Helmar Dust Away

Recently for the Helmar Creative Team I have been having some fun using the
  Helmar Dust Away Spray.

I sprayed the paper with water. Then I added puddles of watercolour. 

I found that you had to work quickly so the watercolour did not absorb into the paper. I dabbed the watercolour on with a watercolour brush adding more water as well. Then when you could see you had a puddle. I used the Helmar Dust Away Spray and pointed the long nozzle in the direction I wanted the puddle to go. 

Once they were dry I cut them up and added some stamping in black. I then backed them in black card stock and mounted them on a white card. 

I liked using the Helmar Dust Away Spray it really made it easy and fun. I think this would also make an awesome background for a scrapbook layout. 

Have a great day
Vicki-Ann :)

Butterflies.

In my art journal today.  I made a card recently with some Darkroom door stamps. When I was practicing the technique with distress inks and spraying watercolours, I had a few butterflies that I really liked. I cut them out and had them on my desk, so thought I would make an art journal page for them to sit on.

I used my Neocolor II and a waterbrush for the background. Then I went over it with Gesso to tone it down. I added the Donna Downey stencil words with some Decoart acrylic paint in Purple Pizzazz over the top and then added circles with black Gesso and splattered it all with watered down white Gesso. So all just fun stuff to do.

Here is the card that I did with the distress inks and Darkroom Door stamps.

Have a great day
Vicki-Ann :)

31 to 40 of the Index Card A Day Challenge.

I have been doing the Daisy Yellow Index card challenge. This is my third year and I really enjoy the challenge of doing a small index card art every day for the months of June and July.  Here are numbers 31 to 40 of my Index cards to show on my blog. If you would like to follow me on Instagram at @sandybeachart I have been putting them up on there daily. 

#31 100 

Dangles coloured in with Gelli roll pens

#32 Off Prompt

Collage with a piece of dictionary paper. 

#33 Magic

Thought I would do a wizard out of collage from The Artstronauts Club. 

#34 Off Prompt

Watercolour flowers and a printed quote

#35 Sunflower

Watercolour. 

#36 Off Prompt

I really enjoyed doing the next 3 sets of cards. 

I love Mixed media and just thought that hey, I had the paints out might as well do 3. 

#37 Off Prompt

#38 Off Prompt

#39 Off Prompt

I watched Tammy from Daisy Yellow on Periscope

 doing mandalas with dangles, well that is what I call them. So thought I would incorporate some of my dangles on one. 

 

#40 Off Prompt

Another drawing of a creature. 

Well that is my fun for this week. The challenge is finished now and I have just one left to do. 

Posting this up a bit late for Paint Party Friday.. 

Have a great day 

Vicki-Ann :)

Watercolour mini book.

Recently I watched Tammy from Daisy Yellow on Periscope. I am really enjoying watching her live feeds on my IPAD. Just snippets of fun art that make me want to get my art journal out and play. The last one I watched Tammy do she made these great little watercolour tiny art books. So thought I would have a go at these too.

So then because I could and it was very relaxing I made another one in pinks and purples. Just have
to sew it up. These are made by tearing up a page of watercolour paper. Then I just painted randomly on the paper using my Grumbacher watercolour paints. It was fabulous to get the watercolours out again. They are so pretty and love the randomness of watercolour.

Have a great dayVicki-Ann :)

Index Card A Day Week 3...

I have been playing along with Index card prompts and this is the third week done. This week the theme was really random. More info on what ICAD - Index Card a Day is check out all the info over at Tammy's. Tammy has it all sorted and so organised, just pop over to Daisy Yellow. Join in the fun as there is no rules. You don't have to follow the prompts you can just do your own thing. The point is to just do a little Index card art every day and have fun along the way. 

No 15 Route 66 

I used Andy Skinners stencil for the background 

and the lettering made this card a very quick one to do. 

Used DecoArt Americana paints.  

 No 16 Greeting Card

I had been making happy mail and had these colours out

 and just did the same thing on the index card as the happy mail.  

Used DecoArt Americana paints. 

No 17 Wabi-Sabi

I had never heard of this had to look up what it meant. 

So a simple little watercolour, thought it fitted the ticket for this one. 

No 18 Treehouse

I love drawing trees and it was fun to sketch a little tree in it. 

No 19 Snowglobe

I have been drawing a lot of these little characters inspired by Tracy Moore. 

Thought he fitted well inside the snowglobe.

I used a baby wipe and DecoArt Americana paints for the background on this. 

No 20 Colour Wheel 

I did a line drawing where you do a line and don't lift the pen. 

Then I coloured it in with watercolours. 

No 21 1970s

I tried to do a groovy 70s 

coloured it in with watercolours had to add brown. 

There was so much brown around in the 70s.

Well that is another week done. I will catch up with the other weeks in the next few days, as I am actually up to day 38 today. It's zooming along and I am enjoying the challenge of doing the prompts. 

Have a great day

Sandy :) 

My blog turned 3 and a giveaway...

Lonely Cards turned 3 today!

We hope it was a great year, and we look forward to sharing many more!

Well where did those 3 years go.. I got this message in my email from Tumblr to say my blog had turned 3 yesterday with the little cake and candles. How cute is that. Wow feels like it was only last year when I thought hey it would be fun to start a blog.. So thought hmm how will I celebrate.. Well what about I have my first ever giveaway.. That will be a lot of fun. So what to give away... Well what about one of the inserts that I make for my recycled leather travelers notebook.. I have made a few of these little art journals now and they are just awesome to use..  I make them out of file folders for the cover and it has 16 pages of watercolour paper sewn in. It has a copy of my collage art, collaged on the front some more of my printed random art on the back cut out into circles. He is a cute little blue guy. I cover all the collage with some packing tape so it keeps it clean.. This is what I do for the ones I use myself I find it works really well.

Front

Back

So if you are interested in winning this little art journal.

1. Be a follower of my blog.

2. Pop a comment on this blog post.

Easy hey, so from there I will assign you a number and pop it in the random number generator and see who is the lucky winner. Winner will be drawn on March 17th. Good luck to all.. 

Have a great day 

Sandy :)

Edit 

This competition is now closed and Melody Roberts was the random wheel winner.. Congratulations Melody.. Thanks everyone for entering my little competition..

Sketching...

I have been loving sketching all sorts of things lately.. It started with the Index cards I really did not know I could draw.. I could draw flowers well just daisies really.. With the challenge of prompts it made me have a go and who knew I could have so much fun sketching all sorts of things.. 

This is my latest sketch. I am doing the Daily Paper Prompts over at Daisy Yellow this is for # 4 Flowers. I sketched her in my sketch book just sketching away and doodling but then well she so needed some colour. So I added some Grumbacher watercolour then she had to have a quote too. 

Going to link this up over at Balzer designs as they have all been sketching and adding watercolours too.. 

Have a great day
Sandy :)

Sunshine...

Wanted to experiment with the neocolour II a bit more in my journal.. This is not watercolour paper and wanted to just see what it was like in here.. It does not blend as well but kind of like the streaky textured look I got.. Had fun doodling those rays from the sun so all in all was fun to do.. 

Quote on here is... Turn your face to the sun and all of the shadows fall behind you... 

Have a great day 

Sandy :)

Watercolours...

We have a daily practice of watercolour happening over on a facebook group Mixing it up every day its a great group of friendly people. This is my day 6 of practice, some tulips... 

Day 4 was a group of potted plants I have on my verandah..
So if you are interested pop over and join the group and join in our daily practice, there is lots of tips and some lovely work getting posted.. 

Have a great day
Sandy :)

Wonky village...

Today I watched Sundays with Sandee on frosted designs.. This week it was a new lettering style to try called Wonky lettering.. So I was thinking ok this looks a fun one to do and wanted to just do some more in my watercolour book.. So this is what I came up with.. Its a wonky village in the sky, goes perfectly with the wonky lettering, thanks Sandee for the inspiration...  

I found Madeline de Kemp on Pinterest and all her wonderful bright creations worth taking a peek at her flickr page here. Such fun bright colours Madeline uses, cant help but make you smile at the wonderful things she does. I don't think this will be my last village somehow...

Have a great day 
Sandy :)

Have fun...

Tracy from Mixed Media Monday was on the facebook page yesterday saying how she was painting and who else was doing something.. Well I really liked what Tracy was inspired by, thought I would have a go at something similar.. So out came the pencil and watercolours... 

Lots of daisies, doodling, dangles and some practice for my lettering... So more fun to be had with what I am enjoying doing at the moment, all mixed together...

Have a great day
Sandy :) 

Dream...

Just because I still had the watercolours out all sprayed and ready. The paper was cut and sitting there taunting me.. 
So I did this... 

Going to link this up at Balzer designs
Also for the facebook group  Journal 52 prompt. Week 13 'How does your garden grow'.

Have a great day
Sandy :)

April is Autism awareness Month

Wanted to do something to highlight that April is Autism awareness month so thought I would do a watercolour.. Another great opportunity to practice lettering.  I used Dylusions sprays for the jigsaw pieces which is the symbol for Autism awareness.. Here is a link if you want some more information at Autism.org.

I am going to enter this at the following challenges

7 kids challenge fund
Crafting by Designs
Balzer designs

Have a great day
Sandy :)

I am...

So after yesterday's 'Just be' lettering, I thought ok well more practice is good.. So I thought I would enter this over at the challenge for Tracy at Mixed media Monday for her 'I am' challenge this month... Also I had to enter over at Frosted Designs for Sundays with Sandee for the track lettering Sandee has been teaching us.. Its along the side there in the border how the letters run along.. Its so tricky your letters so want to go up and be loopy and not stay in the darn line.. 

I think I am getting the hang of the smaller words in the different style.. Different flowers on this one, they kind of look like little roses so cute. They are from the whimsical lettering from Joanne Sharpe..  So lots of things altogether to make a journal page that was more fun and more learning.. Watercolour H2O's and black pen and the signo white pen too here and there for the doodling..

Have a great day
Sandy :)

Just be...

I joined another facebook group this one is called. The art of whimsical lettering with Joanne Sharpe and this week the challenge was to write the words 'Just Be'. There was so much inspiration so thought ok lets have a go at this.. 

So first I sketched on graph paper just to play around with a different style of lettering.. Then on to the watercolour paper I sketched a layout of what I wanted to do with pencil.. Next I coloured in with my watercolour sparkling H2O's, I just love sparkle.. To finish off and bring out the details I went all around it with my black pen adding some doodling.. It was great to try out some new lettering its something that I need to practice and learn new ways to write.. Always love an excuse to get the watercolours out.. I also popped Sandee from in the hills of North Carolina tracking lettering at the side there in the border to keep practicing that lettering too.. 

Have a great day
Sandy :)

Patience of Nature...

Today Sandee from In the hills of North Carolina did a great drawing from a picture of crocus.. I so loved the picture I asked if I could use her picture and do a sketch in watercolours.. Now I have never done a sketch from a picture of real flowers before and think this is the perfect way to finish the very last page in my much loved watercolour book.. 
I even tried some swirly lettering, as always I love to try something new to me.. 

Its Paint Party Friday's 3rd blogaversary so joining in the fun this week by linking up my flowers.. 

Have a great day
Sandy :)

Be...

So here is another one of my doodled girls.. Tried a swirly nose this was such an easy nose to do and thought it kind of suited the doodled part, also different eyes and mouth and even different shaped face to this one.. She is winking at you so thought the words around the outside suited this.. Be silly, Be honest, Be kind.. She has flowers in her hair too kind of like those.. I also didn't colour in her face this time, kind of liked it just like this.. More watercolour H2O's, loving these colours and the great sparkle they have.. 

Going to pop this in at Paint Party Friday I know its late but love peeking at all the great work everyone has on there.. 
This is also for Journal 52 week 9 Colour swatch inspiration..

Have a great day
Sandy :)

Drawing with Limor

I watched Limor Webber on Ustream live and she did an amazing drawing of a girl on a beautiful bright background. So I had to have a go and join in as I am in this drawing faces mode at the moment.. I should join in on that 30 faces in 30 days think I have just about done that.. Here is the youtube Link to her video so you can have a look and maybe give one a try too.. I did not have the pencil that Limor used but I did have a black Derwent Aquatone and found that worked ok to try this out.. I also used my twinkling H2o's for the background colouring..  So was a bit of fun and a lovely way to spend some time learning something new.. 

Have a great day
Sandy :)

She Believed...

So number 3 in my doodle lady series, yes and I have another on the way so there are going to be a few.. This one has flowers in her hair quite like those..
I came across this great quote today... "Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if its good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding make more art."  by Andy Warhol. 
I don't know when I am going to stop doing these, but know its not yet. So I will just keep going... 
I have linked this up with the Addicted to stamps challenge its a photo inspiration.. On the 8th of March its international women's day and the lovely Darnell from djkardkreations is a guest designer this week so wanted to join in the fun... 

Have a great day 
Sandy :)

Its Time...

These are such fun... I am really enjoying the drawing of the faces and the doodling and watercolours, its just combining everything I love to do.  So hope you enjoy them too..  
The words on this are 'It's the time to allow yourself to become who you have always been on the inside'.. The words just felt right when I put them together.. Her face is really long, love how they all just turn out different.. Hubby said she looks like a hippy.. I am working on my third one just cant seem to stop.. 

Have a great day
Sandy :)