Thursday 31 January 2013

Devil-ish detail




Quite a few of you have asked about the line drawings that have been propped on my iPad/book stand for weeks now.  Well, they are images by Michael Powell, stamps produced by DO Crafts.  Actually the image you see here is not the one on the stand, but no matter. I am not a great one for colouring in.  I love the stamping and the cutting and the collating of card making, but feel a bit slowed down and erm, inadequate when it comes to colouring.  So investing in two of these fine detail outline stamps was a little crazy.  But totally necessary; I really am drawn to them. They speak of faraway magical places and stories yet to be told.  Ahem, aaanyway, despite the shortcomings in the photography, explain this for me will ya.  I coloured the image with watercolour pencils and sloshed a wet brush around a bit to blend and make it look well, watercolour-ry. Left hand photo.  Then I was seized with a need to so something with it that would make it look as if I'd done more than stamp and colour.  I don't know why.  So I coloured the entire image in Versamark ink and embossed it with clear powder.  Right hand photo. Now, is it me, or has that enhanced the detail in one fell swoop?  Kinda put the black outline image on top of the colour?  How? I do not know.  But I like it.  The collating and turning it into a card is a whole other story...apart from a mount and the fact that it doesn't fit on anything but a portrait DL card and won't take an embellishment...argh.  It may not be my colouring aversion that stops me using these delightful stamps after all!



34 comments:

voodoo vixen said...

Ooooh, I likes the second photo best! Don't know how you did it, but whatever it was, it worked a treat! Big stamp is it? I'd be tempted to cut it down and make a few cards from the one image.... but then I am very lazy!

Di said...

Coo Julia - the image really pops after the extra step you added! I've got some Michael Powell stamps here, uninked as yet 'cos they're certainly gonna need a lorra colouring. But, you cracked it good and proper!

I did laugh at your comment yesterday on my WOYWW post - yup, I do go for quite small, neat and often fiddly. Is it a form of OCD perhaps?

Have a great day! Hugs, Di xx

mamapez5 said...

I love the Michael Powell stamps. i have a couple of the harbour ones which i coloured with copics and I was quite pleased with the cards I made for them. You can see them here and
here
I liked your embossed image better, because it is clearer, but I'm not sure it is what I would choose for these style of stamps.
I think they are a bit too big for your average card, but if they were any smaller they really would be too fiddly to colour at all. Kate x

Queenie Jeannie said...

I really like it!!! Reminds me of Italy!

Robin said...

Oh Ms Queenie! I love them! Yes, the second one just pops...what a lovely stamp. I just love to color...and when I am all done I don't know what to do with it! For some reason when I color, I get totally lost in it, which is a great stress reliever for me.

Hugs, Robin #110

Unknown said...

The embossed one seems to have more definition to me.
Carol.x

Almo said...

Yep the 2nd one is the winner. Isnt it fab when you do a quick emboss and the results are as good as this. Mo x

Annie said...

It's the second for me too Julia...all the techy stuff is lost on me but I do know what I like :-)
Hugs,
A x

Krisha said...

Beautiful image. I like both, The softness of the firsts lends more toward the water color effect you wanted. The second is more vibrent, which is what most of us stampers strive for. Making any sense? I fall for those large stamps from time to time, and they are hard to creat with. Mine usually find their way to a journal page or a book cover, or I have even put them in small frames and hung them on the wall. As talented as you are you will find a good home for this print. I have faith in ya girl.

SueH said...

It certainly has transformed it. Not only has it enhanced the lines but the colours look brighter too. Wonder what it would look like if it has a cracked glass finish?

Happy Crafting!
Sue
x

Crafty Lark said...

I love both of them and all it needs is a mount, does not need any embellishment - super stamping. xx Flora

MiniOwner said...

Just lovely!
Sue x

Maisie Moonshine said...

What a difference a random act of embossing makes!

fairy thoughts said...

I have had the same situation, I think the clear emboss sort of magnifies the lines. It doesnt really need any embellies, but you could always add the od blinggem using glossy accents (Cor, I almost sound like I know what I am talking about)or you could put them on your backing card. Dont give up on them I love his designs.
janet

lisa said...

The clear embossing really makes such a difference doesn't it. I love Michael Powell's images and used to do them in x stitch so was thrilled when they came out as stamps. They do take some colouring but are well worth it. I also like leaving them in black and white and then just picking out a circle of colour too, that works well and is far less time consuming.
Hugs Lisax

pearshapedcrafting said...

The embossing certainly made a difference - much brighter! I have two Michael Powell stamps waiting to be used! Btw afternoon tea was nothing like any other I've had! If I tell you that we are two of the youngest flat owners around here and we shared a table with two ladies who were in their nineties-both bright sparks but one with a hearing problem and one with very little vision you may get a little image in your head about the fun we had!! Food was lovely though! Chrisx

Redanne said...

I loved it when Michael Powell did cross stitch but I love his stamps even more. Love the one you embossed, it makes such a big difference - great idea Julia. Hugs, Anne x

MaggieC (Silvercrafter) said...

I like both but I tend towards the first because of the more watercolour effect, which is what I like myself. They certainly stand alone, no embellishments needed. I love colouring in as long as it is a design by someone else, a stamp for example. That way I can start again radiologist goes wrong, with just a mild "tut-tut". If it is my own drawing that goes wrong in the colouring, then I get very upset because I can never repeat the work. Be happy about both yours and just go for the colouring bit. xx Maggie

Anonymous said...

I have the MP Harbour stamps - and they are gorgeous, but so fiddly to colour! I often just do a sort of monochrome effect, with just a couple of colours and picking out the details.

Cardarian said...

It is funny Julia but I find that we many times choose the same things - I bought one of these Michael Powell stamps myself - they are soo enchanting! I colored them with H20s and I think the effect was amazing! I think it is a great idea you put on clear embossing powder - it does bring out the colors but as you say what then???
Lots of hugs,
Cardarian

donnalouiserodgers said...

see i have no understanding of the term rhetorical,

literal - yes
rhetorical = no

answer 1, pile of fabric bundle on my desk is from USA trip - Joanna's, and I'm doing 'textiles' with my Boy....
answer 2, watercolours take the pigment into the paper, the water evaporates into the paper pulp, so the pigment generally looks subdued, usually you can't glaze, cos you would move the pigment about when you 're slosh' it, so heavens only knows how you managed to get embossing ink over it without moving the pigments, but by 'glazing' the work you made the pigments pop out...see you are a genius, I bow in admiration of your experimental art...

I think I might have asperbergic tendencies...

one question - did the watercolour pigment colour transfer to your embossing ink pad?

dxxxx

Brenda B said...

Yup, totally brightened it up, like you turned up the colour knob or something!

Hugs
Brenda

Cindy said...

I've come to you a round about way...but lastly of Patsy at HeARTworks...love your work...and then of course, I think you might be interested in a giveaway over at my place...MyMemories scrapbooking digital software - the full program...and you don't have to follow me!

I am intrigued by the gold marmite...I bet that IS a pleasure to eat!

Eliza said...

Beats me how you did it but it looks heaps better. I always try and emboss when colouring with watercolour because it makes it pop but how you did it afterwards is a miracle. Great work.

Eliza

sara j said...

I would have been sorely tempted to just give myself a little pat on the back for coloring in so well, but I do have to say you are absolutely right. the addition of the embossing makes it sing. Really nice effect. Good luck with the next step!

Craftychris said...

I like both but yes, the second one really pops! Both will make fabulous cards xx

Alison Scott said...

What a difference the embossing makes, like someone turned the lights on.
I think all that it needs is a mat then on a card.
Simple elegance.

Stitching Lady said...

I am following your colouring with interest - I like this stamp so much. Thank you for commenting on my blog (about my certainly nevr ending knitting)

Arnoldo L. Romero, MLA said...

I love the painterly feel of these landscapes. Blessings!

She Who Doodles said...

all i can say is wow. i just can't believe the stamps that are out there these days. and yes the embossing powder does make the whole thing pop.

i have a question, is there a stamping ink that can be used on fabric, that won't wash out?

LisaDV said...

I love that stamp. And yes, the clear EP just made that image pop.

HeARTworks said...

Very nice Julia! But I don't know much about Versamark ink and embossing, but I know what I like, and I like the second one. Instaed of a card, why not mount it on a notebook? :^) patsy

Unknown said...

how strange that the embossing does that - but that's why we emboss black ink with embossing powder after all - so it should be no surprise that it enhances the 2nd image! Eek - I bought two of those stamps when they were on sale at C&C - never realised they would only go on DL... would they go on 5x7 I wonder? I haven't even inked mine up yet - or had them out of the wrapper!

Your water-colouring technique makes sense given that it's the look given to the stamps... bet they'd look nice framed for the wall...

Paula x x x

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