ThePowerOfACard: Using Re-inkers for Watercolor Backgrounds

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Using Re-inkers for Watercolor Backgrounds

I love to incorporate watercolor techniques in my card-making, so that's why I focused on watercolor backgrounds in my video. You don't need any watercolor paints because I'll show you how to use re-inkers (or the ink pads) to add colors. You will need a brush or two - I like to use a medium round and a flat (about 1/2" wide) brush, some water in a large container (also helpful to have some in a spritzer), and watercolor paper. I also like to work on a glass surface because it's easy to clean and you can get water all over it without harming anything.

Before getting into the different backgrounds, I want to mention some important tips.

You must use watercolor paper. I use the Fluid 100 paper which comes in a pack of ten 5" x 7" sheets. Watercolor paper is meant to handle the water needed to make the backgrounds. Regular cardstock may be able to handle a little addition of color, but will pill and warp with the amount I used to make my backgrounds.
Pigments in inks are quite a bit different than paint and may surprise you when you use them with water. You may see colors separate, or dry much differently than you expect. That is why it's a good idea to test your colors on scraps. I show one sample in the video where I was using Smoky Slate (and then Basic Gray) and the color looked more like Gray Granite (a warmer, more brown color than the cool gray I wanted).
When selecting colors that will be adjacent, make sure they will blend well together. I like to say that analogous colors (colors next to each other on the color wheel) make good choices, but so do triadic colors (such as magenta, cyan and yellow). If you use opposites together (like blue and orange), you may get some unwanted brown or gray tones where they mix.
It is always good to cut your watercolor paper a little larger than you want to use in the card project because edges can have uneven drying patterns where the water collected, as you can see on this piece.
Allow your paper to dry completely before trying to die cut or trim. You could use a heat tool to speed up the process, but I prefer to let my pieces dry naturally. It's hard to be patient, but it's worth it!

I have three basic styles of background and each can be done edge to edge on your paper, or with a border. My first example is the easiest - I'm using three colors with random placement and filling the entire panel (which is half a sheet of the Fluid 100 paper). When I'm covering the entire sheet, I like to spray down the glass mat and paper, then turn the paper over and the moisture will hold it in place while you paint. Before adding my pigments, I spray the paper surface to help the colors blend. I chose Garden Green, Granny Apple Green and Lemon Lime Twist so that I could use them to make die cut leaves. Place a drop of each on a clean block and add color as you please until the entire piece is covered, making sure that all three colors are visible individually as well as blended. I used the Unbounded Love bundle to make this card (and the Glass & Gardens Embossing folder) - I love how the variegated leaves look!

Next is the same style, but with the edges left uncolored. For this one, I used Poppy Parade, Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight. Because I wasn't going edge to edge, I did not add water to the glass mat before starting. Instead, I used my brush to add plain water where I wanted color to be. Then I added the three colors in randomly. You will see how they spread and react with the water - you'll never get the same results twice! For this sample, I paired the background with the Beautiful Butterflies bundle because it reminded me of the colors of a monarch butterfly.

Another easy style is to make stripes. I like to make stripes diagonally (so much easier than trying to stay perfectly horizontal or vertical!) and while this could be made with a border, it is easiest to go edge to edge. For my sample, I selected Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight to coordinate with the Spooky Sweet DSP, which has adorable punch-out designs! Originally, I had wanted to use Petunia Pop and Smoky Slate, but as you saw in the video, the colors just didn't work out as I wanted and didn't match the paper at all! This adorable Halloween card is a good example of using a background piece, cutting it up and showcasing it on the outside, inside and envelope!

The last style is to blend from one color to another and to yet another. This card went from Lemon Lime Twist to Summer Splash to Azure Afternoon. I cut my piece larger (3-3/4" x 5") to really fill up the card front. After it was dry, I stamped my sentiment (With You in Mind stamp set), then added flowers in the same colors of ink as the background around the words. It is such a simple layout, but the addition of the watercolor background makes it really pop!

Here's another Halloween card that used a three color blend and a border. I wanted a evening sky with a little spooky feel to is, so I used Melon Mambo, Gorgeous Grape and Blueberry Bushel. Like with the butterfly card, I first applied a wash of plain water where I wanted my color to blend. I added my top and bottom colors first, then the middle and blended, but you can really add them in any order. As you can see, the uninked border does not have to be uniform - wherever your brush stops is fine. I used the Spooky Halloween set again and added a little Wink of Stella to my night sky.

My last sample of blending was done in two separate steps. Unlike the previous example, I did not wet my watercolor paper first. I wanted a distinct line where the yellow (Daffodil Delight) stopped. Then I blended in Melon Mambo and Azure Afternoon. As you can see with this triadic color scheme, you get lovely mixes of orange and purple to give a gorgeous sunset sky. Before adding the bottom portion of this sample, it must be completely dry. For the water, I used Night of Navy and Azure Afternoon and blended them to get the look of water I desired. I used the modern oval die cut from Impressions Abloom to cut out my evening sky and the Sunrise Sailing bundle for a stunning congratulations card. I love how the embossed background has the clouds and water and provides a perfect backdrop to the colorful panel.

I've only skimmed the surface with these examples today. You can add even more texture and interest by adding spritzes of water or other paint colors, water droplets or even salt. You don't have to be an artist so give yourself the freedom to explore making your own watercolor backgrounds. Each will be unique and take your card-making to the next level!

Karen

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