Watercolor Shark Card For Beginners

Get ready to dive in and learn another new card-making skill with this fin-tastic watercolor shark card. Watercolor doesn't have to be scary, and in this tutorial, we will start with a few approachable techniques to help you dip your toes in, and get started! So grab your brush, paper, and paint – there's no need to hold your breath in these crafty waters!

• There's Just Som-Fin About You Clear Stamp Set
• Free Cricut File - There's Just Som-Fin About You
• Acrylic Stamp Block
• Black Pigment Ink Pad
• Art Markers
• Glue
• White Cardstock
• Colored Cardstock (a shade of blue works best)
• Water Colors
• Art brush

• Prismacolor Alcohol-Based Markers
• Adhesive Foam Dots
• Glue Tape Runner
• Heat Tool
• Pearl Embellishment Dots
• Tweezers
• Cricut for Stamp Cut-Outs

If you have a cricut machine, first cut out your stamped images. If you do not have a Cricut, stamp your designs onto white cardstock; space out your impressions so you can hand cut around them later.

Tip: Prep your workspace by placing your white cardstock or stamp cutouts onto a craft mat to protect your surface.

Now it's time to ink your stamps. We are using pigment ink because pigment ink will not bleed with our watercolors. Simply peel your stamp from the backing sheet and place it onto an acrylic stamp block. Lightly pat, but thoroughly coat your stamp with ink. Firmly press your stamps on the cutouts or cardstock paper. The photopolymer is slightly tacky, so your stamp can easily stick and be removed from your stamp block.

Turning our attention to the background of the card, we want to add some excitement and start to form the theme of the project. Using watercolor paint, we decided to use blue to emulate a water landscape. This will be the perfect background for our sharks and fish! The goal here is to use lighter strokes and create a subtle background because we will add darker shades in the next step.

In this step, select a darker shade of blue than what you used in the previous step. Use a brush to splotch it around your card to create depth and add interest to your background. Get creative and use your brush in different ways to create a unique design.

With the background designed and your stamps outlined, all we need to do is dry the card to continue our project. This can be done with many methods, but if you have a heat tool lying around, it's the quickest and easiest option. If not, you can use a hair dryer or allow your card to air dry over a couple of hours. It is important to keep excessive wind away from your card. If you use a fan, you run the risk of your paint running off your card and creating a mess.

While your project air drys take some time to fold your cardstock into a card and add color cardstock on top for interest. This step is optional but does add a unique flair to the finished product. If you used a heat tool as we suggest, simply put your background aside as you create the card. When your card is assembled, apply tape glue to the back of your background and apply pressure to ensure a solid stick to your card.

Be sure your card is dry before gluing or your hands may smear your project.

With the background completed, we can now turn our attention to coloring our stamped images. This is where your creativity can come out because there is no right or wrong way to color. If you would like to match the design of the card we completed follow along in the video to the best of your ability! Even if your figures look a bit different, you can always reprint your uploaded design in Cricut and color them again.

To add a cute touch to your project, cut out a small sliver of paper that can fix the text supplied in the stamp set. This helps it stand out instead of stamping directly onto the background. Use your pigment ink to stamp out the phrase "you are jawsome" and find a nice spot on your background to place it.

To finish the project, apply 3D dots to each of your cutouts to give your card dimension. You have the freedom to put them wherever you like on your card. Be sure to give enough space so all of your creatures and phrases can fit into your ocean!

As a final flair, we added embellishments to further increase the card's appeal. This can be everything from stickers to your favorite pearl dots just like what we used in the example. Colors and styles are up to you so get creative and have fun!