watercolor shapes...

Hi there!  Happy Friday and welcome to my Tips & Tricks for Papertrey Ink.  I have been curious lately in regards to watercoloring and creating the beautiful watercolor effect that is so popular right now.  I'm focusing on that trend and have created a few cards to share with you, showing how to create your own watercolor shapes to use as backgrounds and focal points on your cards. 

My first card uses a large butterfly as my watercolor shape and is embellished with a die cut, stamped, and embossed What the Doodle Butterfly, cut from vellum.  I used a sentiment from the Choose Joy stamp set and used tiny flowers from the Color Pop Florals stamp set to add a few sweet and dainty frills.

Across the watercolor shape on this card and the others, I've used the Background Basics: Text Style stamp set....I love the collage look, and this is a great way to add just one more fun detail to this particular type of technique.  I'll show you how I created my card next.

I started with a block of watercolor cardstock.  I have just flipped over one of Papertrey Ink's watercolor sheets and used it as my base.  I then created a stencil using white cardstock and the Life is Beautiful die.

Next I used washi tape around my edges and layered the stencil over the watercolor cardstock base.  This helps keep your stencil in place as you add color.

 I started with Lovely Lady ink and my sponge tool, and started applying the ink in light circles, blending as I went.

I wanted a lot of pinks in different hues, so I added Hibiscus Burst as well as Raspberry Fizz, each bringing it's own wonderful shade of pink.  I didn't apply the colors evenly, I applied them randomly to create a variety of shades in different places.

I also added in some Melon Berry, Summer Sunrise, and even just a bit of Mint Julep.

This is what my base looked like after all of the colors had been blended and the stencil removed.  Pretty fun, huh?

You really could stop right there and build your card from this point on, but I wanted to add color :).  I suggest using washi around the edges of your base each time you add water...this is supposed to help with the warping that occurs.  All I used for applying clear water droplets to my butterfly, is a toothbrush.  After dipping it in a bit of water, I held it above my surface and just tapped the head over the area I wanted covered and let the droplets fall where they wanted.

This is what it looked like after the water had dried.  I used my heat gun to speed up this process.

Next I used my water brush to smudge the edges a bit and create more of a mix with my chosen colors.

This is what it looked like after the water brush had been used.

Time to layer on my stencil again, securing it around the edges with washi.  I then used my Background Basics:  Text Style stamp and added text to my butterfly using Lovely Lady ink.

See what fun adding the text is?  I love this look.

For a few random droplets, I used about 1/4 cup water mixed with Hibiscus Burst re-inker.  My toothbrush tool came in handy once again, as I dipped the toothbrush into the mixture and lightly tapped it over my surface to create randomly splatters.

Here she is all finished once again.  Such a fun card to create!

I've created a couple of other cards for you using this same technique.  This first card uses a Stitched Primitive Heart as my stencil.

I used Hibiscus Burst, Summer Sunrise, and Melon Berry ink to form my watercolor shape.  I then die cut, stamped, and heat embossed a Baker's Dozen cupcake, adding color using my watercolor pencils and PTI ink.  I added tiny flowers once again from the Color Pop Florals kit.

Lastly, I added a Limeade Ice sentiment from the Tulip Time stamp set and Harvest Gold stars from the Balloon Bash stamp set.

Lastly, this card uses a basic circle stencil to create my watercolor shape.  

I added Hawaiian Shores, Limeade Ice, Hibiscus Burst, Lovely Lady, and Mint Julep ink to my background, stamping my sentiment in Stormy Sea.

I used the sweet tulips from Tulip Time and had them follow the curve of the circle just on one side, framing in my watercolor shape and sentiment.  A bit of Mint Julep + White Basics paper at the bottom, and my card was finished.

I hope you've enjoyed my tips today and that you'll sit down when you have a free minute and give this technique a try!

Thanks for visiting.

Melissa

Comments

[Celeste Goff]

Wow Melissa, these cards just blow me away! So very beautiful!

[Grace]

Wow. I love the cards. They are amazing. I have to go and try this technique.

[Thilda]

Beautiful card! Thanks.

[Lilian]

😍 LOVE

[Holly Saveur]

LOVE IT ALL!!! so gorgeous..such a fun way to make these cards!
Thank for the inspiration Melis!

[Sandy S.]

Just lovely, Melissa! Perfect for Spring and Easter cards.

[Donna M.]

Thanks for sharing! Your cards are so beautiful, & I appreciate the tips. I plan to try this using some of my new stamps. I love everything you create!

[Dolly]

Very pretty!! TFS

[Diane]

You are so gifted! I LOVE the butterfly card. So very beautiful!!!

[jan metcalf]

Amazingly beautiful cards Melis!

[Cindy H.]

This looks like a fun technique, Melissa. Your cards are so soft and lovely and really just so gorgeous!

[Donna]

Love them all. I am leaving this in my inbox until I get a chance to play.
Thanks

[JanetB]

Once again, beautiful cards and a fun technique. I love the look of the script on the butterfly and heart.

[Shelly Sweigart]

What a fabulous technique and no watercolors involved! I love the colors you used on all your cards too! Hmm...does PTI sell watercolor paper? Seems a shame to waste a coloring sheet! Gasp! What you did on the back of the coloring sheet is a work of art though! Can't wait to try this! Gotta buy a generic toothbrush as I have just been flicking water with a paint brush!

[Jennifer Schmidt]

Such gorgeous cards and a fun technique! Thanks for sharing the how-to ;)

[Nancy Ward]

Beautiful cards! Thanks for sharing this great technique!

[Gigi]

You made the technique seem easy enough for me to try. Hopefully my creations are as lovely as yours.

[Geri]

What a pretty look, Melissa! I haven't had much time for stamping but this makes me want to CREATE some time to CREATE! And it looks like little water is involved so, I'm guessing...no warped panel??? It would be worth a lot to me to have the soft pretty look of watercolor without the warping! Thanks for the inspiration! (This would be a great MIM challenge!) Have a wonderful weekend! I AM itchin for Spring and we're supposed to get a taste of it here in Indiana this weekend!

[Patsy Stinson]

You never cease to amaze me. I can't wait to dig out my dies! What a wonderful technique!

[Patty J]

Completely lovely, very inspiring - thank you!

[kelly]

oh melissa, your cards are beautiful! and, i must say, thank you so much for a good 'old-fashioned' words and photos tutorial. i cannot tell you how much, in this world of 'let's-video-everything', i love to find a tutorial written just exactly like this! you did my heart some good this morning. thank you for spreading some sunshine and i hope you enjoy your day!

[Becky Green]

I LOOOOVE this technique, Melissa!!!! ;) EACH CARD IS FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I WILL be trying this technique SOON; probably, TODAY! LOL QUITE FABULOUS!!!! ;)

[Gay Ferland]

Melissa, you are so talented!! It's not the stamps or dyes it's you!!! Thank you for sharing!!!

[[email protected]]

Oh, Melissa! I just love, love, love your cards! Thank you for the truly wonderful tutorial. You have given me the confidence to try this technique! I'm going to try it today! Sending warm hugs for all of your inspiration! ♡

[Maureen Chandler]

Your cards are just gorgeous - I love all of them!!! Thanks so much for explaining the process!