Welcome to my sisters craft room and today’s Easy Acrylic Block Watercolor Backgrounds Post. I’m hanging out at my sister’s as she recovers from surgery, and she’s kindly given me free rein of her craft room. There are a few supplies she has set aside for upcoming projects, but everything else is fair game—and today I couldn’t resist revisiting a watercolor wash technique I haven’t played with in ages. Let’s jump right in!
Watercolor Wash
Sunset Panel
Creating this soft watercolor wash is as simple as stamping a sentiment. Because we’ll be working with water, I’m using Strathmore Bristol Vellum Surface cardstock, cut to 4″ x 5.25″ for the card fronts.
For the first panel, I reached for a 3″ x 3″ Stampabilities acrylic block and a set of Memento Dew Drop ink pads. This block has etched grid lines on one side, but for today’s technique, the smooth side gives the best results. I inked the block in thirds, starting with Dandelion at the bottom, Cantaloupe in the middle, and finishing with Tangelo at the top.
The trickiest part of this technique is adding the right amount of water. While practicing a few backgrounds, I discovered it may take a couple of tries to find that perfect balance. Using my sister’s Distress Sprayer, I misted the block until the surface looked evenly coated—but not puddled. You won’t know for sure if you’ve added enough water until you stamp, and in the photos below you’ll see my own “not quite enough” to “just right” progression.
Once the block is misted, carefully align it with your panel and press it down. I like to hold the block in place for a few seconds to help the colors transfer and blend. As you’ll see in the image below, the colors melt together beautifully with just that touch of water.
Fall Theme Panel
With the first panel drying, I moved on to a second card with a fall theme. This time, I switched to a longer acrylic block measuring about 6″ x 1.75″. I used the same Memento Dew Drop ink pads—Dandelion and Tangelo—but added Bamboo Leaves for a fresh pop of color. Once again, I inked the block in three sections from light to dark before misting it with water.
The blend this time was so pretty—Tangelo merged into both the Bamboo Leaves and Dandelion, creating a gorgeous gradient that feels perfectly autumn. I set this panel aside to dry completely before moving on to the card assembly.
Maple Leaf Embellishments
To bring even more of that fall feeling into the second card, I dug through my sister’s die collection and found the perfect embellishment. A few years ago at the Stamp & Scrapbook Expo, she picked up the Ellentina Large and Medium Maple Leaves with Shadow die set from Tessler Crafts. I’ve been wanting to try these dies ever since, and this project was the perfect excuse!
I die cut the leaves from the same Strathmore Bristol Vellum Surface cardstock using my sister’s original Sizzix Sidekick. Each leaf was then inked with a finger dauber using one of the colors from the background panel. To finish them off, I brushed a little Rich Cocoa onto the stems for extra depth.
Stamping Sentiments
Once both backgrounds were completely dry, it was time to add the sentiments. For the first card, I reached for the Stampin’ Up Butterfly Basics set. Using Gina K’s Amalgam Ink in Obsidian Black, I stamped the delicate branch along the side of the panel. This card will be a sympathy card for someone my sister knows, so I paired the design with the “Thinking of You” sentiment from an Inkadinkado set.
While the ink was out, I went ahead and stamped the sentiment on the second card as well. For that one, I chose “Happy Thanksgiving” from the Hero Arts Celebration Everyday stamp set.
Finishing the Cards
Because I stamped the sentiments in black, I wanted to carry that color into the card design with a simple black mat. I trimmed Recollections 110lb black cardstock to approximately 4.125″ x 5.375″ for each panel.
Since the watercolor backgrounds were created with plenty of water, the panels dried a little warped. To help them lay flat, I used more adhesive than usual—Scor-Tape around the outer edges plus a few additional strips through the center. With such a narrow border, I also added a thin line of Bearly Art Precision Glue over the tape so I’d have a bit of wiggle room when positioning the panels.
Before adhering the second panel to its card base, I attached the maple leaves. Using tiny dots of Bearly Art Glue on the tips and the center of each leaf, I arranged them on the stamped background, turning each one slightly to mimic the look of leaves drifting down from a tree.
The Finished Cards
Thank you for joining me in my sister’s craft room for today’s Easy Acrylic Block Watercolor Backgrounds post. I absolutely love how both of these cards turned out! This is such a fun and easy technique, and the results will vary beautifully depending on the size and shape of your acrylic blocks. It’s a great way to stretch the supplies you already have and create eye-catching backgrounds in just a few minutes. I hope this inspires you to dig out your acrylic blocks and give this technique a try! Have you ever tried creating watercolor backgrounds with acrylic blocks? If so, what color combinations are your favorites? I’d love to hear about your experiences!
Shop for Supplies Here
PIN THIS POST FOR LATER!
