When I discovered a sample card in the Stampin’ Up! January-June 2022 Mini Catalog, I just had to recreate it. There it was, nestled on the page displaying the Happy Hedgehogs Stamp Set and Hedgehog Builder Punch. Such a sweet card, even though it was hedgehog free.
The plaid paper in the background was just beautiful. My first instinct was to search every pack of designer series paper to find that perfect plaid design. But I quickly discovered it wasn’t designer paper at all. In fact, it was a plaid design made from a technique!
Plaid Watercolor Background
Now that I knew what technique I was trying to learn how to do, I needed someone to show me how to do it. Of course, I turned to YouTube. And searched. And searched.
It turns out, not everything is on YouTube. I finally found the general idea and decided to just go for it. Paper and ink and inspiration…what more does a crafter really need?
Preparing A WaterColor Ink Wash
Every time I watercolor, I am reaching for a few basic things:
Water Painters. Stampin’ Up! sells them in a 3 pack, with different size brush heads.
An Acrylic Block. Useful for more than holding stamps for stamping.
Ink refills. You can use an ink pad too, but the refill drops go farther for use.
Of course, you may have heard that to watercolor with such a wet technique, you need special paper. Like the Fluid Watercolor Paper or Shimmery White Cardstock. While these papers are great at absorbing all the extra liquid this technique brings, you can use regular white cardstock, like I did!
Simple Stamping, Simple Watercoloring
I was able to put these cards together very quickly. The flower tree stamp and sentiment are both from the Happy Hedgehogs Stamp Set. I used Memento Black Ink for each, with more watercoloring along the branch, leaves and flowers.
The beautiful part about the front focal piece is that it covers just enough of the plaid background’s potential imperfections. So don’t let your fears of wobbly crooked lines stop you from trying this! I share lots of pointers and tips you may find useful in my how to video.
Create Some Plaid Backgrounds For Your Cards!
As you can see, the possibilities are endless when making plaid backgrounds with a watercolor wash. Because this technique is so unique, it is impossible for 2 cards to look the same. And as crafters of homemade cards, isn’t that what we are looking for…our personal spin on something everyone can do?
If you are missing out on the Happy Hedgehogs, don’t despair. Those adorable critters do have a scene in my video. And I am sure I will be playing with them again soon.
The Happy Hedgehogs Bundle
The Happy Hedgehogs Bundle includes both the stamp set and punch. By purchasing the bundle, you save 10% automatically until June 30, 2022. After that, the stamp set and punch will be sold separately, without the discount.
Looking for this or any of the other products I used for my project? Shop my online store anytime! I appreciate your business very much. Happy crafting!
What a wonderful long color journey this has been! As I have explored the new 2021-2023 In Colors with you, we have covered 5 gorgeous colors over 5 months. And now we are down to the end…
This last In Color, Pale Papaya, is one I have struggled with. But I have to say, this card using the Peaceful Cabin Stamp Set in Pale Papaya, Old Olive and Balmy Blue is my favorite! I did not intend to save the best for last, but you can be the judge of that.
Peaceful Cabin Stamp Set
The Peaceful Cabin Stamp Set is just that. You have a cabin scene, some pine trees, a wooden fence and more. There are also 5 lovely sentiments, and all but one can be used year round. Because my chosen colors are not winter themed, I down-played the snowy scene aspect and made a card that spans different seasons.
Next, I stamped the same image onto a Post-It note. I made sure the top of the image was stamped along a sticky edge. Then, I cut this out with my Paper Snips, creating a “mask”.
And with my newly made mask, I covered over my original stamped cabin. This way, I could stamp my pine tree stamps from the Peaceful Cabin Stamp Set behind the cabin. I stamped the trees multiple times in Old Olive Ink to get good coverage, overlapping them slightly.
The Colors of a Peaceful Cabin Card
My pine trees needed a little more green after I was finished stamping them. I used a Blender Pen to shade more Old Olive Ink to fill them in. The majority of the color, Old Olive, comes from my pine trees on this card.
I decided to add background color for this card by way of Water Painters. One of my favorite methods is to use ink refill drops on clear acrylic blocks and adding water. I find that wetting the paper slightly with water before adding the ink color mix provides a great medium.
When I was happy with background, I tore the top and bottom of the paper to create an interesting edge. Next, I used Blending Brushes to add Balmy Blue Ink to the top, and Old Olive Ink along the bottom.
Embellishments in a very specific color can be hard to come by…unless you make your own color! I did just that with the Elegant Faceted Gems. I added some color to the clear gems, using my Dark Pool Party Stamping Blend. Now, I know this card features Balmy Blue, but that shade was so light I needed something slightly darker. In the end, the color is still very opaque, and quite beautiful!
A little twine makes this card divine! I relied on the Baker’s Twine Essentials Pack (5 colors to choose from!). Because I am adding Very Vanilla to my card front, I chose the corresponding color twine. I wrapped it around my Peaceful Cabin scene and made a small knot in the front.
My Peaceful Cabin Card front layers were so easy to assemble! Much of them went down flat, using Multipurpose Liquid Glue.
I did add Stampin’ Dimensionals under my sentiment piece. I chose the mini version on purpose. In this way I could make sure my Baker’s Twine remained in between the dimensionals, so there was no issues with interference.
The last thing I added to my card front was the pretty blue bling I created. I used my Take Your Pick Tool to lift the self-adhesive beauties onto my card. In symmetry, I used 3 smaller sized gems along the top, then 3 larger size gems along the bottom.
My 2021-2023 In Color Tour
I hope you have enjoyed spending some time getting to know the new 2021-2023 In Colors with me! Each month we covered a different color and some coordinating combinations. And 1 out of 3 cards for every new In Color was a Christmas card. If you would like to see the Pale Papaya Christmas card, click here.
As always, products for the cards I create are available in my online stamping store. I showcased the Peaceful Cabin Stamp Set, but did you know there are also coordinating dies? The Cabin Dies and a Die Cutting Machine will help you cut the stamped images nicely, and the Peaceful Cabin Bundle will also save you 10%. I encourage you to check out any sales or specials when you shop…earn yourself some amazing deals. Your creativity is worth it!
As my 2021-2023 In Color tour comes to an end this month, we are turning to the last color, Pale Papaya and the stamp set, Shaded Summer. I have to admit, Pale Papaya is not my favorite color hue. In fact, I struggle with this yellow/orange color that seems to shift tendencies depending on its color partners.
Our first combo with Pale Papaya is Calypso Coral and Basic Gray. Of course, Basic Gray lends some neutral sensibility to this mix. And Calypso Coral actually coordinates well with Pale Papaya! When I put all three colors together, I was very pleasantly surprised.
Shaded Summer
I realize as I make this card and write this blog post that it is November. Summer is long over. But, the color combo of Pale Papaya and Calypso Coral reminds me a little of summer. And Basic Gray is definitely “shade”! So, I just had to pull out my Shaded Summer Stamp Set.
Something else that I used on this card is long over too: the retired, coordinating dies from January-February 2021 Sale-A-Bration, Shaded Summer Dies. If you don’t have these dies, you could fussy cut the flower image from the Shaded Summer Stamp Set using Paper Snips. Another option would be to swap it out for a similar image with a matching die.
Watercolor Flowers
I started first by stamping my floral image from the Shaded Summer Stamp Set, using third generation Crumb Cake Ink on Basic White Cardstock. Not sure what this means? After inking my stamp, I stamped off twice and used the third stamped image. I wanted a very light outline image to work with.
Next, I grabbed my Watercolor Pencils. I added Calypso Coral to the flowers and Old Olive to the leaves and stems. While coloring, I focused on the outlines and Crumb Cake shaded areas. Notice from my picture that there are plenty of white spaces left un-colored.
You may be wondering why I left so much white space! This is where my Water Painters come in handy. With just the wet brush tip, the watercolor pencil lines are blended and softened beautifully. This artistic wash is simply something that I could not accomplish on my own.
TIP #1: Squeeze some water from the barrel of the Water Painter onto a clear acrylic block and use that water to blend your pencil lines. It is so much easier than squeezing the Water Painter to moisten the brush as you go along.
TIP #2: After you use your Water Painter to blend your lines, you can go back over your image with the Watercolor Pencils again to add more color or sharpen the look of certain areas.
Cutting Edge Beauty
Remember those retired Shaded Summer Dies I spoke of earlier? I used mine to die cut my colorful flower image with my Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine. Paper Snips are a great alternative if you need to fussy cut instead.
I took advantage of other dies in the retired set, and die cut leaves in both Basic Gray Cardstock and Smoky Slate Cardstock. Any leaf dies or punches would work here as well.
It was easy to add elegant die cuts to my card front with the Encircled In Beauty Dies. These dies may remind you of a spiro-graph image or doilies when you see them. The lacy circles come in a variety of sizes and designs, and work together so nicely.
After that, I die cut some 2021-2023 In Color Shimmer Vellum in Pale Papaya with the same Layering Circle Die. This Pale Papaya circle now fits inside my white die cut rim perfectly, and will add a bit of sheen to my finished card.
Perfect Punches and Elegant Embossing
I love the look of an embossed image on my card front. The raised texture adds a richness and lots of interest for so little effort. For this card, I decided a floral embossing folder would be too busy, competing with all the images and die cuts I already have.
The final elements of this card came together quickly. I love my punches for that very reason. Starting with the Treasured Tags Pick A Punch, I punched both ends of my Pale Papaya Cardstock using the largest width allowance. All of the Pick A Punch’s are channeled to give you 3 different width options and 2 designs.
After my paper was punched, I stamped my sentiment from the Shaded Summer Stamp Set, using Basic Gray Ink. This ink color is a good option when you want something a little lighter in color from a harsh black ink. I sponged the edges of my sentiment piece using Pale Papaya Ink to help it stand out.
And last but not least, I used my Sprig Punch. This one is my go-to for some extra layering behind a focal piece or sentiment. The 2021-2023 In Color Shimmer Vellum allowed me to use some sparkly Pale Papaya to get a couple of sprigs in no time flat. The sprigs and previously die cut circle in the same medium bring continuity to my card.
Beauty Of Assembly
Once I had all the parts and pieces finalized for my card, it was time to assemble. Instead of automatically adding layers to my Basic Gray Card Base, I began with the embossed piece of Pale Papaya. First, I adhered a piece of Simply Elegant Specialty Designer Series Paper. Next, I added my white rim die cut.
Following in order, I adhered the circular shimmer vellum, adding tape only where it would be next covered by the Calypso Coral die cut piece.
Before I went any further, I added a strip of Gray Granite 1/4″ Shimmer Ribbon on the bottom third of my circular pieces. I wrapped the ends of the ribbon around the back of the Pale Papaya embossed cardstock and secured them with Tear & Tape Adhesive.
From there, it was just a matter of layering on the rest of my pieces. I tucked in the gray die cuts leaves and the shimmer vellum sprigs. Then, I centered my watercolor flowers over the Calypso Coral die cut. Next, I adhered my sentiment and added a bow from another length of the same ribbon. I placed my artistic ensemble on my card base.
For a final bit of bling, I added some Pearl Basic Jewels. The elegance of pearls fits this card perfectly. I love the ease of adding small embellishments with my Take Your Pick Tool. Whether you use the spatula end or the putty end, the application is effortless.
Meant To Be
Much like the sentiment says, some friendships are meant to be. And the color combo I used here is also meant to be. I was so happy mixing Calypso Coral and Basic Gray to Pale Papaya. This card made with the Shaded Summer Stamp Set is perfectly beautiful.
If you haven’t seen any of the other In Color cards from this series, be sure to check them out. Click here to see another card that showcases a different way to use the Water Painters.
All of the current supplies used to make this card can be found in my online store, so shop anytime at your convenience to add these items to your crafty stash. And please come back and visit, to see where the next adventures in Pale Papaya take us!
