Hello, and welcome back for Watercolor Weekend!
Hello all my Ai
watercolor friends and fans, and Happy 2026! This is my first post of the year,
and January 1st is always special to me—not only does it mark the start of a
new year, but it’s also my Art Impressions Watercolor Design Team anniversary.
I can’t believe it’s already been three years!
Today I’m excited to
share two Valentine’s Day projects with you: a Valentine Wreath Gate‑fold Card
and a cute little Valentine’s Storybook Frame.
Valentine Wreath Gate-fold Card:
This soft, romantic gate‑fold card features images
from the recently released Bible Journaling Set 6150 – His Love. Although it’s
designed for Bible journaling, it’s also perfect for all kinds of love‑themed
projects. I always enjoy sharing ideas for stretching your stamp collection and
using sets in unexpected ways.
Using
my stamp platform, I inked the wreath image with Memento Desert Sand and
stamped it onto Canson XL watercolor paper. This light ink keeps the lines soft
while still preserving the details. (You can ink the flowers and foliage
separately in pink and green, but this particular stamp is quite detailed.)
I began by adding a
light wash of 703 to each rose, leaving white space for highlights. To deepen
the petals, I layered additional 703 into the shadowed areas until I was happy
with the value. The hearts on the vine were also painted with 703.
For the rose centers,
I dotted in a touch of TwinTone Chrome Yellow and softened it with a damp
brush. The leaves were painted with 177, deepening the bases for contrast.
To create a soft,
ethereal glow, I brushed a watery mix of 403 around both the inside and outside
edges of the wreath. Once dry, I used a fine #0 brush to scatter tiny hearts in
703—just two simple strokes forming a little “V” shape. I also used the #0
brush to add 177 to the vines and refine the leaf details.
Where needed, I added
definition to the roses with a Fuchsia Pink TwinTone and blended lightly with
water. A touch of Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed Proof White restored any missing
highlights.
I cut a piece of blue shimmer cardstock to 8½” x 5½”, scored at 1½” and 5¾”,
and folded in the sides.
- Left panel: pink
patterned paper from 5892 – Easter S2 Paper Pack, cut to 1¼” x 5¼”
- Right panel:
blue‑green vine pattern from the same pack, cut to 2½” x 5¼”
Both panels were adhered with double‑sided tape.
The watercolor panel and its mat were die‑cut using 5725 – Nested Square
Dies (3” x 3” and 3¼” x 3¼”). I mounted the finished piece to the card front,
applying adhesive only to the left side so the gate‑fold can open properly.
Inside the card, I
added a 4” x 5¼” pink mat and a 3¾” x 5” white panel.
- The Valentine sentiment from 4848 – Sweet
Wishes MTF was inked in 703.
- The heart stems from 6150 were inked in
703 and 401.
- The small heart border was stamped
repeatedly along the bottom in 401.
Sweet Wishes Storybook Frame:
Late last year, Art Impressions released the Storybook Template Die along
with two coordinating stamp sets for creating adorable Christmas ornaments. The
template forms a 3D box where you can build a little scene inside. At the time,
Bonnie hinted that more coordinating sets might be coming—I can’t wait to see
what she dreams up next!
That got me thinking: why not use the Valentine images from the Sweet
Wishes Mini TryFold to create a little Valentine storybook scene?
For this sweet frame,
I combined the 4848 – Sweet Wishes MTF set with the 6121 – Storybook Template.
The tag was created using a banner die from 5902 – Mini Scalloped Frame Dies.
The box is cut from white shimmer cardstock, and the heart patterned paper is
from the 5741 – Valentines Paper Pack.
All images were stamped in Memento Desert Sand
onto Canson XL Mix Media Paper.
Here’s
the color palette I used for each element:
Rose Wreath
- 177
(vine and leaves)
- 856
(roses)
- Dr.
Ph. Martin’s Bleed Proof White
Mailbox
- 256
(mailbox and interior lid)
- 565
(post, flag clips, slot, knob)
- 856
(ribbon, flag)
- N52
(flag post)
- 403
(sky)
Bird with Letters & Candy
- 856
(heart and letter)
- 703
(letter)
- 403
(letter)
- 703
+ 565 (bird, mailbox interior)
Once everything was painted, I die‑cut the center from the wreath and die-cut the opening for the mailbox lid. The mailbox piece was trimmed to match the die size of the die with the oval opening (approximately 2⅝” x 3”). I cut a second piece the same size to mount the bird image on.
The included die cuts the interior of the wreath, but not the outer edge, so I fussy‑cut the wreath with fine detail scissors, leaving a small white border. Mix Media paper cuts easily, so this step went quickly.
The oval opening on the Storybook die was slightly too large for the
wreath to sit neatly on top. To fix this, I cut the heart patterned paper again
at 2⅝” x 3” and used a smaller oval from 5902 – Mini Scalloped Frame Dies to
create a better‑sized opening. The wreath was then adhered to the box front
with double‑sided tape.
To assemble the
layers, I used foam squares to pop up each piece, starting with the bird layer
and working forward. I positioned the bird so it peeks out when the mailbox lid
is opened—such a fun little surprise for the recipient. Once all the layers
were in place, I glued the box closed.
I die‑cut an
ornament topper from white shimmer cardstock and attached it to the top of the
box to hold the ribbon and tag. I folded and glued the topper about two‑thirds
of the way down, then folded out small tabs on each side so it could be secured
to the box.
For the tag, I
stamped a sentiment from 4848, die‑cut it with the banner die from 5902, and
tied it on with red baker’s twine. A double bow of red ribbon was added with a
glue dot.
To finish the back, I layered more red heart paper with Mix Media paper.
The Valentine sentiment and heart border from 6150 were stamped in 856, and the
rose was painted using the same colors as the wreath.
Just look at that cute little guy
peeping at you from the mailbox! I think it will be fun for the recipient to
open the mailbox lid and get a sweet little surprise.
That’s all for now—thanks so much
for stopping by for Watercolor Weekend! I hope these ideas inspire you to
experiment with some “out of the box thinking” and create something fun for
Valentine’s Day with your stamp collection.
Until next time, Happy Painting!
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