Watercoloring can be intimidating, especially if you haven't tried it before. This technique is called faux watercoloring, but I like to call it Fool Your Friends Watercoloring! Start out with a simple design such as a basic flower with leaves and a stem. Then as you gain confidence, branch out into more detailed images or layered designs. As you can see in my video, the technique is simple and I think that you just might be able to fool your friends with the results!
Gather your supplies:
- Cardstock: Basic Black 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" and 4" x 5-1/4"; Basic White 4" x 5-1/4"; Bermuda Bay 13/16" x 5-1/2" and 1-1/4" x 2"; Coastal Cabana 1/2" x 5-1/2"; and Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper 2-1/2" x 3-1/4"
- Stamp Sets: Amazing Silhouettes, Sentimental Swirls and Butterfly Brilliance
- Ink: Bermuda Bay and Stazon Jet Black
- Water Painters
- Tasteful Textile 3D Embossing Folder (or Painted Texture 3D)
- Adhesives and Tools
Begin by stamping the butterfly image with Bermuda Bay onto your watercolor paper. I like to use a container of water to use with my Water Painters because it's easier to control the amount of water on the brush. "Paint" over the ink to turn the background of the butterfly into a gorgeous wash of color. When working in the small areas, you don't need much water on the brush - just a light touch will do the trick. Set aside to dry completely.
As the butterfly is drying, start assembling the card. Score and burnish the card base. Emboss the black panel with either the Painted Texture or Tasteful Textile embossing folder. Layer the Coastal Cabana and Bermuda Bay strips on top of each other, then glue to the middle of the embossed panel. Trim the ends as needed, then add this panel to the card front.
After the butterfly is dry, add the sentiment with Stazon black ink. I'm partial to using this ink when I want a deeply intense, black sentiment (and have a black card). Add dimensionals to pop this panel up on top. Add the white panel to the inside and place a die cut butterfly in the corner. For my envelope, I stamped a butterfly in Bermuda Bay.
The other two stamps in the set are equally as wonderful for this technique. I especially love how Garden Green comes to vibrant life when you add water to the inked image! And while I'm talking about that card, I want to give a quick shout out to my daughter Kristin, who designed that card. The tree looks surprisingly gorgeous in Magenta Madness - what a cheerful card to send someone recovering from an illness or injury.
The next two cards are flowers, which are are great starting point for this technique. The one on the right is from In Bloom, a set full of all sorts of flowers, leaves and stems. All of the shapes are basic and easy to color with your Water Painter. The second card is a two-step stamp from Art Gallery. I stamped the fuller image first with Petal Pink and turned it into watercoloring. After it was dry, I added the detail stamp with Calypso Coral. I didn't blend it more than the stamped image, but you certainly could.
Lastly, I have Rainbow of Happiness and Plentiful Plants. As you can see from these two, the inks become much more intense and full of life when you add water to them. The extra touch of turning these cards into watercolor beauties is well worth the time it takes and gives you satisfaction in the artistic aspect of the process. I hope you like this as much as I do!
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