AECP Level 2
Creative Watercolor Media

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” 
― Pablo Picasso

An ink pad is not merely for stamping an image. Shimmer sprays are not just for spraying. Re-inkers…well, you get the gist. There are no rules that dictate how one is to use all the different media available. Let me show you a few examples.

Lesson 1: Quick and Easy Watercoloring with Crisp Dye Re-Inkers

For this card I used the following Altenew products: Antique Silver Embossing Powder; the Wonderland Stamp set; Oriental Poppy Stamp Set; Snapdragon, and Moss Crisp Dye Re-Inkers. Yes, just TWO different colors! I used the re-inkers instead of traditional watercolor paint! As the card is not a traditional size, I also made a coordinating envelope.

The technique is simple. Wet the watercolor paper and touch your brush to a drop of re-inker and then to the wet paper. You can move the paper around to have gravity assist in the flow of the color, and you can use your brush to do so.

Lesson 2: Using Altenew Shimmer Sprays for Watercoloring

Until now I’d only used shimmer sprays to…well, umm…spray. In Debby Hughes’ class we watercolored with them. I used the Altenew Wild Hibiscus stamp set and the following Altenew shimmer sprays: Frosty Pink; Sea Glass; Soft Lilac; Lavender Fields; Frayed Leaf; Forest Glades; Warm Sunshine; and a touch of Cosmic Berry on the butterfly. I did also create new colors by mixing some of the colors I mentioned.

Lesson 3: Paint Your Images Using Your Altenew Ink Pads

(See Lesson 5)

Lesson 4: Quick and Easy Watercoloring with Shimmer Ink Sprays

This lesson was not as easy as I’d hoped. When shaking the bottles to re-suspend the shimmer in the ink, I introduced a lot of air, and the bubbles clung to the straw and prohibited the ink droplets from cleanly dropping of the straw. I ended up pouring a little of each color in small bottles with a small tube in the cap to dispense. I swirled the bottles to re-suspend the shimmer and then touched the tip to the wet watercolor paper. For me, this worked much better.

As Spicy Yoghurt cardstock is my favorite, I used that for my panel. I dressed it up a little with score lines to frame the image and sentiment. Next I adhered the leaves directly to the panel and then popped up the flower with foam adhesive. Then I cut the sentiment from mirror black cardstock and from black fun foam. I cut the shadow from a shimmery vellum and sandwiched this between the sentiment die cuts. I then glued this to the panel. Finally, I added three clear sequins.

Lesson 5: Using Altenew Crisp Dye Inks for Watercoloring

Yes, I’ve used ink pads to smoosh on my work surface, spritz with water and pressed the panel into the watery ink. Yes, I’ve used the ink pads to smoosh on my work surface and added a tiny bit of water to be able to use this as watercolor. No, I’d never used masking solution to cover an unpainted image so I could paint the background first, and then remove the mask to paint the image. This was fun for me!

I’ll list the inks below.

Supplies Used for Lesson 5:

Altenew Fresh Bloom Stamp Set;Well-Read Stamp Set; Altenew Antique Silver Embossing Powder; Altenew Crisp Dye Inks—Coral Berry, Warm Sunshine, Wisteria,Hydrangea, Ultraviolet, Andromeda, Parrot, Olive, Moss, Citrys Burst, Sunkissed, Orange Cream, Autumn Blaze, Firebrick

Lesson 6: Create a Colorful Background Using Re-Inkers

In this lesson, Laura Bassen demonstrated stamping and clear heat embossing a panel, then using Alcohol Dye Re-Inkers to do a wet-on-wet technique.

These two cards are actually from one panel. I ink blended on card stock, then die cut the sentiments. I was trying to continue the watercolor-like look.

Supplies Used for Lesson 6:

Dahlia Blossoms Stamp Set; Inline Alpha Die; Mighty Alphabet Die Set; Altenew Crisp Dye Inks—Sunkissed; Snapdragon; Volcano Lake; Tide Blue; Cotton Candy; Parrot.

Thank you for stopping by. I know everybody is busy and I appreciate the time you’ve taken to visit.

#Altenewllc #Creativewatercolortechniques