Technique: Watercolor Resist and Balloon Celebration

Resist techniques (when you use something that "resists" the ink) are always fun, so why not add in watercoloring??? The key to making this technique work is the MISTI. It allows you to overstamp your images several times, to make sure the Versamark attracts enough embossing powder. Watercolor paper by nature is rough, so it would be difficult to accomplish this without being able to re-stamp.

Instructions: 
Using the MISTI, stamp the images 3 times with Versamark, then emboss with Clear Embossing Powder. Let cool.

Tape all 4 sides of your watercolor paper to a watercolor board. Use a wide brush to apply a light coat of water to the watercolor paper. If you don’t want the color to extend clear to the edges, leave a slight dry border.

Using a wet Aquapainter, dip into ink (start with Curry and work darker, to Cucumber Crush and Bermuda Bay) and touch to wet areas on WC paper. Keep adding till you get the blend you want. Allow to dry.

After Watercolor panel is dry, use black fine-tip pen to draw borders and balloon strings.

Here are a few different samples--all made by me, and all using the same technique. Each one will be different!

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tams# 7163

Product List

Balloon Celebration Photopolymer Stamp Set

[140675]

$26.00

Bravo Photopolymer Stamp Set

[135380]

$26.00

Watercolor Paper

[122959]

$5.00

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock

[140272]

$7.00

Gold Glimmer Paper

[133719]

$5.00

Versamark Pad

[102283]

$7.50

Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[131158]

$3.25

Cucumber Crush Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[138329]

$3.25

Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[131156]

$3.25

Project Life Journaling Pens

[135304]

$5.00

Bear Hugs Framelits Dies

[140275]

$27.00

Aqua Painters

[103954]

$17.00

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

Technique: Layered Watercolor Stamping

The Picture Perfect stamp set has been out on my desk for the last few months, because I just can't stop making pretty projects with it! This card features a simple but lovely technique: Layered Watercolor Stamping.

Start with watercolor paper and brush a very light coat of water where you want to stamp first. Then stamp your bottom layer of your 2 (or more) step stamp. Use your Aquapainter to lightly smudge the image and spread the ink around a little bit. Once you're satisfied with your image, use a paper towel to lightly dab off any excess water. Stamp your next layer, and smudge a little more. Continue this process, making sure to remove excess water with each layer before stamping again. When you are finished, use the Aquapainter again to spread a tiny bit of ink out from the edges of your image. This softens the borders and completes the watercolor look.

I used Layered Watercoloring on both the rose and the leaf images above. I love that this technique gives you an entirely different look with the same stamp set! I hope you'll give it a try and post your project in the comments.

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tams# 6978

Product List

Picture Perfect Photopolymer Stamp Set

[140520]

$27.00

Watercolor Paper

[122959]

$5.00

Tip Top Taupe 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[138336]

$7.00

Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[131157]

$3.25

Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[122934]

$3.25

Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[131158]

$3.25

Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[131160]

$3.25

Old Olive Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[100531]

$3.25

Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad

[126975]

$6.50

Aqua Painters

[103954]

$17.00

Pearl Basic Jewels Embellishments

[119247]

$5.00

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

Paper Pumpkin Monday: One Sheet Wonder Technique with All About Everything

One-Sheet-Wonder is a technique that's been around a LONG time! It's one we used to teach to beginning stampers more than a decade ago, and it still makes a beautiful card.

Choose a stamp set--here I used All About Everything, the bonus stamp set in the April Paper Pumpkin kit. You'll want a set with several images, some large and some small. Begin stamping with your largest image, then fill in with gradually smaller stamps. This gives you the best ability to balance out the look. You're really creating your own custom designer paper! You can use the colors most suited to your mood or to the recipient. I used Night of Navy, Marina Mist, Hello Honey (retiring), and Mossy Meadow (retiring).

I used the sketch from the Facebook page Bringing Birthdays Back. #imbringingbirthdaysback

Give it a try! Don't let techniques be intimidating. The worst thing that can happen is that you learn something to do differently next time.

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Stamps: All About Everything (April Paper Pumpkin kit)

tams# 6955

Product List

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[100730]

$8.50

Marina Mist 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[119682]

$7.00

Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad

[126970]

$6.50

Marina Mist Classic Stampin' Pad

[126962]

$6.50

Hello Honey Classic Stampin' Pad

[133643]

$6.50

Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad

[133645]

$6.50

Night Of Navy 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon

[134571]

$7.00

Banner Triple Punch

[138292]

$23.00

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

Etch-a-Sketch From the Herd

Etch-a-sketch technique from April's Stamp Club Meeting.

I have somewhat painful memories of the Etch-a-sketch. I was never patient enough to do anything with it but geometric wanderings. But stamping made it all possible here!

We stamped on Vellum Cardstock, then layered it over Smoky Slate Cardstock. To make the "frame," we used a square framelit and cut twice--just slide it over, keeping the borders the same. Then round the corners and attach to the image with dimensionals.

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Stamps: From the Herd (retiring June 2)
Paper: Smoky Slate, Real Red, Vellum Cardstock, Whisper White
Ink: Memento Black, Versamark
Accessories: Square Framelits, 3/4 inch circle punch, White Embossing Powder

Graduated technique

It's that time of year--do you have cards made for your favorite graduates?

This was our technique card for May's Stamp Club. We started out with the splatter technique--use a sponge dauber to add streaks of color to white cardstock, then add "splatters" by dripping water on the colors--and then used a Word Bubble Framelit as a stamp and embossed it!

It kind of looks like we cried on our cards. :-)


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Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, Bermuda Bay
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Versamark
Accessories: Word Bubble Framelits, White Embossing Powder, White Baker's Twine, Sponge Daubers, 1/8" Old Olive taffeta ribbon

Watercolor Wednesday: May edition

Stamps: Blooming with Kindness
Paper: Naturals White, Venetian Romance DSP
Ink: Black, Pool Party reinker, Soft Sky reinker
Accessories: copper twine (retired), black 1/8" taffeta ribbon, Banner punch, rhinestones