Hello Stamplings!
With all the rain we've had this year (hallelujah!), the whole state of California has had a bumper crop of our state flower, the California poppy. You may have even seen photos on television of the largest area in the state where they are super abundant this spring, bringing visitors from all over the world. It's very fitting, therefore, that this month's CAS Watercolour Challenge features the beautiful poppy!
It's one of my favorite flowers, so I couldn't not play along!
It's one of my favorite flowers, so I couldn't not play along!
Here's another angle showing the coppery scrumminess:
Twofer
A few days ago I messed around with my NBUS Ken Oliver Liquid Metals. I dropped some copper onto a glossy card and then, not knowing better, I added some blending solution. I don't know if I did it wrong or what, but the two didn't get along. The metallic bits separated from the ink and looked like pepper on the paper. I then added some terra cotta alcoholic ink and blew that around with blending solution. It made the spot bigger, but it wasn't pretty with the bits in it, so I just set it aside.
So then what happened was, as I was clearing my work area after making the first card, I saw the set-aside "fail," picked it up and went "Erh?" with a cock of my head. That always gets Hammy's attention and we both realized that it was just about prezackly the size of the Concord & 9th poppy. So I sort of lined it up over the splat and stamped. And now I love it! That just shows, as many of you have said before, don't throw away those inky "fails!"
The giant MWAH from CASual Fridays and a smattering of sequints was all that was needed to complete this OLC. Here is a closeup of the metallic bits that separated from the ink. Extra texture, right?!
Challenges
- Krafty Chicks: Flowers.
- The Male Room: A/G, optional twist: OLC.
- Simon Says: Beautiful blooms.
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And here are a coupla photos of our own local native poppies:
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Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy! LITS!*
As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower! Please let me know you came by so I can be sure and return the flavor!
As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower! Please let me know you came by so I can be sure and return the flavor!
*Life is too short!
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Oh Darnell, you've just clarified something in my muddy old mind! I'd been puzzling about why CAS Watercolour had referred to poppies as a spring flower - to me the poppy is a high summer flower, that grows along the edges of fields of ripening corn, and is months away from appearing yet. Now I understand - they were talking about the Californian poppy which is totally different - and probably not even related - to the bright red poppy we have here in Europe. All has become clear, thanks to your beautiful cards.
ReplyDeleteI am loving seeing all the poppies in blogland right now. So many gorgeous creations, including your fabulous California poppy! Love the outline and sentiment done in copper embossing. Just perfect with the beautiful shades of yellow and orange. Your blue splashed background adds a perfect contrast of colours!
ReplyDeleteThen there's your experiment. Seriously ... this is one cool, uniquely creative, artistic card, Dolly! It should be hanging in a gallery! Thanks for sharing with us at CAS Watercolour, my sweet friend! xx
Hi Darnell, Loving your cards.
ReplyDeleteThe Poppy is lovely and according to Google is grown for a fair few medicinal purposes.
Hope you have a lovely day. Sue
Great turnaround Darnell, the'mistake' looks fab!
ReplyDeleteSpent an hour the other day weeding out hundreds of poppy seedlings from between my herbaceous plants. I love red field poppies and I'm always out spreading their love but I draw the line at the way they were strangling the other plants! :)
It was to this stamp that my mind turned when I saw the poppy challenge too, Darnell ... not that I've progressed with it you understand! You and Hammy have made it shine with that gorgeous colouring, shimmer and splash pool DI ... the copper is luscious! I gasped at the second version ... oh my goodness, what a stunner ... artsy, stylish, sophisticated ... a perfect lesson in how to turn a 'fail' into a ready-to-frame piece of art! LYAMYLALMA! Big hugs and bisous, Anita :)
ReplyDeleteI love these gorgeous poppies Darnell and your gorgeous cards too. I remember seeing these in fields when we were doing our road trip in 2017.It was beautiful to see them in the field rather than a garden.
ReplyDeleteSue xx
O, what a wonderful bloom! On the first card you poppy looks like as real as possible. Wonderful watercoloring. We only have red poppies at our fields. One another reason for me to visit Kalifornia again. :-) Compliments to Hammy! He made amazing background. :-)
ReplyDeleteI was sitting with wide open mouth for a long time as I saw your second card. It is fantastic. A masterrpiece. You are right. The accident has to be seen from the other perspective. :-) You rescue of the card was genious.
Happy Easter!
Hugs, Sonja
I love poppies, but we have to wait a while before they will be out here...
ReplyDeleteYour cards look beautiful, even the bah-card is gorgous! (Never throw something away immediately; you can do that later is a good thing now and then :) ) Hugs, Gerrina
Wow!! Two amazing and different poppy cards, both them looks gorgeous!!Love the copper embossing on the first one and the happy play with the alcohol inks in the second one!! :)
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful photos!! Italian wild poppies are red, but we have the fabulous California type seeds in the gardening shops! :)
Hugs and Happy Easter!
Your cards are so nice!
ReplyDeleteValerija xx
What fabulous poppies and so pleased that rainfall has been good and they are growing so well in the wild this year. The stylised poppy is a beauty and both versions look fabulous Darnell. The first gold embossed is perfect with the blue as though it has had its photo taken against a lovely blue sky and the simple sentiment looks great, and your inky splat was obviously meant to have the poppy stamped over it and the fun sentiment and sequins are wonderful finishing touches. x
ReplyDeletetwo beautiful cards, but I must admit the "failed" card is my favorite! It's just stunning and captivating with the bit of ink and sharp stamped image! Love them both along with your gorgeous poppy fields! Just makes me want to roll around in that beautiful field of poppies and green hills! Have a wonderful Easter weekend! And Mwah - how perfect to get your trademark sentiment stamp! I love it :)
ReplyDeleteCute cards! I always thought poppies were red. Never knew about the California poppies
ReplyDeleteHave a great day!
Marilyn❤
This is one flower I find I am missing a lot. I took them for granted in CA and now I am trying to grow some in my yard. It can be done as I discovered a house/yard nearby that grows them. So, I've been trying the past few years. Got a few! These cards are so beautiful and reflect the beauty of the flower. Wonderful! Thank you, Darnell for the lovely Easter card. It made my day! I hope you have a lovely holiday! Big hugs!!
ReplyDeleteI wish I was there to run through the poppies. But, I don''t want the effect that the Wizard of Oz gang had. We have been seeing on the television the fields of them and how beautiful they are. My brother lives in LA and he and his wife went to see them. Just lovely.
ReplyDeleteWhen I look at the metallic bits that seperated I really though it looked like you put some stamens in your flower. Perfect! [Bunny]``
WOW...I am totally in LOVE with both of your BEAUTIFUL Poppy cards Darnell! Your yellow and orange coloring with the Zigs and then the copper embossing looks FABULOUS together!! And now don't laugh, but I have that same stamp and never knew it was a Poppy! Just thought it was a really cool artsy flower...thank you for teaching me something new today! And speaking of artsy...your 2nd card is AMAZING and to think it started out as an "oops"! Absolutely beautiful and perfect sediment too...definitely should be framed!! Thanks so much for sharing both these beauties with us at CAS Watercolour Darnell!! :0)
ReplyDeleteI want to run through that gorgeous field of poppies... my favorite color, too! Speaking of pepper, the seed heads of poppies look, and act just like a pepper shaker, D... it was most definitely density that it turned out just the way it was supposed to! AND GORGEOUS! MMWAH!
ReplyDelete=]
Your poppy cards are lovely, like the blue background and the third background you almost threw awAy is lovely,no mistakes in the stamping world! Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteBoth cards are absolutely gorgeous! And thank you for sharing the photos of the real deal. Such a great color of orange!
ReplyDeleteEmbossing with copper really pops with your water color poppy. Hammy did a great background for it and sacrificed himself to do it. My jaw dropped when I saw the second poppy. What a work of art that is. Frame it, hang it and admire it all day long. Just stunning.
ReplyDeleteBoth of your poppy images are beautiful, but I love, love, love your "messed up" one. Just gorgeous, and your "blob" fits that stamp perfectly!!!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous cards! Especially love the last one!
ReplyDeleteI am rather partial to poppies so it's lovely to see these lovely cards. Your fail turned out to be a very happy accident as the result is sensational!! xx
ReplyDeleteHappy almost Easter to you and the family.
ReplyDeleteHonestly I love the "uh-oh" mistake card and the free flowing loveliness. I am just now into watercolor and taking a class and really excited -- it is much more difficult with zigs and a stamp. Since the day we moved here eight years ago I have wanted to do water color, hip hip hooray.
Correction "it is much easier with zigs and a stamp." Our first project palm trees and sunset - whoa but I am working on it.
ReplyDeleteTwo absolutely gorgeous cards with the poppy. I love both design and especially how you saved the "oops" and made it into a beautiful poppy. Have a happy Easter too!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Darnell,your California poppy is a stunner. I love the loose flow of watercolour, you need to see if you can repeat the effect. Stunning :)
ReplyDeleteStunning, stunning, stunning. Both are gorgeous, ya know, but that "fail" one is a real success, in my book. Actually made me choke on my coffee...in other words, took my breath away. My backyard is full of these glorious flowers right now and I love them.
ReplyDeleteBEAUTIFUL poppies, Darnell! The color on your cards and also the pictures is gorgeous - one of my favorites!
ReplyDeleteThey're both so gorgeous!! I love the beautiful colors and flowers!! And your pictures of the poppies are fabulous!! They're such gorgeous flowers!! Have a great weekend!! Big hugs :)
ReplyDeleteLisa
A Mermaid's Crafts
I love California Poppies, they're such a beautiful flower, would love to see them in their native habitat it must be such a spectacular sight!
ReplyDeleteYour cards are both stunning too, it's a gorgeous stamp, the CAS designs showcase it perfectly...can't decide which I prefer (feel a bit guilty after all Hammy's hard work...and he had to have a shower...but that's life!)Enjoy the Easter weekend
Chris
x
Two wonderful cards Darnell. What a wonderful colour ad all that sparkle on the first one...and a really super throw away bit has transformed your stamp in to something extra special! Happy accident as they say! Hugs xx
ReplyDeleteHi Darnell, I noticed a lone yellow poppy growing by the side of the shed this morning, and it reminded me that you do indeed get yellow poppies, so your one is just gorgeous, the red one too, beautiful colouring on both of them and lovely designs. A pretty carpet of poppies on your photo, Kate x
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to have this beautiful poppy as your state flower x.
ReplyDeleteLove that contemporary poppy stamped image and with the copper on the first card it looks stunning....Yay to Hammy and hope he enjoyed his sherry? x.
One artsy and beautiful second card and the metallic bits and the colours of the alcohol ink and liquid metals looks fabulous x.
Both cards are very striking and absolutely stunning x
Thank you for sharing the photos of the beautiful native poppies and Happy Easter to you, your family and to Hammy x
A fabulous collection of cards and my fav flower too.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter to you and yours.
Kath x
Two fabulous poppy cards (and fabulous photos of your California poppies - that grow here too - I have them in a couple of my very sunny drier flower beds)! Your first card really captures their colours, and I love Hammy's splashed blue ink on the background - would have laughed had I seen him covered in blue ink! And what luck to have your "failed" splotch of colour work perfectly with the poppy stamp for a more artsy-looking card! Thanks so much for joining us at CAS Watercolour!
ReplyDeleteI love those yellow poppies. YOur first is so pretty with the copper embossing. And, I am blown away by your second. IT is ART for sure. I bumps my favorites of yours all the way to the TOP!
ReplyDeleteWhat fabulous poppies!! I LOVE both cards but the second one is my favorite. I love that fun liquid metal. I need to get some of this to try. It looks FUN!!! Your photos are gorgeous. New England is just starting to bloom but no poppies here. Thank you for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteWOW! The combination of colors is amazing. Cold blue emphasizes the warm color of your poppy so strongly. I love the background of this card. And the second card took away my speech ... So amazing artistic design! I also love this card :-))
ReplyDeleteJoyful Easter, Darnell!
hugs,
BożenA
I LOVE the poppy photos and the copper on the first one with the blue BG splatters! Both cards are Gorgeous, Darnell!
ReplyDeleteOh wow! What gorgeous poppy cards!! Both are awesome! I’m so glad you saved your “fail” because I think it’s just so beautiful!!!! Poppies don’t grow like that here in Texas so I love seeing the field of them. Absolutely beautiful!! So glad you shared that! Many hugs!
ReplyDeleteThere's so much goodness here! A yummy watercolored copper lined poppy, and a loose stamped black lined copper speckled poppy. Everything's coming up poppies! Hammy made such a nice background on the first card, too. He's very talented! My garden used to be filled with CA poppies. Snipping off the spent blooms kept them going, but I always let some go to seed so they'd pop up in random locations. So wonderful! Now I have too much shade, tsk tsk. A garden is always evolving. Your poppy photos show a beautiful landscape, sigh.
ReplyDeleteYour poppy cards are just as pretty as the real thing! And yay, Hammy, for helping out so diligently. He's such a faithful crafting partner. Have a wonderful Easter, my friend.
ReplyDeleteI did see pictures of the poppies--just glorious! Yours are, too! I especially love how you saved the "goof" which is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteWe used to have some wild ones that just popped up in the garden. They were yellow and orange and so delicate. When the heads dried, the girls used to shake them all over the garden to make more. We need some in our new house! Isn't it funny what we can make from our 'fails'? It wasn't really a fail after all. It was just waiting for the right card. xx
ReplyDeleteWonderful cards!
ReplyDeletehappy Easter!
This poppy stamp is AWESOME, Dolly! I hadn't seen it before or it just hadn't caught my attention like these have. The first with the embossed edges, beautiful watercoloring and splashed background is beautiful! Your mask held perfectly so your poppy didn't get splashed. I know it must shimmer with Hammy's WOS. The second poppy is GORGEOUS! I love it when the pieces that didn't work out and are left to languish on the table can come together so perfectly! Thanks so much for sharing these with us at CAS Watercolour!
ReplyDeleteoh wow! These are just stunning.
ReplyDeleteand thanks for sharing with us at The Male Room.
Lynn x
DT
Such gorgeousness! Love the background on the 1st card and the bold color on the 2nd!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers, and each is gorgeous -- although your "fail" is a win to me! Love it!
ReplyDeleteThese are 2 of your best. Both are wonderful, I like the colour shine and spattered background on the first and the colour and wonderful shape of the ink on the second, brilliant xx
ReplyDeleteYour post really struck a chord with me, my Mum used to love California Poppy perfume and my favourite flower has always been the Poppy and we even have California ones in our garden!
ReplyDeleteYour poppy cards are gorgeous, the twofer one is absolutely stunning, it may not have worked out as intended but it looks amazing, I just love it! Love the picture of the Poppy field too. Hugs, Annie xxx
Too right! Never ever throw away your splats! They make amazing cards with the right stamp and you absolutely nailed it Darnell. Both cards are so beautiful, but that second one, so CAS and simply striking. Really love the MWAH sentiment with it too - GORGEOUS! Don't you just love it when cards come together in this way, for me it's often way more satisfying when they come from something I discarded :). Have a great day xx
ReplyDeleteThree fabulous poppy cards but my favourite is definitely the last one.... it looks so classy with the poppy stamped over the 'fail' xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous post! I absolutely loved seeing the different variations of this and how you connected it to your own home of California. Great write-up and beautiful projects. Thank you for sharing them with us for this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!
ReplyDeleteBest Happy Accident ever!!! So artistic! Oh and I love the 1st card too with the gorgeous splattered background! Thanks so much for the inspiration and joining the fun at the CAS Watercolour Challenge:)
ReplyDeleteWhat spectacular cards Darnell - and I ma sure Hammy enjoyed his time rolling in ink and on the card to create your background, and he deserved that wee tiny sherry after all that work. So glad you are appreciating his talent ;)
ReplyDeleteLove the fields with the poppies in - they are so colourful
Blessings
Maxine
They are gorgeous, Darnell xoxo
ReplyDeleteThese are both so pretty! I really like the CAS artsy look of the second one. Fabulous cards Darnell!
ReplyDeleteYour accidental art is absolutely gorgeous, Darnell. I'm glad you let it speak to you. I love the copper on the other poppy too. My cousin who lives in Palmdale had posted a picture of the fields of poppies. It must me amazing to see them in person.
ReplyDeleteWow - love these gorgeous cards, Darnell!! Thanks for joining us at Krafty Chicks Challenge this week xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards!
ReplyDeleteYour cards are just Gorgeous. Love the entry to TMR. beautiful colours and I so admire your work. Thank you so much for joining us in our Anything Goes/ One Layer challenge at The Male Room this week. Looking forward to see you again next challenge.
ReplyDeleteFaith The Male Room DT
Daffodil Cards {My Blog}
The Male Room
themaleroomchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk
They're all pretty cards! I remember when we were in California, (and my sister-in-law was the tour guide) She took us to a place that was supposed to be famous for acres and acres and lots of fields of flowers. We drove many miles to get there. What my SIL forgot to double check....Is when these fields of flowers would be in bloom. After the long trip there we only saw acres and acres of tilled earth waiting to be planted.
ReplyDelete