Watercolor Background

I have been really enjoying playing with dye based inks to create watercolor backgrounds, and I especially like Distress Ink for this purpose.  A new favorite technique is to apply the ink to an acrylic block and stamp with the block.  In this case, I used a round acrylic block.  No brushes were used in the making of these cards!

Distress Ink was applied to the round acrylic block, randomly.  I was careful not to apply the ink on top of each other so I wouldn't contaminate my pads.  The mixing happened when I sprayed the inked up block with water that was mixed with Perfect Pearls Pearl powder.  The block was sprayed with enough water so that the colors could bleed in to each other and blend.  Be careful not to spray so much so that when you turn the block over it drips onto your work.  (Which is what I did the first time).  Stamp the inked block onto watercolor paper for your background image.  

After initially stamping the acrylic block on watercolor paper, I noticed I still had a pretty good amount of ink on the block, so I spritzed it with water again and stamped a second time on another piece of paper.  The "You are Awesome" card is the result of the second stamping.  I really like both of them for different reasons.  I used Magenta stamps over the background, and added some enamel dots from My Minds Eye.  Easy and fun to do!

Materials Used:

Today I Choose Happiness (first stamping):

Magenta Stamps:

42.207.N  Echinacea

07.845.G  Today I Choose Happiness

23.114.C  Dots

Round acrylic block

Distress Inks:

Peacock Feathers

Squeezed Lemonade

Seedless Preserves

Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Perfect Pearls Pearl

Enamel Dots from My Mind’s Eye “Cute” collection

140# Strathmore cold press watercolor paper

You Are Awesome (second stamping):

Magenta Stamps:

42.210.P  Sunflower

07.876.F  You Are Awesome

23.114.C  Dots

Round acrylic block

Distress Inks:

Peacock Feathers

Squeezed Lemonade

Seedless Preserves

Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Memento Rich Cocoa Ink

Perfect Pearls Pearl

Enamel Dots from My Mind’s Eye “Cute” collection

140# Strathmore cold press watercolor paper