
By Helen Gullett
Hello crafty friends… Helen is here today. Today, I would like to share an idea to make a Lunar New Year card. Lunar New Year marks the new month for the new year in oriental calendar and it is also the beginning of Spring. Today we are going to do some watercoloring with Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Sprays and layer stamping technique.
Skill: Beginner
Time: 15 minutes
Direction:

Step 1
First, cut out a piece of watercolor paper (I used 140 lb watercolor paper) into 4.25 inch x 5.5 inch.
Spray the Fireworks! Summer Sky and Bahama Blue on the craft mat, and lightly spray with water to create the watercolor ink blends on the craft mat.
Smoosh the watercolor paper to the ink and repeat it until the watercolor inks cover the paper. You can dry the ink in between smooshing for extra texture and more layers of colors. Dry the whole panel with a craft heat gun.

Step 2
Put the watercolored background panel on the stamping tool.
Stamp the fish images on it with the VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink pad. Repeat it if needed.
Dry the stamped images well with a craft heat gun and put it back on the stamping tool.

Step 3
Stamp the bottom layer of the lily pad leaf with the VersaFine Clair Grass Green ink pad.
Move the position of the stamp to a different spot and stamp again.
Repeat it until you like the pond scene on the card.
Dry the stamped images well with a craft heat gun and put it back on the stamping tool.

Step 4
Next is to stamp the second layer of the lily pad leaf. Position the stamp on top of the first stamped image and then stamp it with the VersaFine Clair Green Oasis ink pad.
Repeat it until you stamp on all the first layer stamped images.
Dry the stamped images well with a craft heat gun and put it back on the stamping tool.

Step 5
Next is to stamp the third layer of the lily pad leaf which means it is the top layer of the layer stamps. Usually it would be the darkest color of the color combo.
Position the stamp on top of the previous stamped image and then stamp it with the VersaFine Clair Rain Forest ink pad.
Repeat it until you stamp on all the stamped images.
Dry the stamped images well with a craft heat gun.

Step 6
This is the fun part: watercoloring with the Fireworks! Shimmer Craft Spray.
Spray a little bit of each color of the Lady Bug, Dandelion, and Tangelo directly on the craft mat. I only sprayed it once and no water was added.
Pick up the ink color and start watercoloring the koi fishes. Each color will blend well.
For a lighter pigment color, you spray a little bit of water and mix it together.

Step 7
DO NOT WIPE OFF the left over of the Fireworks! Shimmer Craft Sprays on the mat.
Spray more water on it and smoosh a piece of watercolor paper on it to get another watercolored background panel.
Dry it well with a craft heat gun and set side so you can use for your next project.

Step 8
Stamp the water ripple stamps all over the panel with a stamping block using the VersaMagic Cloud White Dew Drop ink.
This will give the water ripple effect that those koi fishes swimming under the water.
One more time dry the whole panel with a craft heat gun to make sure all the inks are set well on the watercolor paper.

Step 9
Cut a piece of heavyweight heat-resistant vellum paper into 1 inch x 4.75 inch.
Put it on the stamping tool and secure it with the magnets.
Stamp the sentiment in the middle of the vellum paper with Brilliance Galaxy Gold Dew Drop ink.
Carefully remove it from the stamping tool and dry the ink with a craft heat gun.

Step 10
Add the sentiment vellum strip on the background panel and fold the extra flap to the behind of the panel and secure it with some of the On Point Glue.
Add the whole finished panel to the card base with On Point Glue. Hold it down for a couple minutes until the glue dries well.
The card is done.

This watercolored Lunar New Year card is flat enough to send it in regular mail for sure. I hope you will give this tutorial a try to create your own flat card yet has some layers effect on it.

Thank you so much for stopping by our blog today. Have a wonderful day!
Craft Supplies
Imagine Crafts:
- VersaFine Clair – Grass Green, Green Oasis, Rain Forest, Nocturne
- Brilliance Dew Drop – Galaxy Gold
- VersMagic Dew Drop – Cloud White
- Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray – Lady Bug, Dandelion, Tangelo, Summer Sky, Bahama Blue
- On Point Glue
- Imagine Craft Mat
- Staz-On All Purpose Stamp Cleaner
Others:
- Koi Pond stamp set (Ink On 3)
- Bunting stamp set (Avery Elle)
- Watercolor paper (heavyweight, about 140 lbs / 300 gr)
- Vellum paper (heavyweight and heat-resistant)
- White Cardstocks
- Stamping Tool
- Acrylic stamping block
- Waterbrush
- Bonefolder
- Paper trimmer
- Craft heat gun