No Line water-colouring with Mama Elephant...

Hi everybody,

Jill here, and this week, I'm attempting some no line water-colouring...

...using the oh-so-sweet 'Spring Garden' set from Mama Elephant.

Now I am well aware I ain't no Kristina Werner over here haha - but I had loads of fun doing it, and am going to have loads more fun practising, so I thought why not share my efforts and learning curve?

I used Distress Inks as my watercolour medium.  I stamped this gorgeous little gal and guy out from Spring Garden, in Antique Linen, so it was a really light line, then proceeded to watercolour.  I love the kind of whimsical look of watercolour, and thought it would work perfect with this set as there's a lot of open space to play around with.  I also love that because watercolour can look so calm and laid-back, it can be really forgiven when colouring, and even when it doesn't turn out 'quite' as you planned...it looks like you meant it that way...or so I hope!  Once my characters were dry, I fussy cut them and set aside while i got on with the rest of my card.

To create my background, I die-cut a mask using Lawn Fawn's Grassy Border, and also Mama Elephant's Landscape Trio Creative Cuts die.  I placed them over a piece of watercolour card and washed more Distress Ink over the top, creating my grass and sky.

I then die-cut Mama Elephant's Picket Fence and again, washed using Distress Ink.

I coloured a few of the cute little blooms from the same Spring Garden set, coloured and fussy-cut them to use to help build up my background.

I stamped out my sentiment, (which I LOVE and can see me using sooooo much.  I call everybody sunshine, and just love the cool fun look to it - an awesome addition to an awesome set!), directly onto my background, clear heat embossed, then coloured the hollows of the 'sunshine' to help make it pop.

I built up my background and adhered my characters in place using foam adhesive.  I mounted my panel, off-centre, onto a piece of slate grey card, then onto my card blank, and that was that.

Like I say, I love the simplicity of watercolour, so didn't want to add any embellishments.

I know I need a lot of practise, but the process is so relaxing, I really enjoyed making this; and I know it can be quite intimidating when you feel the skill-set is not 'quite' there, but so what, we're meant to be having fun, right?

I really hope you like it, and I really hope you give it a go.  Let's learn together :)

See you next time.

Jillx