Staying with my spring tulip theme for the month of April, my AIR project today is my attempt to mimic the art of watercolor.

by Debbie Gaetz for Imagine Crafts®/Tsukineko®

Using a stamp from an unknown source that was buried in my 'tulip' drawer, I inked it up with 3 different colors of IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® VersaMagic™ Chalk Pigment Ink in Thatched Straw, Mango Madness and Aloe Vera. The dew drop size was perfect because the pointed end allowed me to stamp in tight places. The juiciness of the VersaMagic™ allowed me to stamp a color over another if need be. One side of the tulip petal image was inked with Thatched Straw and the other half of the image was inked with Mango Madness, and then stamping the stems and leaves with Aloe Vera. I heat embossed over the stamped image with clear embossing powder from Stampendous®.

Using IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento™ Dual Markers, I brushed color somewhat randomly on the tulip petals with Canteloupe and Tangelo.

After the tulip colors were down, I generously sprayed the paper with IMAGINE Craft®/Tsukineko® Ink Potion No. 9™ Blending Solution. I went back with the Canteloupe Memento marker to draw out and blend the Tangelo color in various places. I didn't want to leave any 'rough' edges of color, but I also wanted to make sure I had variations in the colors on the petals.

I colored the stems and leaves with IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento™ Dual Marker in New Sprout. I used the Pistachio, Bamboo Leaves and Olive Grove colors for dimension and shading.

After the paper had dried, I went back over some of the tulip petal areas with IMAGINE CRAFTS®/Tsukineko® Memento™ Dual Marker in Morocco for added dimension and shading.

I applied 4 different washi tapes to the card design; we're absolutely crazy for washi tapes at Art 'n Soul. The butterfly tape across the top of the top card was brought around to the back on each side. I lined up the vertical tapes to the bottom edge of the butterfly tape, ending in 3 different lengths but cutting each end on the diagonal in the same direction.

Using the word stamp from Magenta®, I stamped it onto the card cover with IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Versafine™ Archival Pigment Ink in Habanero.

The card base is 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper sized to 12" wide by 6" tall, and scored in half so the fold is on the left side and the finished card base is a 6" square. Using a scrap of washi paper, I cut it to a 5-3/4" square to frame the stamped card cover, and then adhered both to the base card.

To finish the card, I applied black corner peel-offs from Magenta® to the top card stock and added a 'funky fiber' remnant tied around the left fold of the card.

Thanks for stopping by again. I can't wait to see what happens in our IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® world next month. Be sure to look on Facebook each day for the latest project from the Artists-in-Residence.

Supplies

IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® VersaMagic™ Chalk Pigment Ink

• Thatched Straw, Mango Madness and Aloe Vera

IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento™ Dual Markers

• Canteloupe, Tangelo, Morocco, New Sprout, Pistachio, Bamboo Leaves and Olive Grove

IMAGINE Craft®/Tsukineko® Ink Potion No. 9™ Blending Solution

IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Versafine™ Archival Pigment Ink

• Habanero

Magenta "See the world in bright colors" stamp -- 07734-F

Magenta Peel Off -- 0751

Stampendous Clear Embossing Powder -- EP020

140 lb. cold press watercolor paper

Neenah Classic Crest 80 lb. Cover Stock in Solar White

Washi Tapes

Remnants from my stash:  washi paper; fancy fiber