Faux WatercolorCanvas Bookmark

Faux Watercolor Canvas Bookmark

By Gail Green

Welcome to the Linnie Blooms Design Team Blog Hop! A link list appears at the end of my project so you can continue hopping and leaving comments to win a prize....$50 worth of Linnie Blooms products!  WOWZA!

And now...here's my project!

My NEW attractive bookmark project is truly a functional work of art! 

This clever design includes a canvas feather to hold your reading spot.  Simply place the bookmark behind the page and slip the feather over page! 

MATERIALS USED:

Linnie Blooms Canvas Bookmark and Canvas Leaf Shape, Bloom Stencil/Mask, Shabby Trim (green)

Kreinik #16 Braid #5520

Sakura Micron PIGMA 08 Waterproof Pigment Ink Pen

Plaid Decorator Glaze (Linen, Aqua, New Leaf, Bluebell, Lemon Yellow, Paprika, Neutral); #12 Flat Paintbrush

Misc: Toothpick, Embroidery Needle, Button

Note: Use Neutral  Glaze to blend or soften colors, as desired.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Stroke a smooth coat of Linen in center of bookmark. Apply Aqua and New Leaf side-by-side on brush. Using a vertical stroke, quickly brush paint onto bookmark, using Neutral to blend and extend drying time. Stroke Bluebell along bottom edge and dab along the top edge; blend into the other colors. Dry.

Place stencil over bookmark, 1/3 from bottom edge.

Brush or sponge Lemon Yellow in center, blending a small amount of Paprika along edges. 

Place straight stencil edge in center of shape, as shown. Using the toothpick, draw a line across to establish a horizon. 

Working quickly, use long loose strokes and blend down to create reflection. Dry several hours. 

Add Lemon Yellow and Linen to brush and brush up into the sky. If desired, dab additional layers of Linen and Yellow to Sun section above the horizon line. Add swirling lines of Line and Lemon Yellow in the reflection below the horizon. Dry several hours.

Paint the feather Aqua; add Bluebell along the edges. Dry several hours. Write phrase and draw feather lines with pen.  Attach the feather and button to the bookmark with cord. Place Shabby Trim bow as shown and secure with cord. 

Keep Hopping! Return to the Linnie Blooms blog http://linnieblooms.blogspot.com until I can get all the Design Team links checked and added!

Here's the list of participating designers and their direct links:

Beth Watson

Mayoori Jain

Ann Strecko Koeman

Karen Sessions

Gail Green   (You are here)

Noelia Inglesias Gonzolez

Dawn Mattson

Trish Cortez

Don’t forget to leave a comment on each blog so you can be entered into our giveaway!

Back to Linnie Blooms Design Team Blog

Linnie Blooms BLOG hop on WEDNESDAY!

Attn all mixed media artists, crafters, stampers, painters....and creatives!

Watch for WEDNESDAY!

Linnie Blooms Blog Hop begins....

Prizes!  Prizes!  Prizes!

All you have to do is comment on my blog to be entered....so check back on WEDNESDAY!

More Ollie the Monkeyman Stories!

It's time for another Ollie story!

Ollie is a male red-side Eclectus parrot who LOVES crafts, watching me create art, feeding the dogs (and playing with their toys...aka stealing their toys), whatever we are eating...and music!

He also talks.  I mean talking as in actual communication using appropriate sounds and/or human words/phrases.  Most people who do not know birds well assume that talking birds just mimic words and have no idea what they mean.  Intelligent parrots like African Greys and Eclectus, however, are capable of actual appropriate use of words--which are sounds--and other sounds to communicate their thoughts, needs, and feelings.

For example, Ollie learned a long time ago to imitate the sound of a dog squeaky ball and use that sound to convey happiness. He will always make that squeaky ball sound whenever we turn on the shower and ask him to step up so he can be transferred onto his perch inside the shower stall and enjoy a bath.  He spreads his wings wide and allows the water to thoroughly soak his feathers during his bath.  When I tell him to step back onto the perch (so he won't get soap or shampoo on his feathers), he will immediately step back and up onto his perch.

HOWEVER....if he just HAD a bath the previous day and doesn't really need another one, he will not make that sound.  He'll go into the shower with us to keep us company and enjoy the higher humidity, but won't spread his wings or attempt to get wet.  And no squeaky toy squeal of delight!

After his bath, I place one of his small towels around him, dry him off for just a moment and then replace him and his perch into the bathtub where he then listens to country music and preens himself in the sun streaming in the window. He sings to the music, then takes a nap.

 Hopefully it will finally warm up so the windows can be open and he can once again enjoy full spectrum light!