Floating Watercolour Tutorial

Hi guys!

I recently demo-d this fantabulous technique at a workshop and I have had a few requests from my workshop guests & blog friends to do a step by step for this technique. I don’t have step by step photos … but here are the step by step instructions. (I will take some photos next time I make a floating watercolour card & add them to the bottom of this post as soon as I get a chance!)

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Supplies Needed:

• Glossy White Cardstock (or shimmer card – non SU!)
• Embossing  Buddy
• Versamark Ink Pad
• White Embossing Powder
• Powder Pals
• Heat Tool
• Stamp with fine line image – preferrably with lots of “sections” to the image  (not solid stamp image) I have used the large rose from Fifth Avenue Floral – this is perfect!
• Water – in a spray bottle
• Aqua Painter
• Re-inkers in 3 – 4 colours

Instructions:

1. Rub Embossing Buddy over cardstock
2. Stamp image with Versamark ink – plenty of ink needed – so re-ink your Versamark pad if it is a little dry
3. Sprinkle White Embossing Powder over image – tap off excess powder
4. Heat with Heat Tool to set image
5. Spray generously with water so water “pools” in each section of image
6. Use a saucer as a “pallette” and add a drop of each of your re-inkers around the saucer
7. Use Aqua Painter to pick up ink from saucer & “touch” the end of Aqua Painter lightly to the sections you wish to colour. The water should carry the colour across the section of the image you are colouring. Add more ink if needed. Use different colours for each section for highlights. Remember to “clean” Aqua Painter before changing colours – wipe it across scrap paper until colour disappears.
8. The best way to get shaded colours within sections is to allow to image dry on a slight slant – so prop your image on an angle to dry. BUT … if there is too much water on your image … this will run … so make sure you “lift” excess water before doing so. You can do this by touching your clean Aqua Painter to each section to “draw up” the excess liquid from the image. Wipe off
   Aqua Painter on tissue to dry. Keep touching the image to draw more liquid off until it is still reasonably moist – but not too wet that the ink will run. You can see on this enlargement where the colour has “pooled” when I propped the image to dry – this gives more intense colour … and looks really great!
9. You can speed up the drying process by heating with a heat tool … but be careful not to “burn” your card! Otherwise your image will take about an hour to dry.

I hope these instructions were clear! I just love this technique … and am going to go searching for some other stamps that are appropriate for this technique & have a play! If you get a chance to try this out … and would like to share your creation … don’t forget to email me with a pic of your card! I would love to show it on my blog!

Keep watching for the pictures for this technique. It may be a few days … but I will get them here eventually! And … thanks everyone for your interest … I am always happy for suggestions for tutorials etc for my blog! So … keep ‘em coming! Have a happy day!!!

Images copyright © Stampin’ Up! ® 1997—2009.  Artwork by Andrea Lowcock.