Watercolour Sunset Skyline Card

A project from our live show CREATE AND CRAFT LIVE - Join Helen Kirkham - broadcast 8th April - show 2 · 04/08/2022 · watch it from 19:30

Create a striking card featuring a cityscape silhouette against a watercolour sunset background. This project combines ink spraying techniques with stamping to produce an atmospheric, travel-inspired design that looks professionally finished but is simple to execute.

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Step by step

1. Take a piece of waste card from a basic circle die and create a circular background using distress inks in warm sunset colours—orange, pink and yellow. ▶ watch 19:45
2. Spray water onto the inked circle to activate the distress inks and allow the colours to blend and move naturally. ▶ watch 20:00
3. Use a wet wipe to pull back some of the colour if needed, creating a more subtle, misty effect. ▶ watch 20:15
4. Dry the background completely with a heat tool. ▶ watch 20:45
5. Stamp the skyline image in black ink onto the dried background, positioning it to overlap the sunset circle. ▶ watch 21:00
6. If the stamp doesn't fully transfer on the first press, re-ink and stamp again in the same position to ensure full coverage. ▶ watch 21:30
7. Stamp additional decorative elements, such as birds or smaller details from coordinating stamp sets, using black ink to add texture and interest. ▶ watch 22:00
8. Adhere the finished design to a card base using glue, positioning it centrally or slightly off-centre as desired. ▶ watch 22:30

Tips from the show

• Don't worry about achieving perfect coverage on the first stamp impression—you can re-stamp in the same position without moving the paper.
• Use a plastic pot rather than a cardboard box when spraying inks to prevent waste and keep your workspace cleaner.
• The misty, atmospheric quality of skylines means slight imperfections in colour application actually enhance the effect.

More from this show

• Blossom Vine Watercolour Die-Cut Card

Written up from the show itself. See every guide from our shows · free how-to guides · watch live on My Telly