Winter Florals With Marker Watercolor Technique

 This is one of my favorite cards this year. I learned this technique from a video by Kristina Werner. You can see her video here. I have to say that it's a bit harder than it looks, but still it was very fun. Kristina used Karin markers, but I don't have those, so I used Tombows. I have it on good authority that I might be getting Karin markers for Christmas.

I really like that the colors are a bit non-traditional for Christmas. I keep coloring my poinsettias all in pretty much the same red, and have been wanting to try something different.

I cut 6 panels of Bristol cardstock to 4.25" x 5.5", and stamped the Simon Says Stamp Winter Florals using Versamark ink. I embossed the images with gold embossing powder. After taping the panels to some boards, I scribbled Tombow markers in different areas of the stamped panels. I used a #10 paintbrush loaded with water to move the scribbles around and smooth them out. The panel on the left shows how I scribbled color onto it, and the panel on the right is after I applied water. 

This is what the panels look like after I applied water to the scribbles.

Once all of the panels were dry, I went back with the markers, and colored each flower, leaf and berry. I was putting down color over the lighter colors underneath. I added the color where I wanted it to be the darkest, and used a brush to draw the color out.

These are all of the panels after I added the final color. Once the panels were dry, I cut them to 4" x 5.25", and then cut them in half, so that I had 12 panels that were 2" x 5.25".

I stamped 12 base cards with the lovely Merry Christmas stamp by Sally Penley from Magenta. I used Versamark ink and embossed the sentiment in gold. I matted each panel with gold cardstock and adhered them to the base cards.

I hope you like them! I want to try this technique again. It needs to be just the right background stamp; one that has images with some background.

Products Used:

Simon Says Stamp SSS102023 Winter Floral Mix

Magenta 07.989.G Merry Christmas

Tombow Markers: 676, 685, 725, 845, 946, 

055, 126, 133, 173, 195, 373

Versamark Ink

Gold Embossing Powder

Bristol cardstock

Curious Metallics Super Gold cardstock

Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock

Snowman Tags

I have another tag to show you, and this one is a little different. I wanted to put a topper on the money envelopes I'm giving my grandsons. They get aa few toys also, but I always like to give them a little money. They are good savers. There are 4 of them.

I love these cute little snowmen. They are from Penny Black, 2521K Snowy, and the die is 51-266 Frosty's Snow. I colored them with Tombow markers and a water brush. For their bodies, I highlighted the snow with a blue marker, 835; for the white part of their hats, I used a neutral gray N75. For the red scarf and hat I used 451, and a watered down bit of that for their noses and cheeks. For the green scarf and hat I used 195; for the blue one 476. Since I needed a 4th and couldn't decide on another color I liked, I decided to make his scarf striped, so I used the 195 green, plus 443 Teal.

This stamp comes only on wood, so I converted it to cling. I stamped all four snowmen out onto Tim Holtz watercolor cardstock using my MISTI tool and Versafine Onyx Black ink. I embossed them with clear embossing powder before coloring.

Since I was going to die cut them out, I didn't need to worry about positioning, so I stamped 2 to a page.

The coloring was fast and easy

For the envelopes, I chose the Lawn Fawn LF1284 Small Stitched Envelope for the 3 youngest boys. I made a pillow box for the older boy.

I'm in the middle of making more cards, and I will show you another card soon!

Products Used

Penny Black 2521K Snowy

Penny Black 51-266 Frosty's Snow

Lawn Fawn LF1284 Small Stitched Envelope

Tim Holtz Watercolor cardstock

Tombow Markers: 835, N75, 451, 195, 476, 443

Niji Water Brush

Tim Holtz Watercolor cardstock

Versafine Onyx Black ink

JudiKins clear detail embossing powder

You are Awesome Blossom!

This Zen Bouquet stamp is the latest of my Zentangle inspired stamp designs, and is being featured on the Magenta blog today. I designed it so that it would work for coloring, or stamped onto an all-over wash of color. In this case, I chose to color the blossoms, and used Tombow markers.

I stamped the Zen Bouquet stamp with Versafine Smokey Gray ink, and embossed it with clear embossing powder. I colored the blossoms with various Tombow markers, just in the areas where I wanted the color to be darkest. I then took a clear Wink of Stella glitter brush marker and used it to pull the color out into each blossom and leaf. If you need more color, you can color your marker onto your craft mat, or an acrylic block and pick up the color with your Wink of Stella brush marker, just like using a water brush  This process is very fast and fun to do, and the end result is very glittery! It's hard to capture the sparkle in a photograph.

The sentiment, "You are Awesome" is also my design and is new in the Spring 2017 Collection, and was stamped in Versafine Onyx Black ink. I added a few white dots with a Uniball broad white gel pen.

I die cut the panel with the largest die in a Lawn Fawn stitched rectangle set (see list of materials below). This creates a panel that is 3.75" x 5", and is perfect for matting onto a card.

Magenta Products Used:

(If you are local, please look for products at Art 'n Soul. If you are not local and wish to find Magenta products, you can click on the link in the stamp or product name below each image, or you can visit the Magenta online store here).

44.024.Q Zen Bouquet

07.966.D You are Awesome!

Other Products Used:

Tombow Markers: 177, 098, 245, 743, 685, 725, 515, 933, 885, 925

Clear Wink of Stella brush marker

Lawn Fawn LF768 Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables

Versafine inks: Smokey Gray; Onyx Black

JudiKins clear detail embossing powder

Uniball Broad white gel pen

Tim Holtz watercolor cardstock

So Silk Fair Blue Cardstock

Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock

You Are in My Heart

I love this sentiment for someone who has been having a bad year, to let them know you are thinking of them during the holidays, and always. This card is featured on the Magenta blog today.

I stamped this using my MISTI tool, and colored the stamp with Tombow markers, adding more color layers each time I stamped down. The effect makes it look like an old fashioned hand painted ornament. The top and bottom of the ornament were embossed in gold. The sentiment was added using Mowed Lawn Distress ink.

This stamp actually has two lovely ornaments, but I only used one in order to make room for this sentiment. The panel was matted with Stardream Jupiter cardstock and mounted onto a base card. A few sequins were scattered on for some bling

Magenta Products used:
(If you are local, please look for products at Art 'n Soul. If you are not local and wish to find Magenta products, you can click on the link in the stamp or product name below each image, or you can visit the Magenta online store here).

02.314.N Elegant Ornaments

07.957.K You are in my heart

Other Products used:

Tombow Markers: 835, 743, 245, 126

Versamarker

Stardust Stickles

WOW Rich Gold embossing powder

Mowed Lawn Distress ink

Neenah Solar White cardstock 80# & 110#

Star dream Jupiter cardstock

Various sequins

Ranger Multi Medium Matte adhesive

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