Oh, the gnomes from the Chilln’ Gnomes set are going to be hugely popular! How cute are they! I was immediately reaching for my watercolours to create this cute little scene. Today’s post is part of a blog hop to celebrate the new Send Happiness release; you can find more details of the hop below. I’ve linked all supplies with compensated affiliate links used where possible at no cost to you.

WATERCOLOURED GNOMIE

KEY INGREDIENTS

• Simon Says Stamp Chillin’ Gnomes
• Watercolours – I used Daniel Smith paints

STEP BY STEP HOW TO

• Stamp the gnome from the Chillin’ Gnomes set on masking paper and trim out.
• Stamp the gnome in a light water-reactive ink such as Antique Linen Distress Ink on a watercolour card. Cover with the masking paper image and then stamp the two mushrooms.
• If desired, you can cover the spots on the mushrooms with masking fluid while watercolouring the toadstool caps and then when the paint is dry, rub off the masking fluid to add details to the spots.
• Watercolour – I used Daniel Smith watercolours.
• Finish off with a few coloured pencil details.
• Trim the panel to fit a Neenah Desert Storm card base (a little bigger than 4-bar) and adhere with foam adhesive.
• Stamp a greeting from the Chillin’ Gnomes set with Versamark ink on Slate card and white heat emboss.
• Trim the sentiment strip and adhere to the card with foam tape.

TAKEAWAYS

My main takeaway from this card is to keep adding layers. I started with light layers of colour, blocking out the different areas. Then slowly but surely I added more depth layer by layer. Take your time and keep going! A small watercolour like this needs to be punchy to hold it’s own, so aim for deep shadows contrasting with lighter highlights.

FURTHER EXAMPLES

When writing up a blog post, looking for cards I’ve made with a similar look or feel is one of my favourite parts of the writing process! I love looking back on what I’ve made, spotting those connections to my current card. Sometimes, life goes by so quickly with each new project, and it is good to take a moment and reflect. This Easter bunny card caught my eye with the same strong focal point and sentiment treatment. You can find the original post here if you want to check it out and there’s a video too which looks at the Karin Brush Marker Pros.

Here’s another example which caught my eye. Cute, watercoloured Chillin’ Frenchies focal point and heat embossed sentiment popped up. I’m often drawn to florals and nature in my card making, but do enjoy taking a cute critter and making it my style! You can find the original post here.

MORE INSPIRATION

This vintage chic card inspired by Stacy Hutchinson uses the new Thoughtful Flowers set. I love the way the wildflowers ebb and flow with the indistinct text and watery droplets and hints of sparkle.  You can find the original post here.

BLOG HOP

As mentioned above, this blog post is part of a hop to celebrate the new Send Happiness release. Hopefully, you’ve arrived here from Simon’s blog, but if not, then that is an excellent place to start. As with all good hops, there are giveaways and offers.

• Simon are giving away a $25 coupon to every stop on the hop from blog comments. They’ll choose winners over the weekend and post on the Simon Says Stamp blog on Wednesday, the 1st of July (Canada Day!).
• Shop during the hop to get a free enamel pin with any purchase! Use the codes in the picture to choose which pin you want. This promotion will expire on 6/29 at 11:59 pm EDT

Now it’s time to hop on over to …

LAURA BASSEN!

• Simon Says Stamp Blog
• Debby Hughes
• Laura Bassen
• Heather Hoffman
• Sidnie Des Jardins
• Vicky Papaioannou
• Emma Williams
• Laurie Willison
• Bobbi Lemanski
• Caly Person
• Betty Wright
• Lin Brandyberry

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.

SSS Send Happiness Release [ SSS ] Simon Says Stamps and Dies CHILLIN… [ SSS ] Simon Says Clear Stamps CHILLIN… [ SSS ] Daniel Smith at Simon Says STAMP! [ SSS ] Fabriano WATERCOLOR PAPER 5×7 BLOCK… [ SSS ] Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad ANTIQUE LINEN [ SSS ] FABER CASTELL POLYCHROMOS at SSS [ SSS ] Tsukineko Versamark EMBOSS INK PAD [ SSS ] SSS White Embossing Powder [ SSS ] SSS MASKING PAPER [ SSS ] Winsor Newton COLORLESS MASKING FLUID [ SSS ] Winsor Newton PERMANENT WHITE GOUACHE [ SSS ] Neenah DESERT STORM 100 lb Card [ SSS ] * SSS SLATE Card [ SSS ] * Hero Arts Misti at Simon Says STAMP [ SSS ] * Hero Arts MISTI MINI BLACK [ SSS ] Hero Arts MISTI MINI MOUSE PAD [ SSS ] * Hero Arts MISTI BAR MAGNATE Black [ SSS ] 3M DOUBLE-SIDED FOAM TAPE [ SSS ] SSS SMALL TEFLON BONE FOLDER [ SSS ] Gina K Designs CONNECT GLUE [ SSS ] Tim Holtz Tonic GLASS MEDIA MAT [ SSS ] Tim Holtz Tonic GUILLOTINE [ SSS ] Scor-Pal Mini Scoring Board [ SSS ] EK Success CUTTER BEE Scissors [ SSS ] TWEEZERS [ SSS ] T SQUARE RULER [ SSS ] Precision Heat Embossing Tool Gun [ SSS ] Ranger ANTI STATIC POUCH [ SSS ] SSS Embossing Powder Storage [ SSS ]

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