Hello and happy Friday, everyone! Due to your response to my survey about learning more about creating interesting/beautiful backgrounds, it appears this is something that interests a lot of you so here we go with round 3!
This background was created with a watercolor wash over a stamped and embossed background stamp, which creates a resist. Here's how to make it:
1. Ink My Favorite Thing's Cling Patterned Triangles Background stamp with Ranger Distress Embossing Ink and stamp onto Ranger's Watercolor Paper. Heat emboss with Clear Embossing Powder:
2. Using the lid to my Tumbled Glass Distress Ink Pad as a palette, I placed a few drops of Tumbled Glass Distress Reinker into the lid and used a Medium Watercolor Brush to water down and pick up some of the reinker color and apply it to the upper half of the watercolor paper:
3. Next, I used the darker shade of Peacock Feathers Distress Ink Pad and because I don't have the reinker for this color, I squeezed the closed lid against the pad, which transfers color onto the lid, then used this ink to apply to the lower half of the watercolor paper. Alternately, you can apply the ink pad directly onto your Non-Stick Craft Sheet and pick up the color from there ... I just didn't want to have to clean it up later! :)
Once the watercolor dries, use a tissue to gently wipe any ink residue off the embossed areas.
4. To create the sentiment piece, I stamped MFT's Simply Fabulous Sayings with Distress Embossing Ink onto more watercolor paper and heat embossed it with Liquid Platinum embossing powder, then die cut it with MFT's Labels 4 Die-namics (which is retired, so once Ellen's supply is depleated you won't be able to get it any longer ... get it while you can!). Originally, I was going to leave this piece white but decided it also needed a wash of very light/diluted Peacock Feathers Distress Ink.
5. To finish the card, I trimmed the triangle watercolor panel to 3-7/8" x 5-1/2" and popped it up with Copic X-Press It 1/2" Foam Tape onto a Bazzill Candy Necklace background, then adhered it all to a top-folded card base made with Neenah 110# Solar White. The sentiment piece was machine stitched and also popped up on foam tape, then accented with Pretty Pink Posh Clear 6mm Sequins adhered with Glossy Accents.
I love the variations in color you get with watercolor, and it's fun to see the embossed background magically appear as you wash color over it! You can even try it with different colors of embossing powder for the background. I hope you'll give this technique a try! ~ Sharon
