Monochromatic Magic

 Before E.L. James wrote Fifty Shades of Grey, my mother painted a watercolor (below) titled  Somewhere in Time. Since the movie Somewhere in Time (starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour) is one of my favorites, she gave the painting to me. It’s a perfect example of working in a monochromatic palette and the inspiration for my card today.

Monochromatic is all about one color; shades and values of that color. It’s been an important component of avant-garde visual art throughout the 20th century. Expressionists painters like Milton Resnick, Ad Reinhardt, and Richard Pousette-Dart have created distinctive works of art in a monochromatic palette.  I was inspired at the ways these artists handled texture and limited color in their paintings. I experimented today with this technique and used my birch tree, split rail fence, and wagon wheel in my scene. Choose a color and see where you can go with a monochromatic palette!

Let’s get Started…

Step 1:

Cut a 5 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ card from 100 lb white cardstock. Cut 5 1/4″ x 5 1/4″ from 80 lb grey cardstock. Cut a 5″ x 5″ square from Elizabeth Craft Designs’ Soft Finish Cardstock.

Next, die cut the following pieces:

• 1 birch tree with branches (CountryScapes – The Woods 1 #992) from 100 lb white cardstock backed with Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape and 1 from 80 lb grey cardstock
• 1 split rail fence (CountryScapes – Country Fence #990) from 100 lb white cardstock backed with Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape and 1 from 80 lb grey cardstock
• 1 wagon wheel (CountryScapes – Backyard 1 #988) from 100 lb white cardstock backed with Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape and 1 from 80 lb grey cardstock

Construct the card using Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape. Add Elizabeth Craft Designs’ Peel-Off Stickers – Borders (black) around the two layers. Lightly pencil in a mountain and road into the background.

Click here for a video tutorial on ‘How to die Cut’

Click here for a video on Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape

Step 2:

Create a background using Paynes Grey Tint from Susan’s Garden Club – PanPastel Kit 3 with a stencil you’ve made from CountryScapes – Clouds & Grass. The mountain is done with the Neutral Grey Shade. The roadside is done with Paynes Grey. You can use the Prismacolor Cool Grey pen to add details – like the background split-rail fence.

Click here for a video tutorial on CountryScapes – Clouds & Grass

Step 3:

Layer the white pieces on top of the matching grey pieces.  Shade the fence with Distress Ink (Weathered Wood), and then with PanPastel Paynes Grey. Shade the birch tree with Paynes Grey Tint, and then with markings in Paynes Grey. Shade the wagon wheel in Neutral Grey Shade and Paynes Grey. Use Beacon’s ZipDry glue to adhere the fence in place with the bottom strip of the grass (CountryScapes – Country Flora 1 #991) die cut from 80 lb grey card stock and the top loose so you can weave the wagon wheel through the top of the grass. Set the birch tree and branches in place with ZipDry glue, and then the wagon wheel.

Step 4:

Stamp Seeds of Thought – ‘Planted in Faith’ to the left of the tree using VersaFine (black ink). As a last detail, “pounce” Distress Ink (Pumice Stone) over the branches to resemble leaves.

Working in a monochromatic color scheme is quite soothing. Try this easy card to discover how much you might enjoy this technique.

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Supplies:

Elizabeth Craft Designs:

Susan’s Garden Club – CountryScapes – Woods 1 (992)

Susan’s Garden Club – CountryScapes – Country Fence (990)

Susan’s Garden Club – CountryScapes – Country Flora 1 (991)

Susan’s Garden Club – CountryScapes – Backyard 1 (988)

Susan’s Garden Club -CountryScapes – Clouds & Grass (1094)

Susan’s Garden Club – Seeds of Thought – Planted in Faith (RS002)

Soft Finish Cardstock 80 lb (PSF101)

PanPastel Kit 3 (30117)

Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape

Peel-Off Stickers – Borders 

Other:

Ranger Distress Ink – Weathered Wood

Ranger Distress Ink – Pumice Stone

Versafine Ink – Black

Prismacolor Cool Grey pen

ZipDry glue

Helpful Videos:

CountryScapes – Clouds & Grass

How to die cut

Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape