I've always been fascinated with watercolors -- and a recent online class Whimsical Watercolor Garden by Joanne Sharp has sparked my interest again.
I needed a stamp or two -- but after looking at the stamps in my collection, I still didn't see something I wanted to use.... so, I picked through my dies and the Scribbles die set by Sizzix for Tim Holtz was perfect. I grabbed a couple of sheets of craft foam (with adhesive backing) from my stash and using the Sizzix Big Kick, I cut 4 of the circle scribbles. After weeding the excess foam away, I applied the pieces to a 4 inch square piece of craft foam, allowing some of the edges to go off the edge. Trim. For a little firmer base, I glued another 4 inch square of craft foam to the other 4 inch square.
I took a sheet of 8 x 8 inch cold press 140 lb watercolor paper and cut it into 4 inch squares. Ink up the stamp. I used clear embossing ink and Whpped Cream Fusion Color pigment ink (FSJ) and white embossing powder (Ranger). After you have heated the embossing powder, set aside to cool. Be careful not to heat the paper too much, it will scorch.
Now, the real fun begins. Fill the page with the desired colors using watercolor paints. I used a waterbrush and dampened the paper slightly before adding the color in a wash. Start light and build color drying between layers. If desired, you can let your colors bleed a little. I chose pinks, yellows and orange for these. I added the background in a light green after I colored my "flowers."
Have some fun! Play with dies, create a new stamp or two. Add a little color with your favorite medium! These are fun and I have a small stack ready for some additional play. Have a great week of creative nurturing play!
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