DIY stamped watercolor business cards
I am SOOO EXCITED that these hand-stamped watercolor business cards turned out JUST as amazing as I imagined!!!
Late last year, I had been toying with the idea of blind letterpress printing a shape, letter, or logo, then filling it with watercolor by hand. Instead of “paint by numbers” it would be “paint by letterpress.” So cool! But the question I kept asking myself was, “Am I really ready to throw down a few hundred bucks to try it out?” Not really. Plus, the concept wouldn’t be conducive to personalization at a decent price or small batch production. Soooo, my next idea was to use a custom stamp over watercolor; however, I wasn’t sure if the ink would bleed onto the soft paper. Furthermore, I would need to make a stamp that would not only be legible over a bright splash of color, but also complement the overall design.
Well, I tried it out. And the results are G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S!
Here’s how I made them:
After trimming down my watercolor paper, I painted a unique watercolor on each 4″ x 2″ card. (It’s a half inch wider than your standard business card.) After waiting a few minutes for the paint to dry, I carefully stamped my design over it using black pigment ink. (Pigment ink takes longer to dry, but it acts more like paint and shows up beautifully over the watercolor.)
All in, it took me about 15 minutes to make 3 cards. If you’re making a face at your screen right now, think about it this way :: how SPECIAL will your client feel when you give this to them? Plus, watercolor is so cathartic it’s like free therapy. Or, at least a break from regular work!
I love the contrast between the colorful, playful watercolor and the sleek modern type.
BTW // Pretty Peas Paperie is the little sister to Akula Kreative. There’s a lot of overlap between the two, but the main difference is that Pretty Peas focuses on paper for individuals and families while Akula Kreative focuses on paper for businesses.
Supplies Needed ::
- A 4″ x 2″ clear custom stamp (see bottom of post)
- Watercolor paper trimmed down to 4″ x 2″ (I used Strathmore Windpower Watercolor Paper)
- A pigment ink stamp pad (I used ColorBox Pigment Pad in Black)
- Watercolor set
- A watercolor brush
When choosing watercolor paper, I buy whatever 300gsm cold press paper is on sale. Since I’m not a professional artist, I can’t really tell the difference. This week I “splurged” on the higher quality paper because it was Buy One Get One Free. :) Up until two years ago, I had been using a Crayola Basics watercolor set – the kind you can buy at the grocery store. I’ve since upgraded to the $8 “starter set.” In my opinion, I don’t think you need expensive paint for a project like this.
HERE is where you spend your money: nice brushes. Better quality brushes keep their shape, hold water, and don’t leave little hairs behind in your paintings. One time, I purchased a set of brushes simply because they had white handles and I thought they were pretty. As it turns out, they basically repel water and don’t work at all. Aaron Brothers is a great place to buy art supplies when you bring a coupon.
We’ll be making a limited quantity of these business card stamps for our Pop-Up Shop. A personalized 4″ x 2″ stamp will start at $40.
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