backgrounds (watercolor)

 

All six of these cards were an experiment with watercolor and other background effects. You can lift color off your watercolored background by spritzing "anything", in this case I used the retired honeycomb die from Stampin' Up and pressed it onto my already-dried background, held it there a few seconds and lifted it up. Lo and behold, there was a honeycomb design left behind! Very subtle and beautiful. To create the collage effect I also lightly stamped other images, smudged ink and used markers to highlight various lines. The very bottom card is overlaid with vellum that I embossed those images on in Pool Party embossing powder.

rose garden sympathy

It's hard to see the Wink of Stella that these roses were painted with. I used SU's Rose Garden, Timeless Textures and reinkers for these cards.

watercolor (hand-lettered)

The only stamp used on here is from SU's Gorgeous Grunge. Otherwise I simply used SU reinkers and watercolor paper and Aqua Painters. Oh, and then fine-tip artist's pens and an eversharp! The sequins cover up smudges from my inky fingers. I really thought it looked better without them, but What Could I DOOOOO?!

flourishing phrases Stampin' Up (variety)

 What CAN'T you all do with Flourishing Phrases? Here several different ways I've used this set (again!) to create cards for a variety of occasions.
 

Hey Chick! You're a good egg!

For all you chicken lovers out there, here are two more Saleabration Hey Chick! cards for you! This stamp set is FREEEEEEE with a $60CD Stampin' Up purchase until March 31st.

fabulous shoes collections

Okay, this isn't Stampin' Up (FYI!) but these are still favorites of mine! My friends, Linda and Dee make sure I have shoe stamps on hand! LOL! They know me well!
These three cards are made with the Fabulous Shoes Collections 1 & 2.
As you can see, I had a lot of fun with them!

Special Reason watercolour effects

Try this: Take the largest daisy image from the Special Reasons stamp set (SU) and color three different colors directly on the stamp. I used Cucumber Crush in the center, So Saffron on the inner petals and Flirty Flamingo on the outside petals. Then using your Stampin' Spritzer, mist the whole thing really well. (I probably misted it too much, but I do love what happened next!)

 

This picture (above) isn't the greatest, but maybe you can sort of see how it turned out. I simply stamped that big flower image three times on three separate pieces of Whisper White cardstock. Each time I stamped I breathed an "Oh-h-h-h!" to myself! Watercolor does that to me every time! You just NEVER know what it will surprise you with.
Using those three images, I created the following cards. See what I mean? From bright and happy to sweet and soft! They cover all moods.
And don't you LOVE how that stem die from the Special Reasons set creates a gorgeous negative space?! I just love everything about this set!

dragonfly dreams water color

This card made itself. Well, after the black embossing was on there. If you've never worked with water color paper, you need to try it! I just sprayed it down really good and dropped reinker on it where I wanted the color. It bloomed out EXACTLY how it should! I did dab a bit of the excess moisture off and tipped and tilted the card so it would all act like I wanted it too.

If you're unsure how to do this, let me know. I'll personally show you if we live close enough so I can!

dragonflies

Stampin' Up has done it again! Designed the most wonderfully perfectly eye-poppingly delicious stamp and die Dragonfly Dreams bundle. I can't get enough of it and so I keep on and on using these dragonflies On EVERYTHING!! The card (above) has a water color background and if you look closely you can see I used Wink of Stella on the dragonfly as well as the Congrats. (Below) Is an example on a single layer direct-to-paper design with an embossed dragonfly and then masking and sponging.

water color AGAIN!!

I don't have to say it, do I? Watercolor techniques are right up there in my favorites. I don't seem to get my fill. Most of the cards on this post are simple and unadorned simply because I don't know what occasion they will be used for. Also, I always feel that water color doesn't need a lot of embellishing. I won't tell you which card I was embarrassed to post because only now did I notice that something has come unstuck on it...and it's been given away already and so I can't even give you a new picture of it! I did decide to post it, however, because it IS my favorite...the rest that IS stuck on properly! Ha!

watercolor peonies

Water coloring is so...so......so NEAT! SPECIAL! I don't know HOW to say it I guess! Water color has a mystique to it that other techniques don't. OK! I know that's just MY take on it, but since this is my spot to air my opinions, that's what you'll get! I used my aqua painter and re-inkers dropped onto a clear block as my palette. That's right! A clear block makes the perfect palette! It's washable and smooth enough to mix colors to perfection.

Merry Christmas watercolor

A simply tree silhouette with watercolor sunset (or is it a sunrise?!) and a few diecuts comes together quickly and easily for a delightful Christmas card.

leaves for Father's Day

...or any other masculine card for that matter.

square thankyou and compliments

more sunshine and caring

These two cards utilize the Sunshine Sayings bundle (at a 10% savings). I'm just really really loving what all you can create using these dies and stamps together.

amazing watercolor backgrounds

My favorite 5-year-old co-cardmaker and I once made these backgrounds. They were laid aside for another day and now using the Flourishing Phrases stamp set and Flourish thinlits dies, I created these cards with those backgrounds. It's our version of doodling! Ha!!
By the way, if you purchase this stamp and die bundle you save 10%!!! Let me know if I can grab them for you!!

watercolor ice cream

The title says it all. Water color. Ice cream. And a HUGE compliment!

all about roses

These cards are all very different from each other, but they have one common element. They were created with the Rose Garden and Rose Wonder stamps and dies bundle. The card above was water colored after the image was embossed in clear on watercolor paper.

 

Above, is another die-cut and water colored rose card. I love how these images lend themselves to simple elegance. Below is a partial die-cut rose. Again, simply elegant.

happy birthday leaf in water color

By now you've figured out I LOVE WATER COLOR! Those aqua painters of mine are starting to show a lot of wear! I wish I could give you the EXACT instructions how to mimic my leaf here, but truly, I hardly know myself how I did it. Trial and error and lot of layers of water and ink markers and drying in between. Or not! I used the leaf image from Botanical Gardens, that much I do know and can tell you!

masculine in water color

Both of these cards showcase a water colored focal point. Above, I used the elk image from The Wilderness Awaits. Below, I used Lovely As A Tree. The woodlands embossing folder (which will be available once again in the new upcoming annual catalogue) added texture to both cards, one by creating an entire background and the other by cutting out a few of the trees to layer over the image.