Video: Impressionistic Stamping with Liquid Watercolors

2018 Catalog Bold Prints Videos Watercolor

Feb 19, 2018 Jessica Frost-Ballas

Good morning and Happy Monday! Today I'm sharing a few cards using a technique I like to call impressionistic stamping with liquid watercolors and a few Bold Prints background stamps! The new liquid watercolors blend beautifully and this technique lets the paint do all the work for you!I also have a video showing you how to create this look. You can watch the video below or in HD at our Youtube channel here!

To start I added drops of our new liquid watercolors to a craft mat. For these cards I tried to stick to a color palette reminiscent of Monet's famous impressionistic waterlilies painting so I used a mixture of Pine and Indigo along with Deep Ocean and Mulled Wine. I spritzed them a few times with a water bottle until the area was quite saturated (the watercolor dots won't really seem to move at this point but just wait!). Then I simply placed my Bold Prints background stamp on the liquid watercolors and smeared it around at bit. I lifted it carefully and then "stamped" it on a piece of watercolor paper. I let it sit for a few seconds to give the paper time to absorb the watercolors. Then I lifted the stamp and used a paper towel to blot up any puddles of watercolor before setting it aside to dry. I repeated the process and was able to easily get several backgrounds before the colors blended too much.

I used the Abstract Skylines and Floral Mandala Bold Prints background stamp to create these looks and then finished the cards with a few variations. For the first two cards I die-cut the happy from Happy Stamp & Cut three times for each card and layered them together to create a chipboard like embellishment. Then I stamped the rest of the sentiment from the set onto white cardstock with Versamark and heat-embossed it with Detail Black embossing powder. I trimmed those down to a label and adhered them to the watercolor panels. Then I used liquid adhesive to adhered the black die-cut and added a coating of Spectrum Noir clear sparkle to the black cardstock.

I explained this in the video but when I was beginning to experiment with this watercolor technique I had a few backgrounds that ended up with a splotchy section in the middle from the paint pooling. I decided to see if I could cover up those areas with sentiments and other embellishments. For one of the cards I die-cut a heart from the Nesting Hearts Infinity Dies from vellum cardstock and adhered it over the splotch. Then I stamped a house from Welcome Neighbor and die-cut it with the coordinating dies. I also stamped a sentiment from the same set onto black cardstock and heat-embossed it with white embossing powder. I layered the sentiment over the vellum heart and then added the house on top. The second card follows a similar layout to the first two but using the Congrats Stamp & Cut and House Stamp & Cut!

My last card uses the Hello Stamp & Cut set and keeps the sentiment closer to the top third of the card. In this close-up I really feel like you can see why I call it impressionistic stamping. You can see areas where the mandala is clearly visible and areas where it's more loosely suggested. And I kinda love that! :) I also really love the way those four colors combined to create all those shades of teal, purple, and blue!

I hope this gives you some new ideas for how to use your liquid watercolors! I'd love to know if you give this a try and what colors you choose to use! :) Thanks so much for visiting and have an amazing day!

Jessica Frost-Ballas

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22 Responses

Joy Revert

March 04, 2018

I love this technique. I’m gonna give it a try. Thanks for the inspiration b

Colleen Halpern

February 25, 2018

Very interesting look. This is something I would like to try.

Brenda

February 22, 2018

Thanks for showing all of the watercolor smooshing – I really enjoyed it!

Daria

February 22, 2018

Thank you for sharing these beautiful cards and the video. I love that Skyline stamp and the way you watercolored both stamps. Lovely cards.

Terrie D.

February 21, 2018

Your cards look so cool! Thanks for sharing this technique :)

Leni

February 20, 2018

Get some idea’s right away! Thanks for the inspirational video!

Marianne C

February 20, 2018

Very cool video and technique! I think I need to try the new liquid watercolour product ☺️

lorraine turner

February 20, 2018

Thank you for demonstrating this technique to us crafters today. Thoroughly enjoyed the video tutorial. :O)

Paru Mahtani

February 19, 2018

Just beautiful!! Thanks for this video!

Karen

February 19, 2018

I don’t see much difference in using distress inks or stains to get the effect that you just got but will give it a try

pat smith

February 19, 2018

I have not tried this method, but see where you can get some great backgrounds doing it! Thanks for sharing.

pam edwards

February 19, 2018

A very cool process. love the result.

pat mccleary

February 19, 2018

Great video, Jess. I have my watercolors ordered, so will definitely give this technique a try.

Leanne in Cali

February 19, 2018

Beautiful cards! Thanks for your awesome video!!

Teresa Doyle

February 19, 2018

Such great cards and a fun looking technique. I can see how this one could be addictive. LOL Beautiful colours of inks.

Farley

February 19, 2018

Wonderful technique. Looking forward to trying out the new watercolors. One question….you mentioned after the stamp dried you replaced it in it’s storage pouch. What do you use for storing these larger stamps? I am acquiring many of these and I’m not satisfied with just the packaging they come in which eventually tear. Thanks for the inspiration.

Lynn

February 19, 2018

Great technique! I’m definitely going to try some myself!

Henriëtte

February 19, 2018

Wow, this is something realy different. Thanks I think this is a very interesting technique and whil give this certainly a try.
Thanks Jessica for this gorgeous work!