Category: Watercoloring

Taylored Expressions Share Joy Challenge #23

I’m playing along with Share Joy Challenge #23 at Taylored Expressions.

TEChallenge23

I used the sketch to create an Easter card:

JeanManisTESJC23

I interpreted the circle and banner loosely, using two eggs from the Easter Wishes set heat-embossed on watercolor paper for the circle in the sketch. The eggs were watercolored with Distress Inks and cut with the corresponding Egg Stacklets dies. I used just one banner with the heat-embossed sentiment, also in the Easter Wishes set, rather than two banners, as in the sketch. I used the Stitched Scallop Edger die to cut the white scallop tucked under patterned paper from the Build a Scene Paper Pack.

Taylored Expressions Share Joy Challenge #23

The card base was dry-embossed with the Butterfly Swirls folder.

Be sure to head over to the Share Joy Challenge Blog to see more inspiration and to link up your entry!

Supplies:

AEI♥U Challenge #33 – Friendship

It’s time for a new AEI♥U Challenge!! This month’s theme is friendship – a perfect theme given that Valentine’s Day is less than two weeks away!

Avery Elle Challenge 33

Here’s my take on the challenge theme:

Jean Manis Avery Elle Challenge #33

I couldn’t resist pairing the whales in the Whale Hello set. At some point, when my sons were much younger, we had several whale books, and I could identify one from another. But I’ve forgotten a lot of that stuff (along with all of the different dinosaurs)! I do know that in the PNW, there are a lot of Orca whales, which we occasionally see traveling in their pods.

I created the card background using the smooshing technique with a variety of Distress Inks. I watercolored the whales using watercolor pencils, Distress Inks, and once dry, I added more shading with colored pencils.

There’s no limit to how you can interpret this challenge! Check out the inspiration from the rest of the Design Team over on the AEI♥U Challenge Blog!  You’ll also find the InLinkz tool to link up YOUR take on the challenge – we’d love to see your beautiful work in our gallery! There are two $25 Avery Elle Gift Certificates up for grabs for the two best entries!  You have until  February 24, 2016 to link up your take on the challenge!

Supplies: Avery Elle Pinked Elle-ments

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2015 Day One

12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist Graphic 1

The 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist at Ellen Hutson’s is one of my favorite events of the year!

I’m sharing a tag inspired by the one shown by Carolyn Peeler.

Jean Manis 12 Tag of Christmas with a Feminine Twist 2015

I stamped the snowflakes from Avery Elle’s Noel set onto the watercolor paper and heat-embossed with clear powder. I put the five snowflake stamps onto the Martha Stewart Press at the same time (which made creating the design super easy). I then (as Carolyn instructed) added the Distress Inks in layers, drying the paper in between applications of ink. I stamped and heat-embossed a sentiment from the same Avery Elle set onto the kraft tag. To finish off the panel, I cut a piece of white cardstock with the scalloped frame in the Mama Elephant Femme Frames set, to which I adhered the watercolor panel (once dry). I custom-colored the Tim Holtz ribbon with the Broken China Distress Stain.

Supplies:

Reverse Confetti “Look for Rainbows”

Today, I’m sharing a CAS encouragement card using Reverse Confetti stamps and dies.

Jean Manis Reverse Confetti CAS Inspirational

I cut the rainbows out of watercolored paper with one of the dies  in the Weather It Together set (I cut a red rainbow, orange rainbow, green rainbow and blue rainbow each nine times) and adhered the rainbows to the card base. I heat-embossed one of the sentiments from the Shine From Within set on black cardstock and cut it with a die in the Class Act set, adhering the panel to the card base with dimensional adhesive.

No matter what the season, this sentiment is always appropriate!

Avery Elle: ‘Tis the Season Tea Cups

“Oh, the weather outside is frightful…” but I’m drinking warm cocoa! I paired a sentiment from Avery Elle’s FA LA LA set with the Tea Time teacups in a holiday card.

Jean Manis 'Tis the Season

I colored the cups (stamped on watercolor paper) with Zig Clean Color brush markers. I cut holes in the two lower cups so that I could stamp the cups, and a small hole in the top cup to hold the candy cane. I added Distress Ink to the background in Peacock Feathers to coordinate with the turquoise and pink on the cups. It ’tis the season for cocoa, egg nog, peppermint mocha lattes, …

Supplies: candy cane (Impress)