Next time you make a card, think about framing it!
Hi everyone! Today let's talk masking and watercoloring. Masking is covering an area that you don't want stamped, while you're stamping - if this is confusing I hope this post will help. Watercoloring is what I do when I get bored with markers.
I started out making three cards...picked the best one and placed it in this cleverly distressed frame (Michaels) - instant, decorative focal point to dress up a bookshelf. The other two cards will make great birthday or thank you cards.
This card layout is from a card Julie Ebersole sent me a few years ago.
To begin, I started with an A2 (5-1/2" x 4-1/4") Cranberry cardstock (Memory Box) card base with the score line on the short end. I call this an Album Fold. Score card front 3/4" in from the edge, as shown, and place a big Post-It note (or a few overlapping smaller ones) along the score line on the card inside. You've just masked the inside of your card. Sponge the 3/4" edge with desired ink.
When done, fold the 3/4" front flap back and your card front will look like this.
Using the same Post-It note, line it up on the card inside about 1" to 1-1/2".
Repeat the sponging, and stamp image (Hero Arts used here) then remove the Post-It note, or mask. Ain't that neat?
Add two brads to hold down the 3/4" sponged flap, and your card front will now look like this.
Next - watercoloring. I use a good watercolor brush, reinkers, water, and a little white plastic palette I found at Wal-Mart. You watercolor the same way you use markers - lay down a light color followed by a darker color then blend.
Using three pieces of white cardstock (each measured 2-1/4" x 3-3/4") I stamped Lockhart's Fox Glove once on each piece of cardstock using black waterproof Ink (Ranger Archival). Next, I first drew a black line using Copic Multiliner to establish a horizon.
Using just water, I painted the background, then watercolored with a pale wash of Cloudy Blue (all reinkers are from Ranger's Adirondack line).
When I say 'wash', this means I place a half-drop of reinker into a well on the palette, and add a few drops of water to 'wash out' the color. For a pale wash use mostly water and little reinker. For a darker wash use less water. Rarely if ever do I ever use the color of a reinker 100%.
Then added in a wash of Stonewashed so it looks like this.
Next I did the same with the leaves - applied a pale wash of Lettuce.
Then applied a darker wash of Lettuce.
I did this same technique of light color followed by a darker color for the bucket, ground, frame and flowers.
I opted to distress the edges of the cardstock on my colored images. This picture shows, from left to right, the colored cardstock piece, followed by the sponged edges (Distress Antique Linen), followed by the frayed edges using Tim's distress tool and Distress pad Vintage Photo sponged edges to further enhance the aged look I'm going for.
I matted these distressed images onto Cranberry cardstock, then again onto Licorice cardstock using foam dimensionals. Punched two holes in the upper left & added ribbon.
It still needed something.
You know that wadded up unprinted newspaper filler you get in mailed packages ? I ripped a piece off, and distressed it using DTP (direct to paper technique - swipe at the paper holding the pad in your hand).
Then stamped on it using the same Hero Arts stamp from the card inside, and tore the stamped part out. Tore it again in half and used it behind the Foxglove focal point. It's thin and lightweight and perfect (and free!). Hope this post was helpful and explained how I watercolor & thank you for stopping by!
Picked the best of the three and framed it - these are the two that will get mailed!
supplies: Lockhart Stamp Company stamps - their entire line (with new images coming soon!!), Memory Box cardstocks (all styles & sizes!), Copic markers and black pens in a variety of milimeters - Ellen Hutson
Hero Arts stamps - their entire line including new Winter images! - Stampin' Treasures
brads, Tim Holtz's distressing tool, blending tool - StarLitStudio