Happy Valentine’s Day!
Wishing you many hugs and kisses!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
card
A Bevy of Birthday Best Wishes
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
Swooning over Watercolor
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
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
You’ve Got MALE
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
Oh Christmas Tree
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
A Christmas Deer, Dear
It’s a Christmas Deer, Dear.
One of the best things about art and painting and watercoloring is the freedom to create an image however you want…
Christmas Reindeer can be purple with a turquoise ear right?
This is one of my Christmas card designs that I learned how to print and duplicate. Yay me!
(It is inspired by some artwork I found on Flickr, but darn if I can find it now to cite!)
Nevertheless, the countdown is on, and we are into single digits until the BIG day. I have never been so late getting cards done, gifts bought, cookies baked, food made….. and I have never enjoyed it more!
Whatever gets done, mailed, baked, cooked is what it is. As long as I get to spend time with those I love is all that matters.
Cherish the moments.
Merry Christmas Deer/Dear!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
In the Meadow we can Build a Snowman
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?)
Let it Snow
This week’s Paper Players’ Theme Challenge is “Let it Snow.”
Well – no snow happening here in Mars, but we can dream, can’t we? I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…
My design team inspiration card this week is stamped and heat embossed with a glittery embossing powder for the snow and snowflakes to sparkle, and I added some miniature pearls for an extra special touch.
Stamp sets used are StampinUp’s Endless Wishes & Gorgeous Grunge.
Time to get this card in the mail, and Celebrate the Season!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Eat Pie, Drink Wine, Be Thankful!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
PS Can you guess what I am taking to our Thanksgiving festivities?
Yep – You got it!
Wine and Pie!
the creative life in between 