The Floating Watercolor technique has become one of my top 5 favorites. This is definitely one of those WOW techniques!
What you’ll need:
-White craft ink pad
-white embossing powder
-heat tool
-coordinating Classic Dye ink refills
-a plastic lid or container to use as the palette for the re-inkers
-spritzer bottle filled with water
-aqua painter or small paint brush
-Shimmery White card stock (regular matte card stock will work, but it won’t have the shimmery effect) or watercolor paper
-stamp with detail-I used the rose stamp found in Fifth Avenue Floral
1. Ink detailed stamp in white craft ink and stamp on Shimmery White card stock. Apply white embossing powder and heat with heat tool. Make sure you have embossed the image fully. It is hard to tell since you are embossing white on white card stock. After embossing, let the image cool for a few seconds and then gently rub you fingers over the image to make sure all areas are embossed. If the image is not completely embossed, you will lose any loose embossing powder when you spritz water on the image in the next step.
I like to stamp the image in white craft ink rather than Versamark and then emboss with white embossing powder because I want the white in the image to really pop and show definition.
2. Choose the colors for your rose. Apply drops of Classic Dye reinkers onto your palette. I use a plastic lid from an old dip container.
For color inspiration, look at the roses in your garden, in your neighborhood, at a local nursery or in garden catalogs. The colors shown here are Cameo Coral, Barely Banana and Pretty in Pink.
3. Spray the embossed piece with water using a spritzer bottle. You want the piece to be fairly wet. I can tell when it is wet enough when the edges of Shimmery White card stock begin to curl under.
4. Dip your aqua painter or paint brush in water. Then pick up some color by dipping it into a drop of reinker on your palette. Lightly touch the tip of the aqua painter onto the wet card stock. The color will instantly run, filling in the spaces between the embossed lines. This is where the WOW! comes in. Too cool.
5. Add other colors as you like. If the colors are too dark, you can always spritz with more water to spread the colors out.
6. Set aside to dry. It takes about 15-20 minutes in our dry southwest climate. Remember, you have started with a pretty wet piece of card stock. Be patient.
7. Cut the rose out with a pair of detail scissors and finish card as desired.
Here’s a close up of the finished rose. Isn’t it beautiful? This one reminds me of the Princess Diana roses in my yard.
Stamp Set: Fifth Avenue Floral
Ink: Whisper White Craft, Pretty in Pink, Barely Banana and Cameo Coral reinkers, Versamark
Paper: Taste of Textiles, Barely Banana, Close to Cocoa, Mellow Moss, Certainly Celery, Shimmery White
Accessories: White embossing powder, heat tool, aqua painter, spritzer bottle, crimper