Today I wanted to share a fun way to create loose watercolor backgrounds using clear silhouette-style stamps. My gardens have been bursting with color lately and I wanted to try to replicate the look using bright colors and soft edges. These cards are the perfect way to send a sweet springtime hello!
The images in the Spring Meadows Stamp Set are super versatile because they really can be used for either foliage or flowers. For this first card, I wanted to create a background that looked like some of the bright green shrubs sprouting outside my window, and the shades in Color Fuse Ink Set #11 were perfect for this.
LOOSE WATERCOLOR SHRUBS
- Trim a piece of watercolor paper to 4.125″ x 5.375″.
- Ink up one of the silhouette stamps from the Spring Meadows Stamp Set with Melon ink (Color Fuse Set #11).
- Holding a mini mister bottle about 6-8 inches away from the stamp, mist the ink with two spritzes of water.
- Stamp the watered-down image onto the left side of the watercolor paper.
- Repeat with different images from the Spring Meadows Stamp Set and ink shades from the Color Fuse Ink Set #11 until you have filled the left side of the cardstock. Stamp into dry areas for crisper images and wet areas for softer images and color mixing.
GILDED VELLUM BUTTERFLIES
- Stamp all of the butterfly images from the Butterflies Are Free Stamp Set onto heavyweight vellum using Versamark Ink.
- Add Mirror Gold Embossing Powder and melt with a heat tool carefully, making sure to keep the heat tool moving to prevent burning of the vellum.
- Turn the vellum over to the backside and color behind the open spaces using Copic markers. Darker shades work best for this as the vellum will appear to mute the colors when viewed from the correct side.
- Die cut the butterflies out using the coordinating Butterflies Are Free die set.
- Shape the butterfly wings with your fingers. Gently bend the wings up from the body and then curl them back downward at the edges for lots of dimension.
CARD ASSEMBLY
- Stamp a sentiment from the Butterflies Are Free Stamp Set onto the background panel using Versafine Onyx Black Ink. Add clear embossing powder and melt with a heat tool.
- Wrap the background panel with black twine on the left side and adhere it to a top-folding A2-sized white card base using foam adhesive.
- Adhere two of the golden butterflies and a spray of gold sequins (mine are an old mix from my stash, but this mix is similar) to the card front using strong liquid glue.
The second card is a little more colorful than the first and was inspired by the hydrangea bushes in my garden. Although the steps are very similar, I changed a few things to obtain an even looser watercolor look.
LOOSE WATERCOLOR HYDRANGEAS
- Trim a piece of watercolor paper to 4.125″ x 5.375″.
- Ink up one of the silhouette stamps from the Spring Meadows Stamp Set with Blush ink (Color Fuse Set #5).
- Holding a mini mister bottle about 6 inches away from the stamp, mist the ink with three spritzes of water this time.
- Stamp the watered-down image onto the left side or bottom of the watercolor paper.
- Repeat with different images from the Spring Meadows Stamp Set and the Odyssey, Azure, and Magenta ink shades from Color Fuse Ink Sets #5, #6, and #7 until you have filled the cardstock from the top left to the bottom right corners.
- For a little extra color and fun, smoosh each of the ink pads used to stamp the flowers onto a non-porous surface like a glass mat. Add a few drops of water to each.
- Pick up the diluted ink with a small paint brush and then tap it over the watercolor background for a fun splatter effect.
- Repeat with each color until you have the amount of splatters you like.
CARD ASSEMBLY
- Stamp a sentiment from the Frases en Espanol #2 Stamp Set onto the background panel in Versamark Ink. Add Mirror Gold Embossing Powder and melt it with a heat tool.
- Adhere the background panel to a top-folding A2-sized white card base using foam adhesive.
- Adhere two of the golden butterflies and a spray of gold sequins to the card front using strong liquid glue.
I hope you enjoyed this fun watercolor background technique and thanks so much for stopping by today. Be sure to check out Rubbernecker Stamps on Instagram or visit their Facebook Fan Group for tons of inspiration!
Supplies Used:
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 Spring Meadows Stamp Set Shop at: RN |
 Springs Meadows Die Set Shop at: RN |
 Butterflies Are Free Stamp Set Shop at: RN |
 Butterflies Are Free Die Set Shop at: RN |
 Frases en Espanol Stamp Set Shop at: RN |
 Color Fuse Set #11 Shop at: RN |
 Color Fuse Set #5 Shop at: RN |
 Color Fuse Set #6 Shop at: RN |
 Color Fuse Set #7 Shop at: RN |
 Color Fuse Inks Shop at: RN |
 Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Shop at: SB | CCS |
 Versafine Onyx Black Ink Shop at: SB |
 Versamark Ink Shop at: SB |
 Mirror Gold Embossing Powder Shop at: RN |
 Distress Watercolor Cardstock Shop at: SB | SBP |
 Hero Arts Mini MISTI Shop at: SB | HA |
 Hero Arts Mini MISTI Mousepad Shop at: SB | HA |
 Copic Markers Shop at: SBP |
 Cutterbee Scissors Shop at: SB | SBP |
 Alcohol Ink Toolset Shop at: SB |
 ATG Tape Runner Shop at: SB |
 Foam Squares Shop at: SB |
 Zig Two-Way Glue Pen Shop at: SB | SBP |
 Gold Sequin Mix Shop at: SB |
 Multi Medium Matte Shop at: SB |