It’s #DrawABirdDay with my WordPress artist blogging friends, which we celebrate on the 8th of every month.
I had fun yesterday watercolor painting a parliament of whimsical owls. (Did you know a “group” of owls is called a parliament?)
A little search on Pinterest provided some inspiration of ideas that I combined to create these little cuties.
I think these will make fun greeting or note cards.
Hoots & Tweets and Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
I have a number of special February birthdays, so I had fun making a bevy of birthday cards to send out to family and friends. This first one above is my fave (and it is already on its way to a special cousin whose birthday is Monday!). I love the combination of purple, turquoise and yellow, and I used texturizing paste on the watercolor paper before painting to add some fun drama and dimension.
The Paper Players Challenge (PP280) this week is a Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge, so I chose, the diagonal of Purple, Pink, and Yellow which I did in Brusho Watercolor after embossing the coneflower silhouettes on these two cards – one in black and one in white.
Some of you may recognize this card below. I had made this random abstract watercolor a while back, so I topped it off with this fun Happy Birthday Die Cut I cut out in several colors.
For this last one, I splashed some fun green-gold olive and burnt umber watercolor paint and then spritzed it all with some gold glimmer mist.
Wishing all February birthday friends and family the best of birthdays!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
One of my favorite, most inspiration watercolor artists is a sweet lady that lives on the entire other side of the world from me in Mars.
Debi Riley lives all the way in Perth, Australia, but because of a chance connection through WordPress and the World Wide Web, I have the joy of following her lovely work and SWOONING daily.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that she may come to the U.S. some day to visit relatives and find a way to Mars to meet and spend some time showing me how she makes such beautiful magic with paint and paper… I will cook and bake for her and serve lots of wine if only she will show me how to make such swoonable art as she does!
Debi makes it look so effortless, yet when I attempt to do the same…. ARGH! No swooning!
I keep reading, though, and I keep trying to absorb, and I keep laying paint on paper.
This little landscape card, came after two frustrating attempts to do a full-sized painting and not liking what happened. Then I realized I didn’t pay attention to cool colors for background and warm for foreground. After a while, do these types of things become natural? I just want to be loose and free and “do it” without thinking….. but it seems there really is a lot of discipline – even in (if not especially in) abstract art, which ends up looking so effortless.
If you would like to see some truly beautiful art, please be sure to check out Debi Riley’s blog here. Debi is an award-winning creative arts instructor with over 15 years experience who works in watercolor, acrylic, oils, pastels, charcoal, mixed media, and photography. She also has a beautiful Pinterest page here.
In the meantime, I’m going to keep trying, and I appreciate you humoring me by allowing me to share.
Happy Tuesday! Happy Groundhog Day! Happy day to do what makes you happy… at life in between.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Love is in the Air….
Only a few weeks until Valentine’s Day, so time to play with all things lovely and pink and red and hearts and lacy or whatever makes you feel Valentiney.
This card was made for a special someone that requested a “girlie and pretty” card for someone very special to them. I had a lot of fun creating it with that special someone in mind.
For this card, I used the StampinUp Wondrous Wreath that is typically used for Christmas cards, but I made it in shades of pink and gray, added some tiny pearls, and backed it with a lacy doily to make it feminine and delicate and Valentiney.
This week’s Paper Players’s Challenge #PP275 is a CAS Valentine’s card. My card is not quite “clean and simple,” (I’ve created a few more layers than that!) but it is Valentine’s!
Our little corner of the world is bracing for a bit of a snowstorm in the next few days. We will see. No matter the weather – hope you are feeling warm and safe and loved wherever you are.
Remember love is a not only a noun – it is also a verb. It is something we can give as well as receive. And it is in giving that we receive.
Cherish the Moments.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
A couple of sweet young families we know have recently welcomed baby boys.
It’s been a fun opportunity for me to splash around my prussian and cerulean blue watercolor paint.
I saw this adorable sentiment used when searching for ideas, and thought it was such a cute play on words.
These are going in the MAIL today to Baby Dean and Baby Wesley’s families. Welcome to the world little ones!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Time to join The Paper Players and play along in the color challenge Claire put out this week for all our crafting, painting, stamping friends.
I couldn’t resist participating with the fun colors this super sweet lady chose: Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, and Real Red! Oooo Laaa Laa!
I wanted to do something different and had bought some fun new stuff while shopping this past weekend with Hubby at Tuesday Morning before our movie date to see “The Revenant.” (Did YOU see it yet?!) I bought the corrugated papercraft cardstock paper and the Tim Holtz Alpha Parts Punch Out letters. Combined that with some fun flowers sweet Eileen at My Creative Resolution gifted me with that just happened to exactly match “Melon Mambo,” embellished with one of my fave new dies – the pine branches from Gina Marie Designs, die cut some paper with my favorite stitched rectangle dies, added a pearl, and Voila – my Mixed Media Hug card!
It’s a bit of a quirky card, and I’m still trying to decide if I like it, but I’m guessing there will come an occasion or a person who it will end up being just right for at just the right time one of these days, so I’ll be holding onto this “hug” until then.
I sure miss being on the design team with the amazing creative Paper Players team, but it’s great to still play along!
Oh – and check out the amazing new guest designers! WOWZA! They have so much creativity to share!
Happy Friday!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Happy New Year friends, and thank you for being here with me this past year at lifeinbetween.me!
I had fun with one of my Christmas gifts from hubby – my new art easel – one day this week on my holiday break and spent a little time watercolor painting.
I thought it was a good time to design a holiday thank you note,
so I goofed around with a few loose pine tree designs that I can copy and create cards from.
Wishing you a happy new year filled with many moments to cherish! Take the time to notice them,
to appreciate them,
to truly cherish them –
for it is these moments
that create a lifetime.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are your branches!
In beauty green will always grow
Through summer sun and winter snow.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are your branches!
Are you singing with me?
Only a week until Christmas Day, but it’s time to begin celebrating already.
I think it’s more fun to spread the fun out over the next two weeks, so partying and gathering with friends and family is what we will be doing!
This is another of my little minimalist watercolor Christmas cards I was able to print and duplicate.
Just a simple little tree,
but filled with lots of joy and love and happy wishes.
Have a great Friday!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
It is my last week as a Paper Players Guest Design Team Member.
For this week’s color challenge, I decided to watercolor some Christmasy mittens and hang them from some greenery and red button “berries.”
The sentiment is from StampinUp’s Endless Wishes stamp set. The greenery is cut from a Pine Needle Gina Marie die, and I simply mixed and matched some cherry red buttons to use as berries.
I hope you will continue to follow and participate in the Paper Players Challenges.
It has been a fun six months, and I so enjoyed challenging myself, sharing with all of you, and the wonderful ladies of the Paper Players Design team! Thank you all! It has been an honor and privilege to be a part of your team.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
In the meadow we can build a snowman…
and pretend that he’s a circus clown.
Or if there is no snow in the meadow,
we can paint on paper
as a playful caper
and be just as happy all around.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
(Are you singing with me?)
the creative life in between 