Stampscapes Tutorial - Onset of Autumn

Good Morning Everyone!

I was playing last night and took a few photos while I coloured in my latest Stampscapes scene.  It is similar in layout as earlier versions I've done but once my new stamps arrive I'll be creating a lot more different ones!

I'm hoping to show you how I layer.  Is this the proper way of doing things?  I have noooo idea!  As with everything else I do, I fumble through and if it turns out, yippee!  If not... There's a trash can at my feet!

In this first photo you can see I use a stylus.  Always remember not to press too hard or you'll have football shapes on your scene!  Of course, I had to learn the hard way!  So, I started with Willow.  This was tapped onto the grass, trees and some on the lower part of the mountains.  Next came Lemonade.  This was used to add highlights to the grass and on the lower part of the sky around the mountains.

I also used my cloud stamp with Aqua for the sky.



The next step is to add the colours shown above: Citrus, Meadow, Cottage Ivy and Cantalope!  Start with citrus on the trees in the lower part of the grass.  Deepen the trees with Meadow while still letting a touch of citrus show through.  Do this once again with Cottage Ivy making sure that this colour goes where the trees are shaded.  Cantalope highlights the roof, grasses and deciduous trees. 

Okay... I hear ya!  You're thinking... oh my goodness... that's bright!

After each layer, sit back from your image propped up so you can try and visualize what is next or, add more of what you're using!

For this stage I used Terra Cotta, Frayed Burlap, Walnut and Fired Brick!  I placed Terra Cotta in the grass, on the cabin, behind the firs and a bit here and there for good luck!  Fired Brick is on the chimney, deciduous trees and grass.  I use Frayed Burlap for wood, shading on the grass, tree trunks, mountains and the cabin.  Walnut is great for shading anything brown and also for distance shading between trees.  You'll see a cool pencil by the photo.  It's an applicator called Fantastix and I found that at She Runs With Scissors for just over $1.  It absorbs colour and the tip is almost like melted into a point.  This is great for doing fine work like window frames and special touches here and there.

So... Are you still with me or kind of yawning your way onto the next Blog!?!

Here is a closer look at the photo with what's been used so far.  Trust me!!!  It gets better!

We are now going to brighten things up a bit and add to the sky.  Using that kewl Fantastix thingy you can deepen the breaks in the clouds with Aqua, and also add highlights to trees with Lemonade.  Don't forget to tap in some of the three on the mountains as if it were reflecting off the snow.

I also am putting more yellow onto the grass.  You're probably thinking... ya right!  Lighten things up????  Tis twue my grasshopper!  I think inside and outside the box!  These are 'dye' inks so I thought... ya!  I'll dye it back a bit lighter!  Tada!  It works.. for the most part!  While I was playing away... my dogs came in and decided that I should take them outside into a SouthEaster from h*%@!  All it took was one head bumping my arm and the stylus with walnut stain added to my sky!  After panicing (sp?), I tried lightening things up and voila!  Almost gone.. but gone enough that when I stamped the tree braches for framing.. you can hardly see the blobs now!

Now comes the last step!  Shadows!  Take your brown stylus pad and stamp off most of the ink onto plain paper.  Using black dye ink, lightly tap in shadows behind and between trees, the cabin roof where the sun won't hit, the side of the cabin where it's more of a low light setting.  If you goof and catch it quickly you can tap the black with your finger and it does come off onto your finger.  You can get a great look effect doing that at times too.. especially with the sky.

When I do a scene I always do two of the same.  I'll show you the two finished in a minute so you can really see that each and every scene is sooo different!  I'll try and set aside some time tonight to put them together on a card and post the photos after!

Here's the finished photos now.  One has lighter grass and darker sky and the other has a lighter sky and darker grass!  The birds in the lower picture sort of cover the other doggie boo-boo in pink.

Using autumn colour inks is new to me so this has been a learning tutorial for me too!  One thing that I did try (I thought of this while driving again!) was to use a crummy paintbrush, (One of those garbage stiff brushes kids get in the painting kits) and used a white Brilliance ink pad to tap in fine dots of highlights on the grass tips, tree tips and also for the chimney smoke.  Not sure if I like it but once I spray varnish on the photo the colours will sharpen up!

I'm not great at explaining how I do things!  I do hope it helped a bit so you can see the start to finish.

Hint:  When you're out for a drive in the country or wherever... take a look around to see how mother nature paints her pictures.  When you start thinking out in left field you notice so much more!

Good luck and let me know how you make out!!

** I finished one card and here it is!

The maple leaf stamp is from Stampede and was stamped on black then Perfect Pearls was added to keep with the autumn theme.  I'll post the finished pic of the other scene once I get it done.

Thanks for looking!