Faux Watercolor with Abstract Impressions

Today, I am playing along for the first time with Kylie Bertucci's International Blog Highlights contest, with Stampin' Up! Demonstrators all over the world. (I live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the US) This month's theme is Encouragement...it's all about sharing love and building up others. You can help me participate in a Winners blog hop by VOTING for my card! The Top Ten winners will be doing a blog hop together later in the month, hosted by Kylie (who lives in Australia).{Links to purchase product in the US are included near the bottom of the post.}

VOTE FOR MY CARD HERE!
(if you can't vote there, try the October InLinkz gallery HERE)

I love the look of Watercolor, but I will readily admit that I don't feel comfortable enough with my skills to do what I would call "real" watercoloring. Stampin' Up! does carry some *gorgeous* abstract "painted" Perennial Essence Designer Series Paper at the moment, but I wanted to create something using the colors that were in my head. So, I grabbed the Abstract Impressions Photopolymer Stamp Set, and decided to experiment!

I used Shimmery White Cardstock and just started stamping images from the set in a bunch of different ink colors. For the grass, I used Soft Seafoam, Granny Apple Green, and Call Me Clover. The big flowers were a mixture of Blueberry Bushel, Bermuda Bay, and Pacific Point. I used Highland Heather and Gorgeous Grape for the daisy-looking flowers, and then layered Daffodil Delight and Mango Melody for the little round flowers.

It really looked pretty harsh and stiff when I was done stamping, but I was on a mission. I took that stamped piece into the bathroom and set it in the sink, and sprayed water on it with a Stampin' Spritzer. That's when the magic happened!!! I had some paper toweling ready, in case I got a little over-zealous. And I put it to use when the card stock started arching up, and a bunch of the blue ink started dripping down into the green of the grass. I dabbed off the extra drips - you'll wanna make sure you are always using a clean part of your toweling for that - and then actually spritzed the blue drips back in the direction I wanted to keep them, and dabbed off again. It was super cool.

Once I had all the colors in the areas I wanted, I dabbed the piece as dry as I could get it, and then dried it further with my Heat Tool. Because I got it so wet, it was still a bit crinkly after it dried. So, to adhere it evenly to the Blueberry Bushel Cardstock base, I used Foam Adhesive Strips in several rows all across the back, and then a few more strips up each side.

All that was left at that point was to stamp the greeting with the Blueberry Bushel Ink Pad, onto a scrap piece of Shimmery White Cardstock, and punch it out with the Everyday Label Punch. I wanted the greeting to stand out just a little bit from the background, so I added some edging around the punched piece using Stampin' Sponges and the Blueberry Bushel Ink Pad. Then, I grabbed some more of those Foam Adhesive Strips that I already had sitting out on my desk, and popped the punched piece up just a bit. The final touch is some simple Linen Thread wrapped around the bottom of the focal layer a few times, and tied in a bow.

This was my first experiment with this type of Faux Watercolor, and I think it turned out marvelously, even if I do say so myself! If you love the soft look of watercolor, but don't feel skilled enough to take brushes to canvas...then grab some Shimmery White Cardstock and a Stampin' Spritzer and run some experiments of your own. You may be pleasantly surprised with the results!

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Stampin' Supplies Product Purchase Links:

Abstract Impressions Photopolymer Stamp Set	Shimmery White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Blueberry Bushel 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Blueberry Bushel Classic Stampin' Pad
Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad	Pacific Point Classic Stampin' Pad	Soft Sea Foam Classic Stampin' Pad	Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad
Call Me Clover Stampin' Pad	Highland Heather Classic Stampin' Pad	Gorgeous Grape Classic Stampin' Pad	Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad
Mango Melody Classic Stampin' Pad	Stampin' Spritzer	Heat Tool (Us And Canada)	Foam Adhesive Strips
Everyday Label Punch	Linen Thread	Stamping Sponges	Grid Paper

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(if your order total equals or exceeds $150, please do NOT use the Monthly Perks Host Code...you will have earned Stampin' Rewards of your own!)

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~Kimberley Morris Colorado Springs, CO
Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator since 1994
procrastistamper@gmail.com
http://kimberley.stampinup.net (SHOP ONLINE 24/7!)
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