Check Out These 2 Ways to Embellish Die-Cuts with Watercolor

Hi everyone! Jenny here, and today I'm joining you to share two card projects that feature a fun way to embellish die-cuts with watercolor.

A great way to do this is to use black cardstock and a bold color palette so that the watercolor really pops! I love using corals and pinks, so I've chosen those colors to pair beautifully with the black cardstock.

Create Your Die-Cut Leaves

To create the cards, I'm using the Zero-Waste Leaf Pattern Die.

I die cut it twice, once each from Jet Black Cardstock and Gold Mirror Cardstock. I took the negatives and adhered them together, letting the gold peep out from behind the black cardstock. I then adhered the panel using little pieces of foam squares to a white notecard, creating dimension. I set the leaves aside for later.

Create Your Watercolor Panel

Using A2 Watercolor Paper, I added watercolor drops to the center of a panel, letting the water wick out. Then, using my Artists' Watercolor 24 Pan Set, I added drops of pink and yellow into the water, letting it spread and dry naturally. I also added a few splatters here and there.

When it was dry, I ran the panel through my die-cutting machine again with the Zero-Waste Leaf Pattern Die but, this time, I embossed the panel using my embossing plate and tan mat, leaving an imprint of the pattern on the watercolor panel.

Embellish the Watercolor

Using small strips of foam tape, I added the die-cut Gold Mirror and Jet Black leaves from the Zero-Waste Leaf Pattern Die over some of the embossed areas on the watercolor panel, trying to avoid black and gold being next to each other.

To finish the card, I added a Vertical Greetings die-cut (cut from white cardstock) using a double layer of foam squares. I also added a few Satin Gold Sequins.

Create Watercolor Leaves

I decided to 'embellish' my die-cut panel card with a stamped watercolored image. I used the Craft Your Life Project Kit Delicate Garden. I stamped it with Butternut Crisp Dye Ink onto watercolor paper and then proceeded to color it with my Artists' Watercolor Pan Set, using the same colors (although with a little green and some mixing) as before to watercolor it in.

I die cut out the image with the coordinating die and then adhered to the black and gold panel with foam squares. I then added another Vertical Greeting die-cut and some Satin Gold Sequins to finish.

So there you have it – two fun ways to 'embellish' die-cuts – both positive and negative – with watercolor. You can see how the florals in the second card are still the same shades as the other card, especially in that floral towards the top, but I toned it down a little with more water to soften the pinks.

What do you think about this fun card idea? Are you excited to try it? Comment below! Make sure you tag Altenew (@altenewllc) when you post your creations on social media. Thanks for stopping by!

~Jenny

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