Watercolored Critters + Whimsy Reveal #4

Hi everyone! I am back again to share one more stamp set that I created for the March Whimsy Stamp release! Today is the reveal of the Hedgehugs stamp set, and I’ve used it to create a sweet, watercolored scene!

I also have two other posts for today. If you are looking for one of my other posts, see these links: Neat & Tangled Reveal #4 or Double Frame Shaker + Pretty Pink Posh hop.

Hedgehogs are such adorable critters and I have always had a soft spot for them (and any critter for that matter!). I wanted to create a stamp set perfect for “warm and fuzzy” cards and I love the fun sentiments that are part of this set, especially the “sending you big hedgehugs”. I also paired the two little hedgehogs with images that can be used to create a scene, because scene cards are something I truly love to make.

I used Tim Holtz distress inks to watercolor my critters from the Hedgehugs stamp set, and because this is no-line watercoloring, I made sure to use Antique Linen for all the stamping because the light colored lines would be pretty much invisible on all the coloring.

Watercoloring is a pretty uncontrollable medium, but you can put a little bit of control over it by making sure you use a higher pigment to water ratio, which is what I did here. I used Pentel Aquash waterbrushes to paint with; however, I did not fill them with water. I like the tips on the Pentel brushes but because I wanted to have more control over the watercoloring, I made sure they were empty so that I could make sure my brushes weren’t getting too wet.

As for the colors I used to watercolor with, I have them all broken down for you below and each are linked down at the bottom of this post.

• hedgehog: Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy (body); Victorian Velvet, Spun Sugar (belly and cheeks);  Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs, Pumice Stone, Walnut Stain (spines)
• tree stump: Antique Linen, Walnut Stain (tree stump rings); Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs, Ground Espresso (tree stump bark)
• ladybug: Antique Linen (face); Victorian Velvet (cheeks); Barn Door (body)
• bird: Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers (body); Spun Sugar, Victorian Velvet (belly and cheeks); Mustard Seed (beak)
• yellow flowers: Mustard Seed, Brushed Corduroy (petals); Barn Door, Gathered Twigs (flower centers); Shabby Shutters, Crushed Olive (leaves and stems)
• pink flowers: Spun Sugar (petals); Shabby Shutters, Crushed Olive (leaves and stems)
• grass: Shabby Shutters, Crushed Olive, Forest Moss
• rocks: Hickory Smoke
• hearts: Spun Sugar, Barn Door

Please note that I have most of the distress ink pads and I used a lot of colors for this project because I was adding shading. If you do not have all the colors I have used for this card, you can still replicate a similar effect using less colors. And don’t forget that you can mix colors together too for creating different shades of color that you might not have an ink pad for.

Keep in mind too that this watercoloring took quite a few hours to complete because there was a bit of drying time involved. After everything was completely dried, I fussy cut all the images out and layered them onto a white linen card base using foam tape. My sentiment (heat embossed in gold onto vellum) is also added onto my card with clear Kool-Tak foam tape.

MORE INSPIRATION & GIVEAWAYS

If you enjoyed today’s card featuring my new Hedgehugs stamp set, here are some of the other cards I created with my new stamp and die designs for Whimsy’s March release! Click on the photos to be taken to the corresponding posts.

[one_third padding=”0 5px 0 5px”][/one_third][one_third padding=”0 5px 0 5px”][/one_third][one_third_last padding=”0 5px 0 5px”][/one_third_last]

Today -and all week long – Whimsy Stamps has some amazing guest designers (Yoonsun Hur, Nichol Magourik, Jennifer McGuire, Ruby Naz, Catherine Pooler) and design team members showcasing all the stamps and dies being revealed for this month’s release! Over the next few days, be sure to stop by here and the Whimsy Stamp blog for more inspiration and new reveals!

Did I mention that there are prizes too? Stop by the Whimsy Stamp blog for more details on how you can win some of the goodies being given away… and keep an eye out on Whimsy’s Facebook and Instagram; there may be a surprise giveaway there too! :)

PRODUCTS

If you are interested in any of the products used in this post, I have them all linked below to Simon Says Stamp. Affiliate links used when possible.

[su_expand more_text=”SHOW MORE” height=”400″ link_color=”#F27790″ more_icon=”icon: chevron-down” less_icon=”icon: chevron-up” class=”expand products”]

SIMON SAYS STAMP

Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad HICKORY SMOKE Ranger TIM43232	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad PUMICE STONE Ranger TIM27140	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad WALNUT STAIN Ranger TIM19534	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad BRUSHED CORDUROY Ranger TIM21421	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad ANTIQUE LINEN Ranger TIM19497	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad GROUND ESPRESSO Ranger TIM43270
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad GATHERED TWIGS Ranger Fall TIM32823	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad CRUSHED OLIVE	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad SHABBY SHUTTERS	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad FOREST MOSS Ranger TIM27133	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad MUSTARD SEED Ranger TIM20226	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad SPUN SUGAR Ranger TIM27164
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad VICTORIAN VELVET Ranger TIM27195	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad BARN DOOR Ranger TIM27096	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad CRACKED PISTACHIO TIM43218	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad PEACOCK FEATHERS	Strathmore WATERCOLOR 9×12 SHEETS 373091	*Ranger Inkssentials GLOSSY ACCENTS Glue Dimensional Adhesive
Bazzill 40 LB VELLUM 8.5 x 11 White 25 Sheets	Uni-Ball Pen Signo Gel WHITE Two Pack 1919994	Ranger Embossing Powder SUPER FINE GOLD EPJ37408	Tsukineko Versamark EMBOSS INK PAD Watermark	3M Scotch DOUBLE-SIDED FOAM TAPE Permanent	Pentel AQUASH BRUSH 3 PACK Fine Medium Bold 25104

[/su_expand]