The Magic of Water and Ink

Water coloring.

It's kinda magical.

I spent the entire weekend in the studio enjoying the magic that happens when water and ink come together to create beautiful shades of a color, swirls and shadows, depth, detail ....and sometimes.....at the very moment that you add another color and it begins to move within the water...a magnificent new color emerges!

The possibilities are truly endless....and kind of amazing!

I did a little prep on Friday evening, in anticipation of dedicating the entire weekend to water coloring. 

I went through my stamp sets and pulled out some floral stamps that had been on my mind lately.  (I do that...I can be folding laundry...and a thought will pop into my head about a particular stamp that I have...and an idea as to what I'd like to do with it....Then, once I am obsessed with that image/stamp..my mind starts to think about a sketch...colors...the cards stock...I take a mental tour of the studio...picturing what I will reach for, to create a particular card.)

Once I take that creative journey in my mind...I am then restless, waiting to get into the studio to "try it out".

So on Friday evening, I did a title prep...

I got out the floral images that were on my mind...

I puled out about 8 stamp sets...and reduced my final selection to 2 images.

Cut a stack of Crafter's Companion water color paper (love that paper)

I stamped, and gold (heat) embossed  a nice little stack of the 2 images that I was most excited about working with...

I set all of my water coloring supplies out on the desk...

(Inclusive of an assortment of floral friendly ink colors...and my set of Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers...brushes..water cup...a mister....easy release paper tape, paper towels  etc)

The plan was: The next morning.. I would be out in the studio..settled in and enjoying the start of what I had been thinking of..in my mind....all week long.

And so it began....bright and early...at  9 a.m on Saturday....the start of 2 wonderful, relaxing and productive days watching colors move and merge...and do their part in bringing the floral images to life.

Magical.

That's the best word to describe the last 2 days....

Magical.

In the end...

This is what came from the magic of water and ink dancing together.

At the end of the day, on Saturday, I had a nice little collection of water colored images.

Today, Sunday, I cut and scored base cards and chose the mats for each image

(Each image is matter on LCI shimmer card stock...one of my faves.

It's beyond gorgeous!

After the matting was done... I had time to complete 5 cards..
I did this one first...

We lost all of our hydrangea bushes to Hurricane Sandy in 2012

They were the things I loved most in our garden landscaping.

We had an assortment of hydrangea colors, but my favorite was the blue violet ...the largest of all of the bushes...located right under one of the family room windows.

Every year that bush gave an enormous  number of blooms...and they looked exactly like this:

Isn't the gold embossing beautiful?

An assortment of 3 different Altenew ink colors created this beauty!

Here's another....

The sentiments in the first 5 cards that I'll share here tonight 

are from Penny Black's "Heartfelt" stamp set.

and another....in a purple tone..

more Altenew ink and Zig Clean Color..

and yellow....

created with a few Stampin Up ink colors...and Zig Clean Color

I loved adding second and third color to get the desired shading.

This is a combination of Stampin Up ink and Zig Clean Color markers. 

and a pink...

created by using a few different Altenew ink colors and Zig markers

I don't know what I love more...

The gold embossing

or...the shades of the pink that emerged as I painted this image

or the almost porcelain look of the leaves.

Card loving friends: These water colors beauties will be available , for purchase, at my etsy shop soon

Card making friends: The supplies needed for watercoloring have been noted above...so I won't add a specific list below, as I usually do. If you haven't tried the Crafters Companion Water Color paper...I encourage you to order a pkg....its weighty and the texture is beautiful...

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle