Watercolors blend beautifully and the way they absorb into the paper can create some really beautiful and interesting designs to offset your clear hobby rubber stamping projects.

On this page you will learn tried and true techniques for using watercolors in conjunction with your clear hobby rubber stamps.

You will need:

• Water color paints (Primary colors in the tube)
• Water
• Small wisk
• 3 Small spritz bottles
• Watercolor paper no less than 140 pound

• Clear hobby rubber stamps of your choice

Mix a small portion of paint with water and be sure to blend out any lumps. Transfer the watered down paint into the spritz bottle and test spray onto a piece of newspaper to be sure it is not too transparent. If the color is too transparent you will want to blend in a little more paint. Do this for all three primary colors of paint.

METHOD 1:

1. Tape your watercolor paper to a smooth surface - ideally a board works because it is mobile. Apply the tape just around the edges of the paper.
2. Next begin adding color. Start with your first color and spritz in a couple of places, trade off to the next color and try to spritz a couple new places, finish it off with the third color. You will notice the colors running together and blending. Spritzing too many times will cause the colors to muddy and turn a brownish green, so be careful to spritz only enough to cover the paper. If you wish more blending, a small brush can be used to drag darker paint from the edges into the areas you want it. Allow this to dry thouroughly.
3. Choose a nature clear stamp and using dark pigment ink stamp your trees, shrubs or other designs onto the dry background. Matte if you wish to finish it off and make it into a focal point for a special card or scrapbook page.

METHOD 2:

1. Using watercolor paper, stamp a large design onto the paper in embossing ink. Emboss the design with black embossing powder and heat. Next follow the steps outlined in Method 1 to color in the design.