I posted this technique over at CraftsUnleashed.com and it’s one I love. It’s so easy to make a stamped and then embossed “resist” that looks amazing with watercolors or shimmer sprays. Have fun!
I love stamping and I love watercolors… it’s so soothing to blend those translucent colors on my paper! So today, I’m going to show you how to use stamping and clear embossing powder as a “resist†to make some lovely (and easy) greeting cards.
(Note: in traditional watercolor painting, wax, oil, or a liquid gum is applied to paper. When the watercolor is applied, the paint doesn’t stick to the areas that have been treated with the application, and therefore no color is absorbed. Often the wax or gum is removed, leaving clear, white paper.)
Supplies:
- Greeting Cards with Envelopes
- Rubber Stamps (I used Scrappy Cat)
- Clear Embossing Powder
- Embossing Stamp Pad (I like VersaMark)
- Watercolor paints
- Watercolor brush
- Lo-tack (Painter’s) tape
- Heat Gun
Start off by stamping a design on the front of your greeting card. Make sure you use an embossing-style pad (one that has no pigment in it.) This is essential for letting the color of the paper show through. Follow up by sprinkling on your clear embossing powder and then melting it with your heat gun.
Stamp your design with embossing ink and sprinkle with CLEAR embossing powder.
Melt embossing powder with a heat gun.Next, tape your card down to your work surface. The paper will tend to wrinkle, and the tape will help it keep it’s shape as it dries. I also like the “border†it creates!
Use the Painter’s tape to secure the card to your work surface.Give your watercolors a few drops of water to soften them up and get the pigment flowing…then just do a wash of color over the top of your card. You’ll see that the watercolor paint soaks into the card, but just beads up and rolls off of the stamped areas:
The watercolor paint wont’ stick to the stamped images.Continue to add color as you like. Let the paper dry completely before you peel off the tape.
Let dry completely before taking off the tape.Here’s on more I made using the same stamp set:
There you go! This fun technique also looks great on scrapbook pages and ATC’s, so have some fun experimenting!
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I like using coffee to create a well worn looking back ground to my water color paintings. It’s also fun to sprinkle a little salt onto wet water color surface… The fun is endless.