Abigail Rose SuiteWater Coloring on Dark Paper

I have combined the Abigail Rose Suite with the Wet to Dry Water Color Technique on colored paper. Water coloring on dark paper is a lovely technique that allows the colors to pop off the paper, especially on black paper.

Water coloring on Dark Paper

Water coloring on dark paper requires laying down a white or very dense color to build a base. Once the base is created and has dried, layer more white ink to get the color depth wanted. Make sure the paper is completely dry before adding the next layer. This process takes time, but can be expedited by drying the image with a heat tool between layers.

If images detail need to be kept, I recommend the following process:

Stamp the focal image(s) with VersaMark Ink. For my card this included the large flower, small flower, and leaves images from the Cottage Rose stamp set.
Heat Emboss with Clear Embossing Powder.

Let’s watercolor:

Use a Water Painter to lay down a base of color. Typically this is a white ink, but can be a dense, pigmented color as well. I used Whisper White. Because Whisper White Ink is a thick ink I diluted just enough to allow the ink to move smoothly, while allowing me to place a base that was slightly transparent.
Use the heat tool expedite the drying of the base color.
Layer color of choice until color depth is satisfactory. I continued the layering process using Whisper White until I was satisfied with the color depth.
Continue to layer color(s), drying in between each layer, until you are satisfied with the image. I continued layering Whisper White until I was satisfied with the flowers look. Then I added Petal Pink Ink to give the flowers detail and depth.
Repeated the above steps for the small flower and leaves. I used Soft Succulent ink for the leaves.
Soft Succulent is a dark enough that I was able to build a nice base and layer it without using
a base of white ink.

Build the card front

Below are the steps I used to build my card front once all my water coloring was completed:

Die Cut the focal image(s).
Stamp the exterior sentiment on the Vellum label first with Soft Succulent Ink. Stamp the same image again it with VersaMark Ink and embossing it with Clear Embossing Powder.
Adhere Vellum label to the matching Petal Pink label.
Adhere the 3 exterior mats to the front of the card base.
Adhere label to the water colored focal image to create a focal piece.
Adhere Linen Tread to the back of the focal piece.
Adhere dimensionals to the back of the focal piece, remove the backings, and position on the card front.

Steps for completing the interior are as follows:

Stamp the interior sentiment above center on the Basic White mat using Soft Succulent Ink.
Adhere a strip of DSP along the bottom edge.
Add another water colored flower and leaves as a focal point in the lower right corner.

Although this is a simple interior layout, the water colored flower adds a finished elegance to the card.

Don't forget to decorate the envelope!

The envelope is the where the excitement of receiving
snail mail begins.

I simply decorated this envelop by stamping a flower in Petal Pink Ink in the front lower left corner of the envelop and a piece of the matching DSP on the flap.

Other ways to decorate an envelope include:

Dry emboss the envelope flap.
Stamped the envelope flap, front lower left corner, or across the bottom.
Add a die cut image on the front in the bottom left corner.
Adhere DSP along the front left edge and/or across the bottom.
Die Cut a label out of DSP large enough to adhere a mailing label of the addressee on it and still see the design of the DSP peaking out around the edges of the mailing label.

April's Free Tutorial

Place a $50 order with me by Sunday, April 30th and receive this month’s Inspirations In Ink Tutorial, which focusing on different coloring techniques using coloring tool. It includes 9 additional projects designed by talented Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators world-wide.

-PLUS-

Receive one of my customer Thank you cards with a PDF so you can create it yourself.

PRODUCTS USED

NOTE: The Abigail Rose Suite includes the Cottage Rose Bundle and the Abigail Rose DSP. If you order the Suite don’t order the bundle or DSP unless you want duplicates.