How to Incorporate Watercolor Paintings into Your Cards

O how have I been itching to post this! Now that we're back from our travels, I'll be back soon to share a few highlights of our trip, but for the time being, I'll just share a few little pieces inspired by a a tad of poolside lounging and way too many pretty watercolors to play with.

For my first card, I wanted to preserve the entirety of this little watercolored piece, so I decided to use the whole floral design as a background. It's the easiest way to incorporate any small art. It can be used as is, or like I've done, added to with other paper crafting bits such as dies.

If you're like me and short on time to do all the things you love, try incorporating them into your travel routine, soccer practice, or wherever you might have a bit of idle time. I'm soooo in love with watercolors but I rarely have the time to just devote to painting. So I make it a point to bring my palette with whenever we travel. Even if it's just on the plane, or while waiting at the terminal, watercolors make for at least a few entertaining hours and I am always glad when I pack them. Plus with water-pens (you can get my fave ones here), it's oh-so-easy to get your craft on just about anywhere! Just remember to keep em dry until you pass the security checkpoint :)

I doodled these little florals, inspired by the glorious blooms we saw all over California...

I chose to add very little to the overall design. I didn't want to take away from the painted flowers and all their lovely colors. I mean, aren't they so fun and vibrant?!

I added an embossed sentiment from PTI's Mini Blooms, and a die cut from PTI's Wonderful Words' Friend die. 

Next up, I wanted to create a little envelope and I was curious if I could mix two very different floral patterns together. It took a bit of trying, but finally I settled on this little watercolored floral bunch and fussy cut it to add it to the already colorful and fun envelope pattern.

This is always an option, if you are not squeamish about cutting into your art. For my purposes, I had a page of "too-much-time-at-the-airport"doodles that were just sort of sitting there, so this was a perfect opportunity to pull out the scissors. 

The patterned paper sentiment is just a few pieces cut out and pasted together. 

I think it makes for a fun, vibrant and perfect bit of happy mail! 

Friends, if you love to paint, draw, scribble or doodle, I encourage you to just DO it and then just USE it!! It's lovely to have a hobby, and also to have a collection of your art, but after a while it can feel like it's just sitting  there! So unless you plan to frame it, gift it, or cherish it in another way, why not try adding it to your cards or other crafty creations! 

I think you might love the results.

Thanks for joining me today and I'll be back soon with an update form our trip! 

Ivana