Searching for a creative voice part 2

I mentioned that there has been a lot of inspiration coming out of this year's CHA (the American Craft and Hobby Association) trade show and I've bought some more of the lighter, brighter distress markers and some new stencils. I want to mush them all together, inking, stencilling, staping and doodling to see what happens. And all of this is in an attempt to see if I can find my unique creative style!

My first simple experiment. Some spring coloured stencilling, a word to frame and doodles to frame it.

For my second experiment I gethered together the things below which were a mix of colours I wanted to see work together and a new stamp I wanted to use.

Between us we made this...

The quote from Jean Anoiulh has a personal connection which I never feel from the sentiments and words you can buy as rubber stamps. I scroll through online stores looking for the right words but never find the ones which really speak to me. I've learned my first lesson then about what my style is - and it doesn't include off the peg word stamps. This is great and I'll save money on stamps!

The following day I decided to use the same "recipe" ie make a background, add a stamp but instead of adding writing, I wanted to add doodling.

I splatted the colour burst on a piece of smooth hot pressed watercolour paper and spritzed it. Then I used a permanent ink to stamp on a piece of tissue paper. I added a layer of gesso to create a whiteness under where I wanted to place the image. Once I'd smoothed the stamped image on the sheet, I sealed it with matte Mod Podge. There needed to be more blue so I sprayed some salty ocean one the page and spritzed with water before drying with a heat gun. The doodles were added and where I'd drawn onto very dark colours, I tried to get the flowers to pop by making a small with dot with a white sharpie.

Both of these experiments are a good starting place and I look forward to playing further! After all this hard work I was shouted downstairs by Himself and the mutt for our first cuppa in the later morning sunshine. It's Valentine's Day today and is early in the year for outside drinks. We had to wear thick coats and wrap our cold hands round the mugs but the promise of spring to come and life outside again is exciting :)

And this spring we have a puppy to share it with.

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