Papertrey Ink's 6th Anniversary: Watercolor Challenge

Dear Reader,

How are you this Tuesday night/Wednesday morning?  I happily spent a few hours playing with ways to watercolor thanks to the watercolor challenge on Nichole Heady's blog for Papertrey Ink.

My first card uses emboss resist which I have always loved and watercoloring using Tim Holtz Distress Markers, water and a paint brush:

I cut a panel from watercolor paper and embossed the largest image from Stitches & Swirls.  As I mentioned I used Distress Markers, water and paint brushes to paint in the image.  I scribbled onto my crafting mat and then picked up the color using my brush, adding water as needed.  When I finished painting in the image, I was worried that it read as being outdated so I tried to be more edgy or trendy with the rest of the card.  I stamped that lovely sentiment from Happy Trails.  I added a little stitched tail after the sentiment with a black soot Distress Marker.  You notice the little melon berry banner with the pearl?  That was used to cover up a mess up on my part.  I added the kraft photo corners for interest.  I adhered the watercolor panel to a distressed piece of melon berry cardstock and then to a piece of smokey shadow cardstock at a slight angle.  Everything was then placed on a kraft card base using dimensional adhesive.  I am pretty happy with the finished card and I adore melon berry, smokey shadow and kraft together...how about you?

For my next two cards I wanted to do a different watercolor technique in really bold colors and images.  I pulled out the Funky Florals stamp set and Tim Holtz Distress Inks and went to town: 

 

 

 

 

 

Each time I stamped a flower I first inked up the image in the lighter hue and then added a little of the darker hue (for instance first worn lipstick and second picked raspberry) Next I lightly spritzed water on the stamp before stamping it on a piece of watercolor paper.  I covered the whole piece with flowers in 3 sizes and 3 colors.  Then I stamped in the burst centers.  The watercolor panel was large enough to cut in half once I finished to make two cards.  I adhered each watercolor panel to a piece of black bitty dot patterned paper.  I cut out one of the half & half die collection using vellum twice which I embossed with black embossing powder using a sentiment from Funky Florals and Half & Half.  I added enamel dots and gems to the vellum and adhered it to the watercolor panel which I then adhered to a white card base. 

There you have it.  I had a blast (people still say that right?) playing with watercolor techniques and need to remember to revisit it to try even more.

Thank you so much for joining me and I hope you have a bright and happy day!

Happy creating,
Shay.

a note of thanks card
Supplies:
Stamps: Stitches & Swirls and Happy Trails, Papertrey Ink
Ink: VersaMark, Tsukineko; basic gray, Stampin' Up!
Cardstock: melon berry, smokey shadow & kraft, Papertrey Ink
Paper: cold press watercolor 400 series, Strathmore
Other: double-ended banner die, Papertrey Ink; Cuttlebug, Provo Craft; Tim Holtz Distress Markers, Ranger; opaque white embossing powder, JudiKins; dimensional adhesive; kraft photo corners; pearl; paint brush, water

bold and funky cards
Stamps: Funky Florals and Half & Half, Papertrey Ink
Ink: worn lipstick, picked raspberry, shabby shutters, mowed lawn, tumbled glass, salty ocean, Tim Holtz Distress Ink by Ranger; VersaMark, Tsukineko
Cardstock: white, Georgia Pacific
Paper: cold press watercolor 400 series, Strathmore; vellum
Patterned paper: black from 2008 Bitty Dot Basics Patterned Paper 8x8, Papertrey Ink
Other: half & half die collection, Papertrey Ink; Cuttlebug, Provo Craft; detail black embossing powder, JudiKins; Lost & Found 3 Ruby enamel dots, My Mind's Eye; opaque gems, Studio Calico; dimensional adhesive, spray bottle, water