Flower Power in Faiyland ~ a hand painted Card . . .

Have you ever wondered where Fairies get their Fairy Dust from?  Well wonder no more dear reader, for I think I’ve found out.  But more about that in a moment  . . .

I need to share with you something which I discovered last month in Aldi.

The photo above shows a large, A3 size, pad of 40 sheets of Watercolour Paper, of 100gsm, which I found in Aldi last month. (July 2017).  When I spotted it and had a feel of the paper I have to admit that I wasn’t overly impressed in any great way.  I’m too used to my usual thicker, water-colour paper.  So I put the pad down and went to walk off. But … this sneaky little thought popped into my head: “hey, it’s just £2.49.  Give it a try.”  … So I bought it.

Because of a move around in my craft room (and the chaos which that sort of thing creates) I only got chance to have a play with it yesterday, and I’m rather glad I decided to buy it.  It’s not the sort of watercolour paper which you can flood with water, as its a finer paper and the water will eventually be soaked up and will then wrinkle your page, but if you know where you’re going, have a plan and don’t soak it, then you can get some decent results.  Added to that  . . .if you’re putting the resulting painting onto a card, then it doesn’t add any great weight to the card, which is perfect.

Using Kuretaki Gansai Tambi watercolours, and also their Starry watercolours, and with the help of a bit of acetate, I created the background you see above.  Because I used the Starry watercolours – in 2 colours of Gold, it was a little difficult to capture all of the patches of gold using my camera.  If it were a video, I could have moved it a teeny bit so that you’d have seen the light catch all the areas of the fabulous gold paints. (Anywhere which looks like wet paper, or like I’ve spilt tea on it is actually twinkling gold paint which the light didn’t catch)

After the background had dried (with the help of my dear friend – the trusty heat gun!),  I went to work on the flower.

Most parts of the flower were hand stamped, but some parts were drawn because I didn’t have a stamp which was either the right size or shape, using my friend – Stamp Perfect – a stamp positioning tool.  (A Christmas present last year, and I love it for moments like this) .

What you’re looking at in the photo above is my Stamp Perfect, with a stamp attached to it, ready to stamp on to the background.  The top half of the Fairy Flower had already been stamped, and I was adding the curled back sepals.  If you haven’t met a stamping positional tool before and want to know how it works I found a video on You Tube which will help way more than I can here, and be far more entertaining than me too:

 

The photograph above is the flower after I’d finished stamping, (and drawing parts of it) and after I’d watercolour painted it.

Finally … I embossed around the edge, using a little Tonic Embossing Powder, and then adhered the flower to a 6″x6″ white scored and folded card, added a ribbon and Voila!  One hand painted Flower Power Fairyland Card.

 

And that’s all there was to it!

Apart from explaining the Fairy Dust  …. 

Do you see at the top of the flower as it’s opening … with what looks like wiggly lines and dots?  Well  . . .  That’s the Fairy Dust,  escaping from the Fairy Flower Power Pod.  See?  THAT’S where Fairy Dust comes from.   I know this to be true because my Unicorn,  which lives in my back garden,  told me so.  🦄  🤣

Happy Wednesday!

Did you know . . .  that according to research by a tanning company, women look oldest at 3.30pm on Wednesdays?  Now I KNOW this to be an outrageous lie because I know that you girls and I look terrific at all times!

I will admit that when I stumble out of bed in the morning, my hair looks like five miniature kittens have been playing in it all night – but that’s easily calmed down with a comb.  And … I do seem to have bought a couple of  really spiteful mirrors which are obviously designed by cosmetic companies to try to trick us girls into thinking that we have a spot on our chin which is being kept company by a hair to the left of it.  But .. I decided quite a long time ago that I would no longer look in those mirrors,  and from that moment on I’ve looked practically perfect in every way! (so long as I don’t have my glasses on).

Oldest at 3.30pm on a Wednesday?  Don’t make me laugh.  I’m ONLY 27 years old – as we all know, for goodness sake!

Did you also know:   that a recent(ish) survey in the US reported that bosses are most receptive to requests on a Wednesday?  Now I can’t prove this, buy hey, what have you got to lose?   Obviously asking the boss when he plans to leave as you want his/her job, might not go down terribly well, but I guess you could give it a go, so long as she/he has  sense of humour!

[. . . thinks:-  . . .] . . . 

• “I wonder if anyone is still reading? 
• Maybe I should buzz off and stop sitting here like a target. 
• Oooo, what are they talking about on the TV? 
• Do I need to turn those curtains up?  Hmm, I don’t know… what if they shrink when they’re washed? 
• Aww, look at the dog, she’s so cute when she does that. 
• Uh Ooooo, here comes Alf Capone (used furniture dealer – but actually a cat), he looks bored, and that means he’s going to cause trouble by playing Cowboys and Indians throughout the house,  and trying to get Maisie or Belly, or both, involved in the game.
• Coffee…. do I want another coffee, I wonder?”  eeek!

I have to agree with that last  ‘Did you know?’  for I am, (easily distracted) and I do (talk to myself).

Aaanyhooo – that’s enough from me.  All that’s left for me to say is:  ….   Have a wonderful Wednesday.  Find the joy in each moment.  😀