My hare’s gone grey !! Or is it blue?!
Hello there.
Thanks for stopping by.
Thursday’s blog is something blue.
So here’s a traditional little brayering number
I did on TV last week,
using the trees and hares from the
There are quite a few steps, but it’s not difficult!
Ready?
Well, hare we go!
Using a Black Archival,
stamp the hares into the centre of a piece of A5 Theuva Card.
Cover up with the mask, which comes with the stamps.
Add the large Moons Mask, too.
Brayer an undercoat of Juniper onto the card first.
Then go over the Juniper with the Denim,
working down from the top.
Go over the hares with a Clarity brush, to add some shadow,
and brush some extra Denim out from the Moon centre.
Add the trees to the bottom using Archival Black.
I made sure the baseline was OFF the artwork.
Mask off the trees as below,
and brush in more Juniper into the background.
A make-up sponge with sharpen the edges, too.
Now for the hills.
Use the side of the Clarity Blending mat
to tear your hills out of copy paper.
Stamp the treetops along the hill mask you have made.
See?
They get further away….
Now do another hill even further away.
The mask is invaluable for this.
Just use one of the trees, and keep masking it off.
Trim the artwork back.
I think A5 is too big here.
Just an inch off will tighten the whole thing.
(and the artwork!)
Top and bottom, too.
Aahhh, that’s better!
Let’s blend the edges, make a moody vignette.
Mix up the colours with Black Adirondack on the mat,
and work into the mini blending tool.
Now gently and slowly work your way round all 4 edges,
Work ON the Blending mat
and swizzle the tool in small circular movements.
Use a dark blue pencil to define the hills
and add partial colour to the trees.
Time for the hares.
We need the other part of the mask.
With a make up sponge,
sweep colour and shade into the hare aperture.
Use pencils to further define the shade.
By lightly running a grey pencil line
underneath the hares’ bellies and legs,
they will literally look as though they are leaping off the page!
See the difference?
Add Wonderful from the Word Chain Set No. 11
Matt and layer.
Done.
Great exercise in brayering and masking.
Hope you enjoyed that one?
Tell you what; the masks make this so so much easier!
much love,
35 thoughts on “My hare’s gone grey !! Or is it blue?!”
What a pretty new project !!! I love it!
Thanks a lot, Barbara.
I will try to do it this weekend.
Take care
Alexandra from Germany
Good afternoon. Lovely to have a refresher on basic techniques. I've just ordered some masks eg for the letterbox set but would like to have them for some of the other older stamps. Wonder if it will ever be possible to just buy a sheet to cut out of. Can't believe I'm first today!
Thanks for keeping us inspired. X
Not quite first then!
That sounds a good idea, Gill, to be able to cut our own mask for the older sets. How about it, Barbara? Is there any chance of buying an A4 sheet? xxx Maggie
Hi Barb,
Lovely artwork. Saw you do this on C&C and really like it then too. Now we've got the step by steps it makes it easier. Now all I need are the stamps! Love Alison xx
Hi Barb,
Can't stop for long, busy with my first book covers and canvas picture for Jane.
I love these stamps, you make it look so easy. xx
Hello Barbara
Watched Sunday's offerings today at my friend's house. Had lunch with her and spent an enjoyable four hours while my husband was at his day care centre. We both enjoyed this demonstration.
Love
Roz.x
What a great tutorial Barbara, I love the finished card
Jackie x
Hi Barb, great finished article and great step by step. Love the way you get the moody bit. Busy planning my homage, so have to dash. Take care. Bx
Love your step by step tutorials, and this is a really atmospheric one. xxx Maggie
Really love those tree stamps, and how you've made those hares jump off the page. No time for crafting today – do have the paint out, but DIY only I'm afraid! Susan x
Hi Barbara, wow, this is cool :). Thank you. I mustn't have watched the recording of your morning show yet, I guess I've got mixed up thinking I had because of your extra show that I got to watch live (that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!!!!!!)
There was a lady on here the other day asking for help with embossing her stencils. Don't know if you got it sorted but in case not, are you putting the stencil down first? It's the base plate, then stencil, then card, then rubber mat, then embossing plate. Hope that helps
Love Brenda xx
Hi Barbara. Lovely artwork, love the way you make the hares pop at the end, it makes such a difference. Oh if only loosing an inch to make things tighter were that easy! Lol. Take care love Diane xxx
It's great like way you have done it will have a go thanks hope your feeling a lot better lots love Joy xxx
It was quite a demo to do on live TV. You did well. I have been practising with brayer and have certainly improved. Hope you feeling bit better did not expect a blog post today, so much appreciated. Thankyou xx
Hi Barbara
Great card and I love how you've coloured the trees and hares,they look like there leaping off the card.
Hi Barbara how you feeling today??
This one so reminds me of the toadstool one you did a while ago – and one I really enjoyed doing – and yes masks make it so much easier!!!!
Hope you are keeping warm and well hydrated!!!
Much Love
Kim
Lovely artwork, very helpful picture tutorial, must practise my brayering skills. Great set of stamps x
i like how the juniper changes the denim. that is always quite striking. i see you put the shadow under the hares to make them pop and enhance movement 😉 hugs xx
I saw this demo on Sunday and thought it looked very 'Watership Down', so effective with the denim sky and just a touch of a shadow under the hares to make them look 3D. Have spent the evening making my Dad a valentines card to give my Mum. Lost in my crafty zone, music on loud, singing along………….what bliss! XX
Hope you're having a better time of it at work? Glad you managed to escape for a while into happy, calm craft world xx
Escape is just right, only thing is eventually you have to come back! Have another card to do this evening so will go back to my calm place. I think I need to stamp out Barbara's serenity prayer stamp and carry it with me. XX
Oh you poor soul, sounds like you are having a really bad time of it just now. Hope you don't work weekends so you can have a proper break from it. Wish there was something I could do to help xx
Thanks Brenda xx. No work till Monday so I can have a whole weekend on my own to craft! I think I will try the sea themed project for Jane and maybe a floral themed something for the challenge blog. XX
Thank you for the tutorial brilliant art work xxxx
Thanks Barbara for this tutorial – I will have a go………… Hope you are feeling a bit better today; certainly didn't expect to see a blog but perhaps it took your mind off feeling grotty – crafting often makes me feel better if I'm having an "off" day. I do like the request for the plastic to make masks for our old stamps if it would be possible. Keep getting better…..Beryl
You got a few Ooh's there – in a good way. Its lovely, and clever!! I am going to get my ink and Brayer out I haven't used them for a while, you always know the best way to bring a picture to life so I will just copy if that's OK???? ha ha. xx
Lovely piece.
Hi Barbara. Watched you demoing this lovely piece. I still find it amazing how a grey line under the hares, or whatever, can make them jump out : ) Sorry to hear you haven't been feeling too good. I hope you are on the up now. Take care.
Stunning Barbara thank you for sharing with us.
Hugs Julie xxx
Stunning,loved it when you demonstrated it on the show I've just spent over 24 hrs in bed poorly so missed yesterday's blogging its first time I've missed since it started xx
Sorry your not well Barbara your tutorial is brill thank you love June horrocks xxxxxxx
Loved this when I watched it on telly, now I'm waiting for my hares' to arrive. Then I can play 'nice' too.XX
Hi Barbara and everyone, I think Gills idea of cling sheets to be able to cut out masks for our older stamps is an excellent idea – how about it? The artwork on this blog Barbara is as always wonderful, it's interesting and informative. I loved how cutting off the bottom to just leave 'treetops' just put the right finishing touch! Enjoy your day….
Haven't been able to join you on your blog for a few days and have to admit, I have missed it. Another stunning project today. Just need a few French words to be able to make a card as nice as yours….. At least try!!!
Laurence xx