I love the design idea behind Cathy Zielske’s Miss You Missy set and when I got thinking of the map my mind went to those topographical maps which indicate the terrain. I’ve linked all supplies at the end of this post. Compensated affiliate links used where possible at no cost to you.
TOPOGRAPHICAL WATERCOLOUR
I love the look of no-line colouring and am taking it to the extreme now with the barest of outlines before painting. I inked just the edge of the map from the Miss You Missy set in Antique Linen Distress Ink and then stamped off on scratch paper before stamping on Arches Hot-pressed watercolour card. Just the faintest of impressions is perfect for painting over without leaving a distinct line. I love a cold-pressed watercolour card but chose hot-pressed on this occasion so that I could get a nice crisp outline of the map on the smooth surface. I don’t always have the best results with a hot-pressed card, finding it harder to control the amount of water without forming harsh bleed back lines. However, the watercolour gods looked favourably on me, and I got a lovely blend of greens, blue-greens, yellows and rusts. The watercolours I used were all from Daniel Smith:
I left the watercolours to dry and then die cut with the matching die. I did watercolour a deep blue sea for the landmass to sit upon, lots of water bleeds and splashes, but somehow the background took away from the die-cut, and for me, it is all about those delicious colour mixes from the greens, yellows and browns. So instead I mounted the die-cut on a piece of Arches Cold-Pressed Watercolour Card – the creamy whites of the hot and cold-pressed match and you get some added texture in the background for interest.
I accented the map with a heart stamped with the Miss You Missy set, watercoloured and die cut and attached with twine bow over the map. For the sentiment, I cut a greeting from the Sentiment Strips Reverse Miss You cards and foam mounted. Finally, I mounted the finished panel on a Neenah Desert Storm card base.
I hope you are enjoying my more pared-back style recently. For one, my roots are firmly set in a clean and simple style, and it’s great to explore that again. Secondly, I think a design with fewer steps can seem less daunting and more achievable, and I’m all about keeping things manageable at present. Of course, one of the things I love about clean and simple designs is that it lets the focal point shine and I’m so glad I listened to my heart and didn’t fuss over this one.
SUPPLIES
You can find links to the supplies I’ve used below; click on the picture or shop icon to get taken directly to the product. Where available I use compensated affiliate links which means if you make a purchase I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you! Items marked with an asterisk (*) provided by a store or the manufacturer. You can read my affiliate and product disclosure here. I genuinely appreciate your support.
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PIN ME
Summary of the project which gives all the views of the card in one photo :D I’d love if you pinned and called by on Pinterest :D
Beautiful! I hope you’ll post a video of the painting.
This is gorgeous and perfect! One thing more would be too much, I think! Love the combination of the hot and cold press Arches watercolor paper.
Beyond stunning! Always look forward to seeing what you’ve created…love your style of water coloring.
Heart-touching, elegant, and the perfect mix of timeless and fresh.
Autumn Zenith Witchcrafted Life
Absolutely beautiful. Love it.
WOW! Love the colors, the textures the heart accent! The topographical feel of the map is just PERFECT! You hit it out of the park! Now….can I replicate the look? NO! You are the master! I enjoy your technique so much….when I “grow up”, I want to create like you! Thank you for inspiring me! :)
Oh my I just love this project Debby! I loved that you included your DS pigment list as well. Awesome idea with this stamp set!!
Beautiful! I love the colours and how they blended together for this card, and your outline is crisp with the no line watercolouring! Simply stunning!
This is gorgeous!!