In last week’s cardmaking video, I shared a project that incorporated the “HB2U” letter die cuts, and today I wanted to show you what I did with the frame that was leftover from that project.
I used the frame with the letters cut out as an overlay and made a watercolor underlay using a trio of Distress Inks : Twisted Citron, Mermaid Lagoon, and Evergreen Bough. Instead of using white cardstock for the card base, I used My Favorite Things’ Limelight cardstock, which coordinated so well with the colors that are going on in the watercolor underlay.
Check out the step-by-step below!
Supplies Used in This Project
The following supply list contains affiliate links. I make a small commission if you purchase through these links, and I really appreciate it if you do!
AMZ = Amazon.com SBK = Scrapbook.com DKB = Dick Blick
Silhouette Cameo ( AMZ // SBK )
Strathmore Bristol Vellum Paper ( AMZ // DKB )
Fiskars Personal Paper Trimmer ( AMZ // SBK )
Twisted Citron Distress Ink ( AMZ // SBK )
Mermaid Lagoon Distress Ink ( AMZ // SBK )
Evergreen Bough Distress Ink ( AMZ // SBK )
Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue
My Favorite Things Limelight Cardstock
a heat tool
dimensional foam tape
a large acrylic block / palette paper / acetate (for the inks)
a small-ish round paintbrush (I used a #8)
a cup and water
paper towels (for absorbing excess water)
Make a Distress Ink Watercolor Background Birthday Card Tutorial
Step 1 : Cut a sheet of Strathmore Bristol Vellum Paper (or your choice of watercolor paper) to slightly smaller than 3.75″ wide by 5″ tall. Attach the paper to a hard surface (I used a clipboard) with painter’s tape.
Step 2 : Cover the surface of the paper with water using a small-ish, round paintbrush. Rewet any areas where the water more quickly absorbs, if necessary.
Step 3 : Smoosh the Distress Inks onto a large acrylic block, a piece of palette paper, or a piece of acetate.
Step 4 : Choose one of the ink colors as the first color (I chose Mermaid Lagoon), and start painting on the surface of the paper. Rewet the paper, if necessary, and absorb any watercolor that has puddled on the surface of the paper using a paper towel. Rinse the paintbrush before loading it with a second color, and continue painting. Repeat this process until the entire surface of the paper is covered in color.
Step 5 : Use a heat tool to quickly dry the watercolor (optional), or allow the watercolor to dry completely.
Step 6 : Add a second layer of color to add contrast and dimension. This step is optional, but I really like the richness that the second layer of color adds to this project. When finished watercoloring, either dry the watercolor quickly with a heat tool or allow it to dry on its own.
Step 7 : When the watercolor is completely dry, remove the painter’s tape from around the edges of the paper.
Step 8 : Cover the back of the “HB2U” frame piece with craft glue (I used Tombow Mono Multi). Line the piece up over the watercolor underlay and press into place. To finish the card, attach it to an A2 card base using dimensional foam tape.
