How lovely is the silence with painted bamboo

Hi, there!  It's finally a nice consistently warm temperature here and my garden is growing.  I do love going outside to see what has decided to bloom... it's also my time of peace and quiet while all the kids are still inside, hopefully working on their schoolwork during this "distance-learning" bit.  

It made me think of this stamp:  How lovely is the silence of growing things.  And you know what grows amazingly quick?  Bamboo - that stuff will take over your yard if given a chance.  Since I had this stamp nicely positioned on my Misti, I went ahead and stamped and embossed on 2 each of black cardstock and kraft cardstock.  I knew I wanted to paint some bamboo to frame the quote - and since I've never tried painting bamboo before, I knew I would appreciate having the extras.  I also sponged the edges on a couple of the pieces with a light green to see if the softened edges would look nice.  

I used my  Coliro M600 Artist Mica Watercolor Paint, Metallic, Gold palette for the bamboo. The main stem of the bamboo was painted in the white gold and the leaves in the middle gold shade. 

The stem was a bit full so I tried to used less paint on the second one.  I like it more but it was hard to be consistent.  Afterwards, I tried matting in a smaller gold sheet than the silver above.

On the kraft cardstock, I tried using a dark green Sakura brush and that gave me skinnier branches. 

On my last attempt, I mixed the green from the brush with the silver color of the paint.  It looks really nice at an angle but very muted straight on.  I think I like the last one the most.  

So here's my tip:  don't be afraid to try something new and go ahead and prepare several to try different techniques.  Having them all ready to paint made it much easier than painting one and stopping to emboss another each time.

I made videos of how I painted these bamboos but having trouble importing them onto here.  I think the file is too big?  I'll put it up on my instagram @yourstrulybydiana later today if you really want to see.  Thanks! 

How lovely is the silence

Sage Notecard

Hey Quietfire Fans! For today's project I'm sharing with you my Sage Notecard. By combining a variety of stamps and Modern Gilding Powder, they were perfect for creating my notecard. You'll want to grab a cup of your favourite beverage and learn how to recreate my Sage Notecard at home.

To start, cut a piece of green cardstock that measures 4" x 4". Distress the edges of the paper. Ink the edges of the paper using Walnut Stain Distress Ink and a blending tool with foam.

Die cut a 3 3/4" Stitched Square out of a piece of white cardstock. Apply Emboss It Ink to the Grid Background stamp and stamp onto the square. Reapply ink to the stamp as needed and re-stamp as needed. Sprinkle Celtic Mint Modern Gilding Powder over the entire surface of the square. Tap off the excess powder and emboss with a heat tool. Distress the edges of the square. Ink the edges of the square using Walnut Stain Distress Ink and a blending tool with foam.

Die cut a 3 1/4" Stitched Square out of a piece of book page. Distress the edges of the square. Ink the edges of the square using Walnut Stain Distress Ink and a blending tool with foam.

Die cut a 3 1/4" Stitched Square out of a piece of kraft cardstock. Apply Shabby Shutters Distress Ink to the Parsley stamp from the Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme stamp, stamp onto the kraft cardstock square. Reapply ink to the stamp and stamp until the entire square is covered. Tear a bit of the cardstock down on the top right side of the square. Tear a bit of the cardstock up on the bottom left side of the square. Distress the edges of the square. Ink the edges of the square using Walnut Stain Distress Ink and a blending tool with foam.

Die cut a 2 3/4" Stitched Square out of a piece of cream patterned paper. Apply Shabby Shutters Distress Ink to the Sage stamp from the Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme stamp, stamp onto the middle top of the cream square. Apply Forest Moss Distress Ink to the Sage word from the Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme stamp, stamp onto the right side of the cream square. Distress the edges of the square. Ink the edges of the square using Walnut Stain Distress Ink and a blending tool with foam.

Adhere the 3 3/4" square to the left side of the 4" green patterned paper piece. 

Adhere the 3 1/4" kraft cardstock square to the 3 1/4" book page square. Adhere the 3 1/4" kraft square to the left hand side of the grid background square.

Foam square the cream square to the middle of the kraft cardstock square. Wrap twine around the left hand side of the card front. Tie a knot with the twine. 

To finish the card, wrap twine around the left hand side of the card front. Tie a knot with the twine. Cut a cardbase out of white cardstock that measures 4 1/4" x 8 1/2", score at 4 1/4". Adhere the cardfront to the cardbase.

Here are a few closeup photos of the finished notecard.

Here is the finished Sage Notecard.

Quietfire Design Supplies Used:

- Grid Background

- Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme

- Celtic Mint Modern Gilding Powder

Other Supplies Used:

- Elizabeth Craft Designs: Stitched Squares

- Tim Holtz for Ranger Ink: Distress Ink - Shabby Shutters, Forest Moss and Walnut Stain and Blending Tool with Foam

- Ranger Ink: Emboss It Ink

- Graphic 45: Off to the Races - 12x12 Patterns & Solids

- Misc: Twine, White Cardstock, Kraft Cardstock and Book page

Thanks so much for joining me today and I hope that I've inspired you to recreate my Sage Notecard at home.

- Katelyn

Take Time to Delight with Modern Gilding Powders

Hello! Kim here again with a card share for the Quietfire Creations blog. 

My card was inspired by the wonderful quote from this Quietfire Designs Gentle Thoughts stamp [#6270]. It’s [another] one of my favourites and can be used for every season. I stamped it on a scrap of deli paper to use on my background.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, let’s look at the hummingbird! I had this chipboard piece from Southern Ridge Trading Company in my stash. I LOVE adding Quietfire Designs' Modern Gilding Powders to chipboard! I took colours from the first and second collection to create this focal element. I used a Versamark pen to control the placement of my Gilding Powders.

So fun to see it evolve to this finished hummingbird!

I used a gel print that I had in my stash from a previous creative play date! I used some matte gel medium to adhere to a piece of Creative Scrapbooker Magazine’s Super Stock. I used the same medium to adhere my quote to the background...a technique I use often so I can play with placement of the quote before I commit to it!

I added another layer to my background with the random bits front the Quietfire Designs' Grid Background [#5895].

I finished up my card by adding it to a card base and green mat. I did this before using Glue Dots to stick down my flower and hummingbird! I know just who will love this card and can’t wait to get it in the mail!

Supplies:

Quietfire Designs' Modern Guilding Powders ~ available from Emerald Creek

Quietfire Designs' Gentle Thoughts stamp #6270

Quietfire Designs' Grid Background stamp #5895

Southern Ridge Trading Company chipboard

Creative Scrapbooker Magazine Super Stock

Glue Dots

Distress Oxide Inks

StazOn ink

Prima flowers

Bazzil cardstock

Look For The Dream Art Journal Page

Hey Quietfire Fans! For today's project I'm sharing with you my Look For The Dream Art Journal Page. By combining a variety of stamps, dies and the Modern Gilding Powders, they were perfect for creating my page. You'll want to grab a cup of your favourite beverage and learn how to recreate my Look For The Dream Art Journal Page at home.

To start, choose two pages in your art journal. Using a paintbrush, cover the two pages in a light coat of White Gesso. Once the gesso has dried, spritz Dylusions Spray Ink in Vibrant Turquoise, Fresh Lime and Lemon Zest on the two pages. Spritz the spray ink with water. Use a paper towel to remove the access ink. Allow the pages to dry.

With the pages dry, apply Emboss It Ink to the Grid Background stamp and stamp randomly six times on the right hand page. Reapply ink to the stamp as needed. Sprinkle Copper Scroll Modern Gilding Powder onto the stamped grid pattern. Tap off the excess powder and emboss with a heat tool. Apply Emboss It Ink to the Grid Background stamp and stamp randomly five times on the left hand page. Reapply ink to the stamp as needed. Sprinkle Copper Scroll Modern Gilding Powder onto the stamped grid pattern. Tap off the excess powder and emboss with a heat tool. 

Apply Emboss It Ink to the Leafy Acanthus Background stamp and stamp randomly seven times on the right hand page. Reapply ink to the stamp as needed. Sprinkle Forever Platinum Modern Gilding Powder onto the stamped leafy acanthus pattern. Tap off the excess powder and emboss with a heat tool. Apply Emboss It Ink to the Leafy Acanthus Background stamp and stamp randomly six times on the left hand page. Reapply ink to the stamp as needed. Sprinkle Forever Platinum Modern Gilding Powder onto the stamped leafy acanthus pattern. Tap off the excess powder and emboss with a heat tool. 

Apply Jet Black Archival Ink to the Grid Background and stamp onto a piece of Collage Paper. Reapply ink to the background stamp and stamp two more times on the same paper. Apply Jet Black Archival Ink to the Leafy Acanthus Background and stamp onto the same piece of collage paper. Reapply ink to the stamp and stamp onto the same piece of paper.

Tear up pieces of the Leafy Acanthus collage paper and the Grid Background paper. On the right hand page, adhere two pieces of Leafy Acanthus paper and one piece of Grid paper using a glue stick as desired on the page. On the left hand page, adhere one piece of Leafy Acanthus paper and two pieces of Grid paper using a glue stick as desired on the page. 

Using the Peacock Feathers Distress Crayon, rub crayon along the edges of both pages. To add some highlighting around the embossed areas and collage papers, rub Distress Crayon in Twisted Citron and Squeezed Lemonade as desired. 

Die cut a 2 1/2" Stitched Oval out of a piece of watercolour cardstock. Spritz Vibrant Turquoise, Fresh Lime and Lemon Zest onto the oval. Spritz the ink with water. Remove the excess ink with a piece of paper towel. Dry the oval with a heat tool. Apply Jet Black Archival Ink to the Look for the Dream stamp and stamp onto the middle of the oval. Apply Jet Black Archival Ink to the grid background and stamp randomly onto the oval as desired. Ink the edges of the oval using Black Soot Distress Ink and a blending tool with foam.

Die cut the Flourished Oval Frame out of black cardstock.

Apply Peacock Feathers Distress Ink to the medium Flourish Corner stamp from the Flourished Corners stamp set and stamp onto a piece of white cardstock. Reapply ink to the stamp and stamp on the same piece of cardstock. Apply Squeezed Lemonade Distress Ink to the medium Flourish Corner stamp and stamp onto the same piece of white cardstock. Reapply ink to the stamp and stamp on the same piece of cardstock. Fussy cut all four corners out. Ink the edges of all four corners using Black Soot Distress Ink and a blending tool with foam.

From the Flourished Frame die, die cut two scroll piece using black cardstock.

From the Butterfly Flourish die, die cut two small butterflies, one medium butterfly and one large butterfly out of white cardstock.

Apply Jet Black Archival Ink to the large dragonfly from the Butterflies/Dragonflies stamp set and stamp onto a piece of watercolour cardstock. Apply Emboss It Ink to the Dragonfly word from the same stamp set and stamp onto a piece of white cardstock. Colour the dragonfly in using Turquoise and Lime Scribble Sticks with a waterbrush. Sprinkle Forever Platinum Modern Gilding Powder over the word. Tap off the excess powder and emboss with a heat tool. Fussy cut the dragonfly and dragonfly word out. Ink the edges of the dragonfly and word out of Black Soot Distress Ink and a blending tool with foam.

Apply Jet Black Archival Ink to the Tea ring from the Tea & Thee stamp set and stamp onto a piece of white cardstock. Reapply ink to the stamp and stamp onto the same piece of white cardstock. Fussy cut both rings out. Remove the center from one of the rings as well as the knob. Ink the edges of the rings using Black Soot Distress Ink and a blending tool with foam.

Now we will start assembling the left hand page. Adhere the two scrolls 1/4" from the left and 2 1/2" from the top of the page. Adhere the peacock feathers corner 3/4" from the left and 1 1/4" from the top of the page. Adhere the squeezed lemonade corner 3" from the left and 1 5/8" from the bottom of the page.

Adhere the flourished oval frame to the oval. Foam square the oval 3/4" from the left and 1 5/8" from the top of the page. Adhere the medium butterfly to the bottom left side of the oval. Adhere one small butterfly to the right side of the oval. Adhere the remaining small butterfly to the right of the peacock feathers corner.

Now we will start assembling the right hand page. Adhere the peacock feathers corner 1" from the right and 1 3/4" from the bottom of the page. Adhere the squeezed lemonade corner 2 5/8" from the right and 1 3/8" from the top of the page. Adhere the large butterfly 2" from the right and 7/8" from the top of the page.

Foam square the tea ring that doesn't have the center cut out 1 1/8" from the right and 1 3/4" from the top of the page. Use adhesive and foam squares to adhere the other tea ring 1 1/2" from the right and 1 7/8" from the bottom of the page. Adhere the dragonfly to the middle of the tea rings. Use adhesive and foam squares to adhere the dragonfly word 1/2" from the right and 1 3/4" from the bottom of the page.

Here are a few closeup photos of the finished art journal page.

Here is the finished Look For The Dream Art Journal Page.

Quietfire Design Supplies Used:

- Grid Background

- Leafy Acanthus Background

- Look For The Dream

- Flourished Corners

- Tea & Thee

- Butterflies/Dragonflies

- Flourished Oval Frame

- Flourished Frame

- Butterfly Flourish

- Forever Platinum Modern Gilding Powder

- Copper Scroll Modern Gilding Powder

Other Supplies Used:

- Tim Holtz for Ranger Ink: Distress Ink - Black Soot, Peacock Feathers & Squeezed Lemonade, Distress Crayon - Peacock Feathers, Squeezed Lemonade & Twisted Citron and Blending Tool with Foam

- Dylusions for Ranger Ink: Dylusions Ink Spray - Vibrant Turquoise, Fresh Lime and Lemon Zest

- Dina Wakley for Ranger Ink: White Gesso, Scribble Sticks Set #1 - Lime & Turquoise and Collage Paper

- Ranger Ink: Jet Black Archival Ink and Emboss It Dabber

- Elizabeth Craft Designs: Stitched Ovals

- Misc: Black Cardstock and White Cardstock

Thanks so much for joining me today and I hope that I've inspired you to recreate my Look For The Dream Art Journal Page.

- Katelyn

Happy Birthday with Watercolor Caulk Background

Hi Connie Nichol here today with another card featuring a acrylic latex caulking background.  When I was playing with this technique for a magazine article about using stuff from the hardware store, I made a lot of backgrounds to use up the tube of caulk before it dried out.  This is a fun and colorful variation, and perfect for the small Happy Birthday die cut.

I made this background by spreading caulk through an old piece of window screen.  You could certainly use any other kind of stencil but the screen gave quite a cool effect.  Let the caulking dry, then sprinkle with a few grains of Magenta Nuance powders (a water soluble powdered die) and spritz gently with water to activate.  Let dry and attach your die cuts and ribbon.  Give the technique a try - it's frugal, quick and unique.  It's also lots of fun.  Have a great week, Connie

Supplies:  Elizabeth Craft Design Way with Words die small Happy Birthday

Other Supplies:  Multicraft leaf die cut and sequins, pompom trim, glitter paper