At Taylored Expressions, we love to learn new techniques, polish up on old favorites, and be inspired by the creativity of designers from around the crafting world.

Today we have a step-by-step tutorial from designer Kay Miller,

who shares how to use Distress Ink to create beautiful, watercolored backgrounds.

A Note from Kay: Watercoloring is so fun and can be used in so many fun ways to create pretty backgrounds. Don't expect them all to turn out the same, because that will never happen. It's a surprise, every time! I hope you have fun creating your own watercolor backgrounds!

Step 1: You will need watercolors or Distress inks, watercolor paper, and your die cut pieces for the scene. (Kay used Salty Ocean, Crushed Olive, Spiced Marmalade, and Mustard Seed.) Die cut all of your pieces for the scene, glue them together, and lay them aside to assemble your scene after creating your background.

Step 2: Take an acrylic block if you're using distress inks and press each color down on a craft sheet to create a palette for your watercoloring. Wet your piece of watercolor paper liberally with a paint brush and water.

Step 3: Start with the Salty Ocean (or blue) for the sky and dab just a bit and let it blend into the water.

Step 4: While your paper is still wet, dab some of the Crushed Olive (or green) just below it for the tops of the trees.

Step 5: Add a little bit of the Spiced Marmalade (or orange) just below for some fall foliage, letting this blend in with the green.

Step 6: Take some Mustard Seed (or yellow) and add dabs of this around in your orange and greens to brighten them up.

Step 7-8: Let your watercolor piece dry very well. You may speed this up with a heat gun if desired. Speckle your paper by flicking a paint brush and the watercolors you used for the background for added depth and interest.

Step 9-10: Again, dry thoroughly then trim your watercolor piece down to 4 x 5 1/4 inches and mount on a top folding card.
Add the fox, pumpkin and trees with foam tape.

We hope you are inspired to make your own Fall card using this fun, watercolor technique. Don't be afraid to be free with color! When you have made your project, visit our Facebook Page and share with us!

For more of Kay's work, visit her blog, My Joyful Moments!

Learn. Create. Share.

From the inspiring classes and make & takes to the yummy food and new friendships that were formed, Stamp Joy 2015 was an incredibly joyful celebration of stamping. We wanted to share some highlights and take a moment to thank everyone who attended, our talented teachers, and hard-working staff who, all together, made this year's event a success.

Stamp Joy 2015 Highlights

And even though it hasn't even been a month since Stamp Joy 2015 ended, we're already working to make Stamp Joy 2016 even more amazing! Mark your calendars now for October 14-15, 2016 and plan to join us for a fun-filled weekend of celebrating the joy of stamping. You can stay informed about Stamp Joy 2016 by subscribing to our Stamp Joy email list at this link. We hope to see you there next year!

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