Hi everyone it's Jen Long the Creative Director at Sizzix! One of my favorite things about die-cutting is the ability to choose and personalize your own papers and substrates. Have you ever thought about taking your media personalization one step further? By die-cutting with watercolor paper you have the option to paint your die cuts in whatever style you like!
Supplies:
- Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 5PK- Wildflower Stems #1 664163
- Sizzix Thinlits Die Intricate Lace 664181
- Sizzix Bigz Plus Die 3-D Daisy 663318
- Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 9 PK Floral Wreath 663377
- Sizzix Die Pick 656380
- Sizzix Accessory Crease and Curl Tool 662394
- Sizzix Accessory Chrome Precision Base Plate 660470
- Sizzix Big Shot Machine 660340
- Sizzix Big Shot Plus Machine 660340
- Watercolor paper
- Watercolor Paint Set
Here's a fun and simple way to get started...
Cut down some watercolor paper and start laying down washes. I find it easier to start with a light color and lots of water, then slowly add more pigment to get the color right. You can use as many or as few colors as you like, the effect will still look handmade!
Sometimes applying watercolor can cause your paper to bend and curl; a quick easy fix for this is to apply a light coat of water to the back side of your paper. This will even out the curling and help your paper lay flat.
Now you're ready to start die-cutting!
I'm so inspired by paper flowers I wanted to try die-cutting a variety of styles, starting with an intricate Wildflower design. With the additional thickness of watercolor paper the Chrome Precision Base plate really comes in handy!
I love the effect of the watercolor wash over the flower shape- but I also loved the beautiful negative shape left over. Talk about a bonus! Adding a simple solid backing behind the negative shape gave the make a whole new look. You're not going to want to throw any of these scraps away!
Next I wanted to try more of an all over pattern. Again using such an intricate die, the Precision Base Plate was a must have accessory! Since I was so inspired by using the negative shape from my Wildflower piece, I decided to try using the watercolor wash paper as both the positive shape and the background shape. Paired with a solid white die-cut on top created a simple and beautiful effect.
If you're feeling pretty good about your watercolor skills, or just want to try something new, you can die cut your shapes in white watercolor paper first and then add paint.
Take a look at the effect of adding watercolor washes and shadows to your die cuts! Keeping with the inspiration of flowers I started by die-cutting pieces from our Floral Wreath set out of white watercolor paper. I then started to add layers of color making sure every shape had a light side and a dark side to add immediate personalized dimension. I like to keep it lose and free not worrying about getting the paint perfect.
After I added color to my die-cuts, I wanted to increase the dimension even more by using the Paper Sculpting kit. It's to fun and easy to use, and you can see the flowers come to life right before your eyes!
I still wanted to take the watercolor concept a step further and incorporate it with a larger 3D item...a flower of course! I used our Big Shot Plus to cut out the Large Daisy on watercolor paper.
Next I started to add paint directly to the die-cut shapes. I wanted to blend 2 colors together to show an ombre-effect on each petal.
I was so happy with the effects of the Paper Sculpting Kit on my Floral Wreath die-cuts that I wanted to add some volume and dimension to these petals as well. Enter the Crease and Curl tool! This is such an essential accessory for bringing life to your flowers without worrying about bending or tearing you paper. Plus it's super fun to use!
After simply rolling the flower up and securing with a glue gun, I had my very own ombre-effect watercolor flower!
All together I was able to use 4 different techniques with watercolor paper to create a variety of different looks with die-cutting. My favorite discovery was the negative cut out effect- such a great surprise to find in your scraps! Watercolor is such a fun way to add your own personal touch of color and incorporate into your die-cutting routine. Start with simple washes and build your way up!
Thanks so much for joining me, I hope you have as much fun die-cutting, painting and making as I did!
Thanks a bunch for sharing.