I was SO excited to see Ellen add the full line of Tim Holtz Distress Inks to the store and the first thing I wanted to do was watercolor with them!
Supplies you will need:
- Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads & Distress Reinkers by Ranger
- Niji Waterbrush
- Arturo Cards, Single White Small (2.50" x 3.75") -- for watercolored image
- Arturo Cards & Envelopes, Assorted (5" x 3.25") -- card base
- Ornare Piercing Template, Elegant Corner Template & Piercing Tool
- Shady Tree Studio Artsy Blooms stamp by Cornish Heritage Farms
- Jet Black StazOn Ink
- Silk Ribbon
I began by stamping the Artsy Blooms with water-resistant StazOn ink onto a small single white Arturo card (2.5" x 3.75") -- the luxiourious finish on these Italian notecards is wonderful for watercoloring. Next, I selected the Distress Ink colors I wanted to use. This process is made simpler by having a color chart to work with. I stamped each color onto Neenah Classic Crest Solar White cardstock (and because I KNOW someone will ask, that cute leaf stamp is from Kim Hughes' Fall Silhouettes!):
I grouped the colors into familes, to make it easier to see which colors would be good to shade with, etc. The first green I chose was Shabby Shutters:
Using a water reservoir brush and dipping the brush into a drop of reinker (in the lid), I quickly colored this base layer of lighter green on the stems and leaves. Then, using a darker green (Peeled Paint) I added some shading:
Next, I used Mustard Seed and Spiced Marmalade to give some color to the flower heads:
You can see in the ink pad lid above (left) the drop of reinker I'm using. I prefer using the move vivid color concentration of the reinker but you can either press the lid into the pad (while it's closed), to transfer some ink onto the lid and use that, or you can take color directly from the pad with your brush tip -- the choice is yours.
I finished the flowers with a little Worn Lipstick (pink):
Here's how they finished up (the colors are actually softer in person -- my camera just disagrees!):
I chose a Celadon Arturo card (5" x 3.25") for the base of my card and decided to extend the watercolored image above the top fold by about 3/4", so the overall height of the card is 4.25" and will still fit into a standard A2-sized (4.25" x 5.50") envelope. The floral is adhered with dimensional foam tape to the card. Beautiful silk ribbon is tied through a punched hole in the watercolored piece.
A little Ornare paper piercing on the base layer and in the corner of the watercolored piece finish this card. These pretty blooms and warmer weather in my parts are making me ready for spring -- how about you?!! Thanks for visiting today!
