  13. As always a gorgeous creation Barbara. I have no doubt that the NEC was very busy for you – try to kick back and take a break for a couple of days. We can't stamp without you! xx

  14. Hi Barb,
    Don't know where you get your energy from! Love the blog post today, have never tried doing this so I think it's one to try. Freesias are beautiful flowers and the smell is delightful – not too overpowering like lilies can be. Have a nice easy day today and just relax. Love Alison xx

  15. Glad you getting some time to rest you certainly deserve it, hope Dave is getting some free time as well, like you he is always friendly and polite. Freesias are lovely they have such a fragrance, what a kind thought. Beautiful demo, not sure I can spend any more today, I bought an awful lot off you on Saturday. I tried the Gelli plate yesterday following your demo with the birdhouse set, for a first attempt I was quite pleased. Well if you got to my instructions yet I bet you in hysterics, in my defence they were done after a long day at NEC. Goodness knows how you cope. Lynne XX

  16. This is a lovely one, though not so sure about Annabel! Will take up your offer and have a go with the texture stamps.
    Hope you've managed to relax a bit today.
    Thank you, Jan

  17. Love your photo—do I spy amethyst on your window sill? I haven't played with the tree stamps and masks since Little Baddow!!! How bad is that! ….will have to break them out I think! x

  18. Beautiful Freesias, I can almost smell their fragrance from here(Isle of Anglesey). I've used this mask and stamp several times, but the mix of blues and greens is just fantastic. I love it, still trying to draw the figure of 8 boat though – very difficult!

  19. This is so pretty. Annabel looks like she's just stepped out of a Renoir. Think I might be inviting Annabel to come and stay at my house with her stencil friend. Jeanette xxx

  20. Hi Barbara. I love the card . How the trees are coloured is great. I have the pointillism set on my wish list, I can see how they will be so handy. I hope you had time to get some rest today and enjoyed reading the instructions for Saturdays post (I ran out of time so didn't have a go, but Good Luck to everyone who has entered though) What a beautiful scene to look at from your window, and the freesias are gorgeous. Unexpected flowers are just that little bit more special aren't they : ) Take care.

  21. This is a lovely demo with Annabel and the Tall Trees, and I love all those little stamps to make different texture effects. The colours with Annabel's yellow dress, and then the different colour blues you achieved with the two ink pads work splendidly together. That yellow under layer picks up the yellow in the image beautifully too. Thanks for the lovely offer as well. x

  22. Love the mix of colours on this. The texture stamps are perfect for this project but could be used in so many ways. Thanks for the tutorial. Pat x

Leave a Reply to Laurence Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *