Art Impressions Blog: How to Make Paper Charms for a Watercolor Bookmark by Carol Hintermeier

Hello Ai fans! I had so much fun creating this beautiful watercolored bookmark and making the little paper charms to add to it!

Here are the basic steps for creating the bookmark and the watercoloring (all watercoloring is done the "Ai way"! See Art Impressions YouTube for specific techniques) :

Die cut the bookmark from a piece of Strathmore Bristol Smooth card stock.
Ink the large birdhouse with 969-Chocolate and 565-Deep Blue and stamp it onto the die cut bookmark. Pull the color out with your brush adding shadows where needed.
Scribble 493-Reflex Blue onto your palette and pick up some with your brush and add to the birdhouse roof.
Stamp the greenery from Foliage Set-4051 with 177-Dark Jade and dab the color with a damp brush.
Stamp the flowers on the vine with 665-Purple.
Stamp the tiny grass from Foliage Set-4051 with 177-Dark Jade.
Stamp the flowers at the base of the birdhouse. Use the flower bunch from Flower Set 2 and ink the top half of the stamps with 177-Dark Jade and the flowers with 933-Orange.
Pick up 493-Reflex Blue and add in some sky.
Stamp the branch from WC Branches Set with 969-Chocolate. Add leaves with the stamp from WC Foliage Set 2. I inked it with 177-Dark Jade.
Ink up the flying bird with 969 and 565. Stamp onto the positioner block, position it over the birdhouse, then stamp the bird onto the piece. Stamp the bird on the ground in the same colors. Add more color to them with a bit of 493-Reflex Blue with 565-Deep Blue mixed from your pallette.

I used dies that are included with the Bookmark die set to create my little charms.

Die cut two each of each shape you want to use. I used Copic markers to color the butterfly and the feather. Note: color the backside of one feather since it's not symmetrical. Die cut three tiny hole reinforcers from the Tag Stitched Die set. Color two to coordinate with the butterfly and feather. My photos that follow show my assembly for the butterfly. Adhere one reinforcer with liquid glue to the top center of the die cut. Add more liquid glue to adhere the two pieces, colored sides facing out. Let dry. Assemble the cross and feather the same way.

Next I used a Ranger Emboss It Dabber to add clear embossing ink to one side. Holding the charm with your reverse tweezers (don't want to get burned!) pour clear embossing powder over the ink and heat emboss. While it's still hot, dip it back into the clear embossing powder two more times to get the smooth thick finish. Repeat for the opposite side. I embossed the cross the same way, but used some white sparkle embossing powder. I had some small rings in my stash that I attached to the top of the charms.

I colored the white ribbon by scribbling 493-Reflex Blue onto my mat and spritzing water into the ink, then dipping the ribbon into it. Keep dipping and spritzing water until you have the desired shade. Let dry, and then tie it, and the charms, onto your bookmark.