#NSDSC15 | Challenge 09 - Watercolor Away with Amy Tan and Pam Baldwin

Acrylic paint is a great way to add color and texture to your projects, but have you tried watercolor yet? Try using watercolors on cards, layouts, and more to create personalized backgrounds, pattern paper, and more.

Pam Baldwin: For this challenge, I played around with a two different ways to combine water colours and simple masking techniques. In the project you see above, I used the letter stickers from the Odyssey Scrapbook kit as a mask for my title and I'm so happy with how it turned out! This is a two page spread (2-6x8's). A few tips if you'd like to try this out...it's helpful to "destick" the stickers just a bit so they're easy to peel off the paper once the paint has dried. I stuck them to my jeans and peeled them off once or twice and they remained just tacky enough to stick to the page without the paint seeping under the letters, and they were easy to remove from my cardstock background. I used a white cardstock background for the right side of this layout, but I made sure to use the back side (not so textured), which also helped to keep the paint from seeping under the letter sticker mask. I started with a more concentrated colour of the paint in the middle and around the letter stickers, then watered it down as I worked my way out. No fancy paints or brushes required :) The second technique I tried was to use a white crayon to trace over a very faintly printed digital stamp. The effect was not quite as striking for this technique, but if you'd like to know more, you can check out my blog!

Supplies: Kits- Odyssey Scrapbook kit (http://www.studiocalico.com/kits/odyssey-scrapbook-kit); other- Watercolour paints, roller date stamp

Amy Tan: What I love about watercolors is that you feel like a kid again when you begin playing and experimenting with them. I like to use an inexpensive set with great colors by The Artist's Loft and a size 2 round brush. I'm no expert in watercolors, but years ago I gave myself permission to play and be carefree. If you need that permission slip too, here it is! I made splotches by dipping my brush into water and then dipping it into the paint. Then I took a straw (yes, a plastic drinking straw) and blew on it to create the splatters. I also made my heart burst, a technique I learned from someone taking one of my classes in Florida years ago! I also have a video up on YouTube showing the layout process from start to finish. And a bonus on my blog is a download without my photos and journaling. You can print it off and simply add your own touches to it. Easy peasy! Hope you have a wonderful time experimenting with watercolors.

Supplies: Studio Calico kits, American Crafts cardstock, assorted washi tapes, Amy Tangerine alpha stickers, Evalicious camera sticker, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher

We can't wait to see your take on this challenge! To be entered to win a prize from the Calico Closet, please post your project in the Studio Calico Gallery by May 10th and add the tag #NSDSC9 in the description. Challenges may be combined - just add both tags in your description. Winners will be posted on Monday, May 11th.