A blog devoted to the cards I make in my tiny upstairs space. When my sister stays there, she calls it an "artist's garret". I'm not an artist, but am an enthusiastic cardmaker - hence the title "Cardmaker's Garret".
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Wednesday 2 August 2017

Frosty Window

I hate to be thinking that it is the beginning of August and we are halfway through a beautiful summer, so the last think you'd think I'd want to do is think about frosty windows!  But this month's CAS Watercolour challenge is "salt":


The salt technique lends itself so well to winter / snow / Christmas types of cards.

I love frost, and I love the patterns it makes on windows.  Here's my card:


I took piece of watercolour paper and spritzed it with water, then did a very wet wash with some liquid silver watercolour paint given to me by Loll Thompson.  I sprinkled on quite a bit of kosher salt and let it dry overnight.  When I brushed the salt off the next morning, I had a lovely frosty look.

I die cut the window three times to get dimension, glued them together, then taped a piece of scrap acetate to the back, and then taped the salty piece to the back of that.

The sentiment is stamped and heat embossed in silver, and then its panel is die cut with a stitched rectangle and popped up on the cardbase on fun foam.  I realized when it was all put together that the stitched rectangle is a different shade of white cardstock but could not bear the thought of pulling it all apart and changing it, so decided I like the contrast it gives.

The above photo does not do the silver paint / salt piece justice.  Here's a close-up that hopefully shows the frosty shimmer it has:


I originally made the card with a piece done with blue watercolour paint and salt, but after putting it together, just looked at it and thought "frosty windows are not bright blue" so started again to make the one above.  But I do like my blue paint / salt piece and will either sell it or send it to someone, so here's a peek at that card:


I like it because I love blue and white, but really like the monotone one as it really does make me think of waking up on a winter morning when I was a child in Ontario and our old single pane windows would be all silvery with frost.

Be sure to come and join in with something you've made using a salt and watercolour technique.  There is lots of inspiration from the rest of the CAS Watercolour Design Team and our August Guest Designer, Ros (of Mikey'sMom blog), and from the videos linked up at the challenge.  Please be sure that your card is clean and simple, and link up by August 24th!




Supplies:
Stamps - Impression Obsession sentiment
Ink - ColorBox Silver
Paper - white cs, watercolour cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Memory Box window die, silver liquid watercolour paint, kosher salt, silver embossing powder, Lil Inkers stitched rectangle, acetate, fun foam



12 comments:

  1. What a great effect and love the idea of your 3D window. Love both of the cards but particularly love the first one with the silver shimmery frost. Thank you for the inspiration x

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  2. I love both cards and am so glad you shared them both along with your up close frosty panes of glass. I can just imagine the frosty glitter look of your amazing window panes. TFS my friend. Hugs..

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  3. This does look like frosted windows, Susan! Wow! I LOVE it! The blue is pretty too! And that sentiment couldn't be more perfect!

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  4. Very clever using the silver paint, it looks so cold and crystaly :). the blue one is pretty but the silver certainly conveys ice crystals on a window. Awesome card.

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  5. Oh that shiny frost is gorgeous! Beautiful cards!! Thanks so much for having me with you this month!

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  6. You REALLY did capture a frosted window, Susan! I've not seen it done any more perfectly than this! It sure does depict winter here. Love this card and also love it in blue representing that occasional winter, sunny day!

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  7. both cards look so frosty and awesome....love it!! you had super results Susan.
    xx Karen

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    1. p.s. the blue bkg matches your blog header so well!!

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  8. LOVE your frosted windowpanes, Susan. You've achieved an incredible realism using diluted silver paint. So creative! The blue one is beautiful too ... such a fun technique using salt. xx

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  9. Gorgeous crystal effects, Susan! Love the frosty windows. The close-up picture looks great, but I know it's much more shimmery, silvery, and beautiful in real life. Hideko

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  10. WOW! Beautiful background! It looks like frozen glass! Amazing effect !!

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  11. What a lovely frosted scene through your window Susan - love both the white and blue - and your sentiment couldn't be more perfect!

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