Looking for a fun new technique to add to your cardmaking toolbox? Check out these embossed watercolor leaves!
Today’s beautiful card project comes from our designer, Carol. Carol said, “I had an idea in my head to emboss the leaves onto watercolor cardstock, die cut the piece with the Nested Woodgrain Sign and then watercolor them in a less-than-intentional style. This was lots of fun and my best tip is to not worry at all about the results! If it doesn’t work out the first time, then it really is JUST paper.” Such good advice. When trying a new technique it’s always a bit intimidating, that’s why we provide progress photos to help you along. Check out this post to see how to make watercolor leaves for your next fall card project!
How to make this card:
- You will need bright white watercolor cardstock, anti-static powder tool, Versamark clear embossing ink, gold embossing powder and your heat tool to begin.
- I used a stamp positioning tool to arrange four leaves from the 3019 Fall Leaves stamp set onto a 4″ x 5-½” piece of white cardstock.
- Nest treat the watercolor card with anti-static powder, ink up the stamps with Versamark, and stamp.
- If you are using a stamp positioning tool, repeat stamping, if desired.
- Next pour the gold embossing powder onto the panel, tap off the excess, and use your heat tool to set the powder.
- Rearrange the stamps and stamp again following the steps above.
- Place the inner die from the 5708-03D Nested Woodgrain Sign Die onto the embossed panel and run it through your die cutting machine.
- To watercolor the images choose inks in your favorite warm autumn tones.
- My original thought was to use drops of Distress Ink re-inkers (because of the way these inks react to water) to watercolor just the leaves. (If you don’t have the re-inkers, just smoosh your ink pad onto your crafting surface.)
- This is where it became fun and interesting. I decided to use my water mister and just spritz water onto the colored leaves to get the colors to move around more.
- As I spritzed the water, it pushed the colors outside of the leaves, onto the background.
- Even though that was totally unexpected, I decided that I really liked it! I really like the way the colors went into the Woodgrain Sign die cut lines!
- I took a paper towel and laid it onto the panel to soak up all of the excess water and then set the piece aside to air dry.
- When the piece was dry, it looked too pale, in my opinion.
- I went back to my watercolors and added more color to each image until I liked it.
- The less vibrant version may be more to your liking and that’s what is so fun about this technique! There is no right or wrong about it!
- Finished image:
- Next stamp a sentiment from the 3019 Fall Leaves stamp set onto a piece of the same bright white watercolor cardstock with Versamark, add gold embossing powder, and heat set.
- I was super happy to find that one of the 3019D Fall Leaves dies would die cut the sentiment I chose!
- I used the outer die of the 5708-03D Nested Woodgrain Sign Die to cut out more watercolor cardstock.
- Use glue to adhere this to a coordinating A2 piece of olive green cardstock.
- Glue these layers to an A2 card base.
- Wrap some jute twine and then add the piece to the watercolor panel using glue dots.
- Add foam tape to the back of the watercolor panel and adhere to the card.
- Then add foam tape to the back of the die cut sentiment and adhere to the card.
And just like that, you have a stunning watercolor leaf card, and learned a new trick to add to your cardmaking toolbox. We love how this project turned out and how elegant these embossed gold leaves look in all the autumn colors. Pin this project for later so you can return to it when you hit that creative block. Enjoy.