Clearsnap: Watercolor Inkiness

Happy Weekend! Jean Okimoto here - with another watercolored, inky, Smooch-Spritzed background project.

Ink an acrylic block with the bright tropical shades of the Citrus Splash ColorBox Multi-Color Inkpad. Lightly spritz the smoother side of 140# cold-pressed watercolor paper with water. Spray the inked acrylic block with three spritzes of water, wait a few seconds while the inks begin blending. Press the block firmly onto the paper. Tilt the paper to spread any large pools of ink then heat-set until it's just barely damp. Spritz the block again and press any residual ink onto another piece of watercolor paper.

Place the paper in the Color Catcher Spray Box. Shake Gold Glow Smooch Spritz and spritz the paper. Lightly spritz the acrylic block with water, then press it onto the paper to disperse the Gold Glow. Let it airdry for a few minutes, then cover it with a sheet of printer paper and press it with a dry iron on the cotton setting.

Repeat the process on several pieces of watercolor paper to create additional backgrounds for future projects. You'll discover vibrant ribbons of color, mottled white sections and pale pools of blended inks. Add a shimmery layer of Gold Glow to a few sheets, leave some plain, and create a stash of colorful papers for your next artsy endeavor.

To complete the card...stamp the elephant on the background with Dark Peony. Stamp the word border on a plain section that hasn't been Smooch Spritzed with Gold Glow with Tangerine. Stamp "be natural" on another plain section with Artichoke. Ink the edges of the stamped pieces with Artichoke using the Stylus and White Blending Tip.

Cut a rectangle of Sour Apple Cardstock that matches the dimensions of your watercolored background. Attach everything to an A6 (4-5/8" x 6-1/4") card of Tangy Taffy Cardstock, using foam dots for the text strips. Attach three jewel stickers, from the cling stamp set, between the elephant and "be natural."