It's time for a new Watercolor Challenge over at Happy Little Stampers - this time Anything Goes, with an optional twist - Rainbow! We have a guest designer joining us this week - Julie - be sure to check out hers and the rest of the Design Team's inspiration over at the HLS blog. You could also be in with a chance to win $15 discount at the HLS store.
For both cards I stamped the focal image in Distress Ink Hickory Smoke on Strathmore watercolor paper (500 series) cut to 3.5" x 5". I then stamped it again on a post-it and cut it out and masked the image.
To create the rainbow I used a variety of Distress inks and blended them gently over the masked image and outward. I used Carved Pumpkin, Fossilized Amber, Wilted Violet, Mermaid Lagoon, Twisted Citron and Abandoned Coral for the Butterfly card. For the flower I changed it up with some Picked Raspberry, Tumbled Glass, Cracked Pistachio and Squeezed Lemonade (as well as WV and CP). I then flicked water onto the ink and let it dry for a few seconds before lifting it off. I then removed the mask
To colour the focal image I used a paintbrush, water and did a light wash of Distress Ink in Hickory Smoke, let it dry and then did another layer. I let it dry then did another couple of layers in Ground Espresso. I thought this gave a cool vintage-y sepia photo type look. I then added some splatters of both with the paint brush for good measure.
The sentiments are also from the same set. I heat embossed both - the Butterfly using Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder, and the flower with Hero Arts white.
To finish the cards I added them with double sided tape to a Simon Says Stamp Fog card base. On the flower card I added Nuvo drops in clear along the bottom and as drops on the main card. For the butterfly I coloured the image with clear Wink of Stella and added some Sparkling Clear Pretty Pink Posh sequins.
Hope you liked the cards - make sure to play along over at Happy Little Stampers for your chance to win a $15 discount to the store!
