Hi, friends! I’m Andrea Lake, and I’m beyond excited to share how I created a cute set of five handmade cards using Tombow Dual Brush Pens—both to design my backgrounds and as watercolors to add color to some beautiful floral stamps. These stamps became the main embellishments for my cards, and honestly, I had the most relaxing time putting this set together!
Supplies:
- Dual Brush Pen Art Markers (025, 026, 133, 158, 177, 243, 245, 249, 451, 620, 623, 636, 673, 685, 703, 723, 725, 761, 815, 817, 991)
- MONO Adhesive Permanent
- MONO Multi Liquid Glue
- Blending Palette
- Watercolor paper
- Scrapbooking patterned paper
- Stamps, waterproof black ink, metal dies, hot foil machine and plates.
Step 1: Creating the Gingham Backgrounds
Let’s start at the beginning—hand-drawing the gingham backgrounds! I used different Dual Brush Pen Art Markers to draw horizontal lines along the front panel of my card, from top to bottom. Then, I rotated the card panel 90 degrees to the left (or right—it doesn’t really matter) and repeated the process to achieve that classic gingham effect.
I created five different backgrounds, and if you look closely, you’ll notice that the lines aren’t perfectly straight—and that’s totally fine! Handmade cards don’t have to be perfect; their charm comes from the personal touch.
Step 2: Watercoloring the Floral Stamps
Once my backgrounds were complete, I spent some time coloring floral stamps. I stamped the images onto watercolor paper, grabbed my Blending Palette, and started playing! There were no rules, no pressure—just pure creative fun.
I used different shades of green, pink, and purple, mixing the Dual Brush Pen Art Markers with water to bring my flowers and leaves to life. And just like that, the magic happened! My images started to shine, and I reminded myself that I need to do this more often.
Tips to Make This Process Even More Fun
- If you’re using stamps, make sure to use waterproof ink to prevent smudging.
- Want an extra texture or shine? Try heat embossing your stamped images or using hot foil plates for a stunning metallic effect.
- To make this experience even more relaxing, play your favorite audiobook, music, or movie in the background and let your creativity flow!
I’d love to hear from you! Have you ever used Dual Brush Pen Art Markers as watercolors? If so, what’s your favorite project you’ve created using this technique? Drop a comment below—I can’t wait to see what you’ve made!
With love,
Andrea