Technique of the Week: Windows to the World and Tombow Watercolors

This is such a fun and simple technique, and one you may have seen before, but I wanted to show it once more.

One really fun way to color your stamping is to stamp on watercolor paper; then partially color with Tombow markers and apply a wet brush to your coloring to draw out and blend the color.

A super fun series of stamps to use for this technique are the Art Impressions Windows to the World stamps. They are quick and easy, and really all you need to make a beautiful card.

I chose a summer favorite called Island Window. It's an idyllic scene with palm trees, and I chose to color mine like sunset.


I stamped the image onto Tim Holtz watercolor paper with Versafine Onyx Black ink, and embossed it with JudiKins Clear Detail embossing powder. I chose the Tim Holtz paper because it is white, and I wanted the uncolored edges of the paper to match my base card.



To choose colors, I tried them out on the edge of the paper, since I was using a bigger piece that I would need for my card. When I got colors I liked, I started coloring where I wanted the colors to be darkest. Working in fairly small areas at a time, I colored with a marker, and then wet a brush and pulled the color out into a larger area. I started out using a water brush, but honestly, I found I had more control just using a regular brush and some water.

If you need more color in an area that has already been colored, you can color on your craft mat with the marker and pick the color up with your brush. It's not really a good idea to touch your marker to a wet area.

 I just worked around the image this way until I was happy with how it looked.



To finish my card, I die cut the image using Die-Namics MFT-600 In & Out Stitched Rounded Square die. I took a piece of Fair Blue So Silk cardstock cut to 5.25 x 4, and embossed it with a WRMK Next Level embossing folder, "Wave". I mounted the image onto the embossed panel, adhered it to a white base card, and added a few sequins.

I really hope you give this technique a try; it's quick and such an enjoyable way to color your images. 


Materials Used:

Art Impressions Stamp UMM-3178 Island Window

Tim Holtz Watercolor paper

Versafine Onyx Black Ink

JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder

Fair Blue So Silk Cardstock

WRMK Next Level "Waves" embossing folder

Tombow Markers:

N60, 452, 526, 098, 245, 133, 076, 055, 025, 985, 946, 755, 899

Various sequins

Die-Namics MFT-600 In & Out Stitched Rounded Square die