In my last post, I shared three trends that I discussed on the TV show Studio 5 this month (watch segment here). Those trends: watercolor, foil, and plaid. Such a fun bunch of looks on the scene right now!
On the set of Studio 5, just after sharing this bunch of trendy fun on TV. Why I decided to hunch over in this odd fashion, I do not know. ;)
Well, I'm back to share a couple of projects I created from the watercolor trend. I used the Just Add Watercolor line from Julie Comstock of Cosmo Cricket to create a home decor item.
Like the name of this product line suggests, all i had to do was add watercolor to get this cool effect. The sheet was already die cut in this pretty way, with the resist areas (embossed areas that won't take color) and foil already added. I used a combination of watercolor crayons from Lulu's Boutique in Gardner Village and the awesome Swatch Sticks, also from Cosmo Cricket, to color my piece. (More on both products below.)
I love quick gift ideas, and this Just Add Watercolor Paper Cuts Deck is just the ticket! Buy a few inexpensive frames (thanks, IKEA), and you've got gifts for friends, Mom, coworkers, and more ready to rock! Here are the cuts that come in the set. You also get gold foil sheets and white cardstock sheets included, so you can take your pick on how you want to back your colored piece.
Image Credit: Cosmo Cricket
I also had fun playing with the Resist Pen from the Just Add Watercolor Cosmo Cricket line. It's a clear ink that, when dry, resists the watercolor, making it an excellent masking/resist option when you want a DIY look.
Image Credit: Cosmo Cricket
Here are a couple of tags I designed with this pen.
Watercolor Tools
I am slightly obsessed with watercolor mediums. I have several different paint options, including a traditional set of paints, watercolor pencils from Stampin' Up!, watercolor crayons from various companies, and now, Swatch Sticks from Cosmo Cricket. Here's a little about what I like about each of my options:
Traditional Watercolor Paint
Pros
* Easy to blend colors
* Light weight and thin case
* Many color options
Cons
* A bit fragile--you wouldn't want to drop them or you risk cracking the paint
* Bigger (not as travel friendly, but the case is thin [as mentioned above], which helps
Watercolor Crayons
Pros
* Easy to lift color directly from crayon using water brush (I like the Aqua Painters from Stampin' Up!)
* Can also color directly on paper and then blend
* Pretty portable
Cons
* Can also be fragile, but the ones shown here are pretty durable with their hard plastic case
* Not as easy to blend
* Can create harsh lines when used directly on paper (vs. pulling color from crayon using brush)
These particular crayons create a glittered finish, which is so pretty. I wish my camera would have picked it up better. I purchased these at Lulu's Boutique in Gardner Village.
These crayons were a gift from the Easter Bunny, so I tried them out in my sketch book. I wish the shimmer showed up here. It's so sparkly and pretty IRL.
Watercolor Pencils
Pros
* Can draw defined, fine lines and then blend
* Great for detail work
* Nice when practicing lettering or when you want smaller letters
Cons
* Fragile (but you can always sharpen the tips if they break)
* Not as easy to blend
Swatch Sticks
Pros
* Small and very travel friendly (can you tell I like to craft on the go?)
* Dual tips, so each stick has two colors in one
* Easy to store
* Saturated color
* Easy to pull color directly from tip using water brush
* Can be applied directly to project for coloring
* Blend beautifully
Cons
* Lids sometimes come off (store them in a sandwich bag when traveling)
* Some of the darker colors didn't blend as well when applied directly to paper, but lifting the color from the stick worked like a charm
These are just a few of my go-tos. I also love the various pigment powders, like the Pixie Paints from Cosmo Cricket (bottle shown above) and the Color Bursts from Ken Oliver. (You can watch my Studio 5 segment showing the Color Bursts here.) And Gelatos pigment sticks by Faber Castell are always a fun choice.
What is your favorite way to watercolor? I always love hearing of new ideas or approaches. The ones I've listed here are my current faves, but there are so many fantastic options available. I'm all for hearing how you create this soft look.
Cheers!