Birthday Blooms No Line WaterColoring

Today's card looks like a floral watercolor painting, but it was made with the Birthday Blooms stamp set and aqua painters! The technique is called no line water-coloring.

Stamp the image using a light ink color such as Sahara Sand, Smoky Slate, Pink Pirouette, Soft Sky, and Powder Pink onto watercolor paper. Then color in the image using aqua painters and ink refill or ink pads.

For this card, I started with a Pool Party watercolor wash in the background to help ground the space. I used Sahara Sand ink to stamp the large floral image from Birthday Blooms onto watercolor paper.

Then I taped around the edges with painters tape to a piece of cardboard (that's the insert from the Paper Pumpkin kit!). This helps keep the paper from warping or curling as it dries. I cut the watercolor paper about an 1" bigger than my intended size in case the tape tore the watercolor paper. After it dries, the watercolor paper can be trimmed to size.

I started with the lightest color of ink and worked up to the darkest color but any order can be used.

Choose where you would like the light to come from. It can be from above, below, left, or right. Once you choose where you would like the light to come from be consistent with shadowing. Sine a desk lamp across your work to help define where the shadows may fall.

Work in small sections at a time. Add more ink to create shadows and then pull the ink using the aqua painter brush across each section to create the look you want.

Allow each section to dry before adding more ink. Add fine detail with a Stampin' Write Marker such as the veins on the leaves.

No line water-coloring works well on larger, not as finely detailed stamped.

No line water-coloring isn't limited to ink and aqua painters. It works with Stampin' Blends too as well as watercolor pencils and blender pens.

I hope you give this technique a try. Which stamp sets would you choose?

Thanks for stopping by!
Beth

Birthday Blooms No Line Water-Coloring Card Supply List
Stamps	#140655 Birthday Blooms (Wood-Mount) #140658 Birthday Blooms (Clear-Mount)
Paper	#140272 Thick Whisper White Cardstock #108641 Wild Wasabi Cardstock #122959 Water Color Paper
Ink	#140931 Basic Black Archival Ink Pad #144083 Berry Burst Ink Pad #126959 Wild Wasabi Ink Pad #131173 Crushed Curry Ink Pad #126982 Pool Party Ink Pad #144089 Berry Burst Ink Refill #109020 Wild Wasabi Ink Refill #131263 Subtles Stampin’ Write Marker Collection (Wild Wasabi) #131262 Regals Stampin’ Write Marker Collection (Crushed Curry)
Embellishments	#144200 Glitter Enamel Dots
Tools	#143263 Big Shot Machine #143704 Dynamic Layered Leaves Textured Impressions Embossing Folders #103954 Aqua Painters Paper Towels Piece of Cardboard larger than the Water Color Paper

For You Ghirardelli Square Treat Holder

January is one of my favorite times of the year for candy! My grocery cart is so full with bags of chocolate squares, foiled wrapped dark chocolate hearts, candy-coated chocolate pieces, and more that it would make my dentist cringe, for sure! However, it is not all for me or my husband. I make an incredible amount of treat holders for classes and to deliver to my customers, friends, team members, community members, and more.

My ultimate favorite candy for this time of year is a strawberry-filled dark chocolate square! The combination of strawberries and dark chocolate is divine! I designed this chocolate square treat holder that is perfect to give to your loved ones.

Start by cutting a 2" x 6" piece of Pool Party cardstock. With the 6" edge along the top of the Simply Scored Scoring Tool, score at 2-7/8" and at 3-1/8". Then punch each 2" end with the Scalloped Tag Topper Punch. Burnish the score lines. This will become the treat holder base.

Cut a 1-3/4" x 2-1/8" piece of Basic Gray cardstock. Adhere it to the front rectangle of the treat holder base.

Cut a 1-5/8" x 2" piece of Whisper White cardstock. Stamp the large floral image with Basic Gray Archival ink on top of the Whisper White cardstock rectangle, covering as much of the cardstock as possible. Allow to dry for a few moments. Then color in using Powder Pink, Fresh Fig, Berry Burst, and Lemon Lime Twist Stampin' Write Markers.

Then adhere it on top of the Basic Gray cardstock.

Stamp the "for you" greeting image from Bloom' Birthday on a 2" x 1-1/2" piece of Whisper White cardstock. Die cut with the small heart die (cut out will measure about 1-3/8" x 1-1/4") from the Sweet and Sassy Framelit collection.

Add a dimensional to the back of the heart die cut and adhere to the front lower left corner of the treat holder base.

Place a Ghirardelli or other chocolate square in the middle of the treat holder base. Adhere chocolate square with a glue dot.

With an 8" piece of Powder Pink 3/8" Shimmer Ribbon, tie a Lark's Head Knot through the top of the treat holder base. Start by folding the ribbon in half. With the treat holder base facing you, thread the fold of the ribbon through the hole. Pull the ribbon halfway through the hole . Then push the ribbon tails through the loop made by the folded ribbon and pull to tighten. Trim ribbon tails as desired.

Your treat holder is ready for giving! Who would you give this sweet strawberry treat to?

Thanks for stopping by!
Beth

For You Ghirardelli Chocolate Square Treat Holder Supply List
Stamps	#143925 Wood Words (Wood-Mount) #143928 Wood Words (Clear-Mount) #140655 Birthday Blooms (Wood-Mount) #140658 Birthday Blooms (Clear-Mount)
Paper	#100730 Whisper White Cardstock #121044 Basic Gray Cardstock #122924 Pool Party Cardstock
Ink	#140932 Basic Gray Archival Ink Pad #144082 Fresh Fig Ink Pad #144033 2017-2019 In Color Stampin’ Write Markers
Embellishments	#104430 Stampin’ Dimensionals #144151 Powder Pink 3/8" Shimmer Ribbon
Tools	#143263 Big Shot #141707 Sweet and Sassy Framelits #133324 Scalloped Tag Topper Punch #122334 Simply Scored Scoring Tool