Another Watercolor Background - Cat In The Box

W-h-a-t?   Two posts in one day, huh?   Yeah, I just finished this page up and at first wasn't so sure about the colors.  I am never sure about the colors of the painted papers.  Too light, not enough variance or contrast, too bright, too many colors, not enough color...!#@#(@

Always so unsure about these pages, especially during the process (cuz once you put the color down, it's not like papers, you can't peel 'em back up!).  Every so often though, when it's all done and put together, I am way happy.  This is one of those pages.  I couldn't be happier with the softness of the peach, gold and gray.  The darker brown was added as an afterthought really.  I just thought it needed some contrast and then was terrified I'd mucked it all up.  But once everything was in place, ahhhh, it looks how I'd imagined it. 

Still working with my limited cache of supplies, I chose a grid pattern paper and added layers of  watercolors instead of papers.  I did not bring rubber stamps along and only a few little Cat's Eye ink pads, so I used a small piece of fabric mesh and inked through it for the grid background that appears here and there.

The choice of colors came about because of my Gypsy kitty's fur.  It is what I've heard referred to as tortoise shell colored.  The paper behind the watercolor grid pattern is actually printed with vintage typewriters all over it.  Just don't see myself using that sort of pattern, but the colors worked as a border and you really do not see the typewriters when using it as a backer piece, so there you go. 

After that it was just a matter of layering up the papers under the photo and adding a title and a couple of embellishments.  Alphas are a dark metallic tan (Thickers).  The Hello speech bubble is from a partial pack (Amy Tangerine), but it had some sequins glued in the corner where the little peach heart is now.  The heart came off a camera sticker from the same pack and then I stuck it on the corner of the speech bubble after the sequins were scratched off. The banners were hand cut, stapled together and got a little shaped button glued on for fun. 

So another lesson (or two or three) learned.  When limited on paper choices, look to layering color instead of paper.  When in doubt, at least give yourself the option of finishing the page and then decide whether you like it or not. 

Oh, and one more thing... if you ever need to find your cat, open a box. 

best,
Cheryl