Altenew Academy: Creative Watercolor Media

Hello and welcome.  I just completed The Altenew Academy "Creative Watercolor Media" class and wanted to share this card with you.  

In class #4 we were taught how to watercolor with shimmer sprays.  I don't have any shimmer sprays so I hydrated some shimmer powders and used that instead.  In class #5, we learned to make watercolor backgrounds so I made a coordinating panel for the lotus.

My Process:

• I thought Altenew's Inked Lotus would be so pretty with this technique so I stamped the images on watercolor paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink.  I then let it dry.
• I hydrated 5 colors total, three for the lotus (pink, purple and blue) and two for the stem (green and yellow).  I then used the wet on wet technique as I dropped color into the the petals of the bloom.  The colors don't blend as well as watercolors, but the shimmer patina is so pretty in person.
• I popped the watercolor panel back in my Misti and restamped the outline after the paint dried.
• I decided to make a coordinating background so I spritzed the leftover shimmer paint on my media mat with additional water and then dipped a piece of watercolor paper into the puddle.  I dried and re-dredged until I liked the background.  I still had leftover ink so I was able to make a second background panel to keep with my "made ahead" backgrounds.  
• The sentiment is from the same Inked Lotus stamp and die bundle.  I love when a stamp set has usable sentiments included.

Pro Tip:  The key to these watercolor backgrounds is to add lots of layers of color.  Dredge, dry and repeat until you like the panel.  

I am also playing along with The Flower Challenge and their Summer/Winter theme.  Summer for me!  I used cool blues and purples that remind me of a swimming pool.

I am so pleased that you stopped by!

Karen