Doodling with Debby: Messy Watercolored Background
Hi, friends Happy Tuesday! I’m delighted to welcome you back to the latest edition of Doodling with Debby with the fabulous Debby Hughes! Today, Debby is spotlighting our super fun Wake Up and Makeup stamp set and some fun vibrant watercoloring! Read on, and be sure to watch the video! Enjoy!
Hi, it’s Debby here and for my Doodling With Debby video feature this month I’m creating a messy watercolor background using the Wake Up And Makeup set from Simon Says Stamp. The joy of a background such as this is it is simple to paint; you don’t need to worry too much about being precise with a loose, messy style adding to the effect.
The idea for this card started when I was with a group of crafting friends and started to play around with the set (see the video for a peek at my first attempt). I sort of liked how this card went but it got to get a bit grungy, and I didn’t think that suited makeup. Also, I didn’t like the fact that there were only two pops of blue. So, for today’s video, I redid this card but kept the mistakes I made last time in mind. This time around I used a more extensive selection of the images from the Wake Up And Makeup set and loosely watercolored around the makeup for a fun, fresh teal blue background and as for the makeup, I chose a warm color palette of reds, pinks, oranges and yellows to contrast with the teal background.
I placed a piece of cold pressed watercolor card in the full-size Misti. I’m using the full size rather than the mini so that I can have the images off the edge to create a dynamic pattern. I arranged a selection of the images, keeping them close together but not overlapping and varying the angles. I then stamped them twice in Versafine Onyx Black ink to get a good impression on the textured card.
Now once the stamps were inky, I used a piece of acetate to protect my card while I arrange the stamps for a second time. This way you don’t get any accidental inky smudges. Once the new position is determined, I then picked up the stamps with the door of the Misti and removed the acetate before stamping onto the card. I filled in any more significant gaps between the makeup with the heart image and then taped the card to a board in preparation for watercoloring.
Thinking back to my first attempt at this card, I liked how I’d added the effect of makeup sprinkled onto the background and the mascara streaks too, and so I added those in first before filling in the rest of the background with a loose teal blue wash. I didn’t worry about covering every inch of the background but loosely moved the color around, leaving gaps around the makeup.
While I’m painting, I have a tissue in one hand so if there are areas where the color has gone down too intensely for my liking, I can sop up some of the colors for a softer look. I certainly did this for some of the hearts and that dropper bottle too. The color on the bottle wasn’t quite what I was after, so I dampened the paint again with a wet brush and then picked up some of the colors.
I’m using a dilute black for the caps and areas which I think would be silver and then for the makeup I’m using some lovely warm colors of reds, oranges, and pinks. In the same way for the background, I’m really trying not to go for a precise look, I’m adding blocks of color and not painting right to the edges for that messy look. And the result is that this watercolored background was rapid and straightforward to create.
Moving on and I wanted to add some splatter in places. Firstly, for the makeup brushes and I chose a dilute red for this and generally over the whole panel in teal to match the background. Then I added more splatter in the form of my favorite perfect pearls solution. This added a lovely sparkly finish to the card. As the teal background had dried its color had lightened slightly and so to balance with the depth of color of the makeup pieces, I added a second layer of teal and then more perfect pearls splatter to finish. I dried the panel with a heat tool and then used a white gel pen to add a few highlight details.
With the background now complete I ran it through my die cutting machine with a Wonky Rectangle die for a fun stitched detail to the edges.
For the sentiment, I picked out the ‘Hello Gorgeous’ greeting and lined it up on a piece of black card in the Misti. I treated the card with an antistatic powder bag to prevent embossing powder randomly sticking everywhere and then stamped the sentiment in clear embossing ink before sprinkling with white embossing powder and heat setting. I trimmed the piece to a banner and added foam adhesive to the back. I then removed the adhesive backer and added some silver thread I’d looped around my fingers to the back. I then added the sentiment to the watercolored background offset to the lower left using a T square ruler to ensure I had it on straight. I then added more foam adhesive to the back of the panel and added it to a side folding A2 card base cut from Ivory card. I find this card a good match for the warm white of watercolor card.
As a final accent you can’t beat a bit of bling, and so I added a trio of Opalescent Diamonds from Little Things By Lucy’s Cards and kept them in place with Gina K connect glue.
Comparing the first attempt next to my finished card and I certainly prefer the brighter colors and teal background of the final version.
Thanks for joining me today, and I’ll see you next time for Doodling With Debby.
SUPPLIES:
|
Thanks so much for stopping by, and thanks to Debby for being our guest!
Blog Candy Alert!! Follow our blog via email and comment on this post for a chance to win special blog candy!
Love the messy watercolor look. :)
Debby, you never stop amazing me with the creative ways you watercolor. Like the “messy” look that highlights these stamped images. tfs
Lovely card Debby, when I saw your card I thought, “wow someone has been messing around with their makeup”.
Thank you for showing this fun card.
Love the messy watercolor look. what a fun card
Love the look, and style. Such a cool card.
I like this messy watercolor look :)
Really fun card! I really thought tbe messy background was a perfect fit for the stamps! Love the cklors you used also. Thanks for sharing your card!
Love the blue and the bling!!
gorgeous piece of Art work:)
Wow! This is beautiful and so cool!! I love the messy look; it really gives it an artsy feel.
Wow! That card is gorgeous in so many levels!!!
What fun cards!!!
Wow! This is something I really have to try! I am sooo particular so this will let my inner messiness cut loose! HAHAHAHAH! Thank you for the inspiration!
The most beautiful “messy watercoloring” ever!
Oh Wow! Those brushes look like they actually have powder on them. Wonderful
You have such an artistic eye. I would have stopped at the first card, but after seeing the contrast with your card today, I see what you’re saying. Thanks Debby for sharing your skills and helping us learn!
So artsy and cool. I like the messy/artsy look. I am trying to be less precise…
I love how this turned out, Debby!
Fun card! Love the technique!
Love the colors and style!
Looks like well-used makeup
thanks for sharing
txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot)com
This is my kind of watercoloring :) Very cute card.
I love the artsy look! TFS
LOVE this card!!!
This messy watercolor is gorgeous!! I love the teal background, but the original is definitely just as fabulous!
I live watercolor that doesn’t require real painting skill. It gives me hope that I can make pretty cards like this. Thanks so much for sharing the details!
Great card Debbie, love the messy watercolor background, very cool!
Super fun and playful card Debby! Love the loose watercolor and vibrant colors.
Really fun and gorgeous card. Thanks for sharing.
Fun!
Fabulous colouring!!! Great card!!!
Love the card! Thanks for the inspiration.
Love the card! The stamp set is on my wish lit.
Thanks for sharing.
Fun Card. TFS
This card looks so pretty and cool!
Love the messy background!! This stamp set is really awesome!!
Such a beautiful card, Debby! I love your “messy watercolor”.
This is really Awesome!!
So pretty and colorful. Love the messiness.
Beautiful card, love the messy water coloured background, looks stunning!
I’ve tried to loosely watercolor. It doesn’t come out near as beautiful as yours! Gorgeous cards, all of them.
Love the messy watercolor look — beautiful colors.
Love this artsy messy look!
This is such fun!
Awesome card. Love the watercoloring technique…
Thanks for sharing.
Such a great card. Love love the messy use of colour!
love the messiness
Cute card and love the messy look. Thanks for sharing.
Linda D.
Debby, love your loose watercolor technique. The card seems to have so much character. Love it ❤
Wow messy does work!