An Altenew Garden Rose

Hi all - Linda here with a rose card for Diva inspiration. We're using products from this month's sponsor Altenew with the technique of watercoloring. How perfect for this sponsor - they have so many amazing products for watercoloring! And don't get me started on how much I love the die set I used!!

Dies - Altenew Garden Picks 3D Die Set

If interested, please find the supply list and card details, plus a bonus card, at my blog

(Scrappin', Stampin, & Singin').

I hope you were inspired to join our August Challenge at Die Cut Divas. You can use Altenew if you have some but it's not required. However, you must use a die cut or embossing folder and watercoloring. The challenge ends at 9pm Pacific Time on August 31st so there's still plenty of time! Altenew has donated a $20 gift card for our random prize winner - to be drawn from eligible August entries and announced September 3rd. Thanks Altenew!!

Thanks for stopping and have a Die Cut Diva Day!! 

Watercolor for Fall

One more water color card for the month of September.  I think this card is a great Fall card and puts me in the mood to welcome a change in weather.

This technique was a Wet into Dry over Wet into Wet Background.  Remember that I am using water color paper.  I'm afraid I didn't get as much Wet into Wet background as I wanted to, but I really like how it turned out.  

Direct from our teacher, Susan, at The Stamp Art Shoppe, "Wet paper with brush and then paint directly onto stamp in various fall leaf colors.  Stamp several times in wet paper.  Dry thoroughly.  Paint onto the stamp agian making the colors a bit darker.  Stamp over the background image once or twice to add definition".   I was supposed to stamp an Asian poem in block over the leaves, but I forgot to.  It would have added more depth, but I'm good with this too.  I stamped a Kaiser Craft sentiment from a dear friend on the bottom right.  I really love the colors and sheer joy of Autumn in this card.  A fun technique and a very easy one.

Arlene and the Die Cut Divas

My Salted Card - a Wet into Wet Technique

Sometimes you need a sympathy card and I needed one for a friend, so this card is gone, but I think the technique will stay. The watercolor paper behind the notecard was given a wash of pink watercolor paint and a a sprinkle of salt.  This is another watercolor technique I picked up this month at my watercolor class.  Totally FUN!

I brushed the watercolor paper with clean water, then picked up color with a very wet paintbrush.  I washed the color over the paper, keeping it fairly wet.  I had a choice of Epson salt or Kosher salt.  Kosher salt will make smaller dots on the surface of the paper. I hope you can see the dots in the paper that look like they might have been made with some kind of embossing folder.

The salt sits on the wet watercolor until the paper is dry.  You can just flick the crystals of salt off and voila!  Instant COOL background.  I glued the watercolor paper to the die-cut front of the card and then overlapped the front with a die-cut flower.

Close-up of the salted watercolor paper. 

Arlene and the Die Cut Divas