CREATE A WATERCOLOR-LOOK BACKGROUND

Adding a watercolor-type wash across the background of a card creates a wonderful look on which to stamp a single simple image. 

Create a Watercolor-Look Background

Using inks instead of watercolor is easy, even for the most novice of crafters. One of the nicest aspects of this technique is that it is different every time it is done. There is no way to reproduce the exact look. And none of them would be wrong. 

Once your background is dry, it is time to grab a stamp! 

Another effective look for this type of background would be to add a diecut of some sort instead of the stamped image, for example, a cluster of flowers or weeds in black paper. Just experiment!

Would you like to give it a try? Here's how:

I am including the supplies for what I actually used on this card. Feel free to try any color combinations that you love!

SUPPLIES:

Avant Garden (a Sale-A-Bration item -- only two more days to get this!!)

Elegant Eggplant cardstock

Basic Black cardstock

Whisper White cardstock

Watercolor Paper

Designer Series Paper of your choice

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Ribbon to match your color selection

Reinker in choice of background color

Aqua Painter

Heat Tool

Glue Dots

Basic Pearls

INSTRUCTIONS:

Fold a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" piece of Elegant Eggplant cardstock in half, creasing well with a bone folder.

To this card base, add a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of green Designer Series Paper.

Using a 3 1/2" x 4 3/4" piece of 140 pound watercolor paper, mist it well with water. Then, with an Aqua Painter, pick up a bit of reinker and drop it onto the wet surface, immediately moving it around with the Aqua Painter, even picking it up and tipping it so the ink runs. Let it sit a few moments. Dry it with the heat tool. If you don't like the way it looks, repeat the process. 

HINT: If you are doing this over a heat-resistant sheet, as you are dripping the ink off the paper and it lands onto the sheet, you can dip the paper into these drips to add interesting spots of ink. Keep doing this all and drying it in between until you are happy with the look.

Stamp the flower stem stamp in Memento Tuxedo Black ink over the dried background.

Tie a bow from thin ribbon and attach it to the stem with a Glue Dot.

Once this piece is completely dry, add it to a 3 5/8" x 4 7/8" piece of black cardstock. Adhere this to the card base.

Stamp the sentiment onto a 1/2" x 3 1/2" piece of Whisper White cardstock. Add it to the bottom of the watercolor piece with a couple Stampin' Dimensionals.

Add two Basic Pearls to the sentiment strip.

Watercolored

Smiles.