Fairy Hugs and Sprinkles of Watercolor

Hello, Blogging Friends! Hoping this finds you doing well. Please know that if you are experiencing hardship of any kind, I am thinking fondly of you, sending love and prayers toward your dear home.

and now...

It's time for a brand new Back to Basics and Beyond Challenge!

For the next two weeks, join us by uploading an "Anything-Goes" project as long as a watercolor technique is used. The team has all kinds of inspiration and a variety of styles to view, so take a look! Hope to see yours there.

I am so enjoying this team - the themes help me play with lots of products in my stash and motivate me out of the usual styles I gravitate toward.

To see close ups, just click on any of the photos please.

I have used three types of watercolor techniques in this project.

1. I started with watercolor paper and sprayed it with water, lightly saturating the paper. Then I softly "seasoned" the moist paper with Atlantis Burst Watercolor Shimmer Powder. Wish you could see this in person. If you enjoy playing with mediums, this is a must have for your stash! It's truly shimmery! After applying the powder, I spritzed a bit more, moving some of the color with my heat tool, and allowing the rest to dry on its own. 
2. Then I inked up Stampendous 6x6 Blossom Scroll rubber stamp with Versafine Clair Pinecone ink and dredged with Gold Tinsel opaque embossing powder. I love the glittery sparkle! While you cannot see the defined outline of the stamp itself, I knew it would make a lovely mosaic of "uneven", sparkly color in the background:

Watercoloring the image:

1. The darling fairies were stamped with VersaMark and heat set NOT with white embossing powder, but with Sparkle Semi Transparent embossing powder. Instead of being a plain white medium, the outline now has sparkle to it! 
2. The watercolor resist technique was employed using Peacock Feathers and Mermaid Lagoon Distress inks applied as watercolor. 
3. With Tombow Markers I scribbled a little pink and flesh colors onto an acrylic block and applied to the fairies with a water brush.  
4. They were then die cut. I also used the silhouette as a halo on the left side (but isn't the silhouette adorable all on its own?):

This close-up shows the difference the Sparkle Semi Transparent embossing powder makes (check out the Starfire semi transparent ultrafine glitter on their little wings and skirt ruffle). 

And that Gold Tinsel opaque EP is amazing! 


Wish you could see it in real life. 


The Turquoise vellum was torn down one side and distressed with VersaMark ink before being heat set with the Gold Tinsel EP.

The brads were heat set with Melon Twist Semi Transparent. While still hot, I dipped the brads into more Starfire glitter. The glitter melted into the hot EP.

Even the sentiment is sparkly. It was stamped with Warm Breeze VersaFine Clair, dredged with Mediterranean Star opaque EP, and heat set. The Tuscany Star line's formulation is great for fine detail images, distressing, or bold image coverage. They are my favorite EPs in my stash:

I had fun using the vellum and punchinella in overlapping layers (is that a redundant statement?) giggle.

Finished card is 6x6 at flat for mailing:

thanks for stopping by today!

Some SNS Products used on this project:

Products Used:

• Sentiment: Happy Flowers 840 rubber stamp set (also available digitally with matching digital papers)
• Background Stamp: Stampendous 6x6 Blossom Scroll 
• Tonic Fairy Reflections May & Fay single stamp and the cutest 2-part silhouette die set
• See all the Tonic Fairy Reflection characters here
• Glitter: Starfire semi transparent ultrafine glitter
• Embossing Powders: Melon Twist Semi Transparent (brads), Gold Tinsel opaque, Sparkle Semi Transparent (fairies watercolor resist), Mediterranean Star opaque (sentiment)
• Watercolors: Atlantis Burst Watercolor Shimmer Powder, Color Burst Watercolor Powder, Peacock Feathers and Mermaid Lagoon Distress inks applied as watercolor on the fairy image
• Cardstock: Punchinella strip, Turquoise vellum, Aqua Coordinations, Watercolor, Neenah Solar White
• Other Dies: Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish

Challenges I'd like to play in pretty please:

1. Scrapy Land Challenge #98 "AG Dies SL Sells" (Tonic, Cheery Lynn)
2. Always Fun Challenges #78 "Dies and Punches" 10/8
3. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1839 AG 10/8
4. International Art and Soul #43 NOT CAS, layer it up! 10/15 (sep post)
5. Do-A1(1) Kreatives #22 Design Your Own Background (used paints, inks, shimmer paints, embossing tinsel) 11/1

stamping hugs,