More Arteza colouring

Sarn's post starting off Challenge #447 is up and running and can be found HERE in the Playground.

Whilst I had the pencils, waterbrushes, label die etc. out over a week ago, I stamped a second image using the same sweet little Altenew flower stamp onto a further snippet of Mixed Media card, added a snippet of green spotty ribbon - and, shock horror, used the best part of an entire sheet of background paper. This is the result:

My snippets!

I used:

- 5.5" x 4.25" 'Strathmore Mixed Media' card blank, tent fold, used the same card as for the water colouring to be sure of a matching shade of white

- stamped the flower image and the word Hello from the same set onto a snippet of 'Strathmore Mixed Media' card using black Archival ink and a stamp set by Altenew called 'Bold Floral'

- coloured the image using the Arteza pencils and a fine waterbrush - this time trying for the look of a poppy

- die cut the image with sentiment using a label die from an un-named set of dies

- trimmed a piece of paper from the Altenew 'Essential Black & White' paper pack to just smaller than the card front and glued it onto the card front

- threaded a snippet of spotted green satin ribbon through the top of the tag and fixed it to the card front using sticky pads

- finished!

The poppy reminds me that Spring and then Summer will surely be on the way. Let's hope so! The odd thing is, I read recently that this coming Summer might be even more of a scorcher here in the UK than last Summer. Can't we stop the clock at late Spring/early Summer and then skip the intense heat in the UK then begin ticking during Autumn?

Dudley Pupdate: it's been a fairly adventurous week with Dudley. We trimmed his claws, no mean feet feat which usually takes the two of us - me hugging a wriggling bath towel wrapped 'burrito' to my front - with just one paw at a time poking out - plus a rather cross little face glaring and rolling its eyes. Len then sits in front of me to do the 'deed'. The little monkey (Dudley) managed to get his other front paw out and clocked me right in the mouth at one point. Then, desperation set in and he buried his head under one of my arms in sheer surrender - for a few minutes until the fight kicked off again. It's such a shame he doesn't realise it's for his own well being, but the towel trick is a big help. Then later in the week it was tsunami time when we all he had his bath - followed on Friday by his annual trip to the vet. 

It's the first time Dudley has been fazed by going to the vet - even when he went back after his mole removal he was fine. He was really uneasy in the waiting room for some reason. But, he passed his checkup fine - although on the way home, reading his record card I realised that he'd been given his three yearly DHP jab in addition to the annual Lepto jab. He was unwell after the one three years ago so I just kept quiet and crossed my fingers

However, within just a few hours a reaction set in - nothing too serious but Dudley not eating his evening meal is a sure sign he's off colour! He lay around pretty listlessly for the whole evening - but perked up by midnight and allowed Len to hand feed him his favourite meal of steamed chicken breast. Then he slept beside the bed rather than in between us - I think hopping onto the footstool and thence onto the bed was just too much effort for him. Thankfully, by the morning he more or less was back to his usual self. So all in all he's been through the mill this past week - poor little sausage!

Playing with Arteza watercolour pencils

At least the rain has stopped and Dudley is enjoying his walks without having to dodge the rain. Snowdrops are appearing as well, always a sign that Spring isn't too far away. 

Sarn's post for the picks and winner of Challenge # 445 can be found HERE in the Playground.

Santa, after a strong hint or three, brought me a set of Arteza watercolour pencils for Christmas. I spent time the other week making up a colour chart with both dry and wet colours for each pencil - and I finally sat and played properly with them the other day. Still need loads more practice but for a first attempt I was quietly pleased with my Sunday Snippets card:

 

My snippets, ready to begin!

I used:

- 5.5" x 4.25" 'Strathmore Mixed Media' card blank, tent fold. I used a snippet of the Strathmore card for the watercolouring and it's an off-white so I used more of the same card to be sure of a match

- stamped the flower image and the word Hello from the same set onto a snippet of 'Strathmore Mixed Media' card using black Archival ink and a NBUS stamp set by Altenew called 'Bold Floral'

- next used my colour chart to find the best Arteza tcolours I could to go with a couple of patterned paper snippets (from a Honey Bee paper pad called 'Team Tie Dye')

- coloured the image using the Arteza pencils and a fine waterbrush 

- die cut the image with sentiment using a label die from an un-named NBUS set I've had waiting for a first outing for ages

- trimmed the biggest patterned paper snippet to just smaller than the card front then trimmed down the bolder toning strip before gluing it across the paler piece of paper at a jaunty angle and trimming the excess from each side

-glued the patterned panel onto the card front

- threaded a snippet of spotted organza ribbon through the top o the tag and fixed it to the card front using sticky pads (plus the neat trick of adding some glue stick to the pads before actually setting the label in place - just to allow some wiggle room)

- stepped away and resisted the urge to add anything else!

The Altenew flower stamp is absolutely gorgeous - really sweet with so many potential ways of colouring it.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Darnell's NBUS Challenge #46 - the stamp set was having a first outing along with the label die - and also the Arteza watercolour pencils of course

Dudley Pupdate - with the improvement in our weather, Dudley is back to his usual walks routine. To be honest, he's never been a dog who leaps up and down with joy at the sight of his harness and lead. Sometimes, he actually zips under my desk out of the way if I'm not fast enough to stop him. But, once he's out he's fine - he wiggles his perky little rear end all the way (Havanese trait) and we're sure he's all the brighter for it! It's still not quite Purple Peril weather but, when the three of us go out together for a walk/ride together, Dudley is raring to go and doesn't pull to come back home either. It means he doesn't actually favour either one of us - he's happiest when we're all three together - UNLESS one of us is in the kitchen preparing a meal of course!

Dudley has his annual trip to our vet for vaccinations and check up on Friday - fingers crossed all will be fine! Our vet practice is one of the best Animal Hospitals in the county - but, for some reason they just can't keep their vets. All of the vets who know Dudley have left over the past year - and it's nuffin' to do with him either! ☺ We're slightly poised to find another practice if we really find things aren't right. Fingers crossed we won't need to change though.