Watercolor Tutorial with Distress Inks

Barb here to share an easy way to color your favorite Prickley Pear stamped images using Distress markers/ink pads.  Water coloring is very popular right now in cardmaking so I'm jumpin on in today!  So let's get started!

Supplies:  StazOn ink, watercolor paper (140lb), water brush, 

Distress Markers and or ink pads, kraft sheet, paper towels.

First grab your watercolor paper and stamp image with StazOn ink. 

It is important to use this ink so your image does not run when

you add water.  I used Strathmore 140lb weight watercolor paper

I purchased at Hobby Lobby.

To begin I started with the leaves using Peeled Paint marker I

just squiggled down the center. You don't need to color the

leaves completely.  Take your water brush and work from the color out.

You can keep adding water til you like the way it looks.  

There's no right or wrong to this method. Be artistic!

Here's what it looks like when you finish leaves. 

Next do the centers of flowers. I used black soot for part, use 

waterbrush to fade it out brushing away from black ink.

Now sqiggle in a little vintage photo ink and blend away

toward the edge with water brush.

Now for the petals:  Using wild honey marker add right outside

the center of flower all the way around, use water brush to blend

out toward tips of leaves. I went back and added a little Mustard seed 

to tips of flowers and blended with water brush. Easy!

It may take a little practice but I like the effect!

Here's my completed card. I decided to add green to the 

background. The white was a little stark.  I also added a little

white highlighting with a gel pen and some dots and faux 

stitching with a Copic 0.3 multliner.

The tag is watercolored as well with mustard seed ink.

Prickley Stamps used:

GG0151 Fall Sunflowers , EE0189 Gather Love .

A closer look

I hope you'll give water coloring your stamped images

a try!  It's quite fun!