Block fill technique tutorial and paint chips......

I'm an avid YouTube watcher, and last week I found a new stamping/cardmaking technique that I just love and that is VERY addictive and fun. And the results are downright gorgeous and unique.

The technique is called "block fill" and the video was posted by ____________. She is one of my favorite crafty ladies on YouTube.

I thought I'd do a tutorial on how to do this technique.. I have two samples. The results are pretty neat. I made a 5x7 card with this stamped image that I made.  Here's what you do:

1.  Cut yourself a piece of 4x6 watercolor (wc) paper. I have a little pad of 4x6 wc papers so that's what I always use for my card fronts.

2.  Find a stamp set that has a couple of large images that are good for coloring inside the lines. I used these gorgeous sunflower images. Or... if you are a drawer, draw your own image. Now stamp in the middle of the wc paper, so that part of the image goes fairly close to the edge. 

I added the leaves separately so that they would extend a little further out  and be close to the edge.

3.  Draw a border around your wc paper using a pencil. Draw the lines lightly. I drew mine 3/4" around the edges. You want the image to extend into the border somewhat.  See below... you can erase the lines later.

4.  Now the fun part begins! You can color in your image(s) or leave plain. I used my watercolor pencils and just kind of scribbled the colors in here and there. I scribbled a little bit of darker colors by the centers of the petals, and the veins in the leaves. Then I used a little paintbrush dipped in water, to blend the pencil lines. If there are any parts of the stamped image that didn't stamp well, draw over them with a waterproof black pen.

5.  Now color inside the "block" (that you drew with pencil) that is behind the image, using a permanent black pen. I used my Vellum Writer pen by Kuretake Co. It has a very fine tip and a fatter tip. Use a pen that is waterproof. I think you could use a Sharpie permanent marker, but you'll need two types.. one with a fine tip and then one with the normal fatter tip.  I first drew along the pencil lines with my fine tip, and then around the flowers and between the little areas. Then I could use the fatter tip for the larger areas.  Just scribble and you don't have to be real neat as most waterproof/permanent writers kind of blend together. See below.

I made a "boo boo" when I stamped the top flower! I should have "masked" the stem so it wouldn't be on top of the bottom flower. This was just a sample, so I thought... oh well and left it as is. Normally I would have not stamped that part of the stem or masked it off.

Here is the finished block, all colored in. I did some touching up with my black pen to add some lines in the flower petals and leaves.  See the dot of black ink on the border on each side? That was another "boo boo" but I fixed it later.

6.  I decided this needed something else, so I drew little scrolly lines and dots around the outside of the block... freehand.  That darned black dot of ink is still there!

7.  Then I cut a black mat to put behind the wc paper. It's size is 4-1/4" x 6-1/4". My card base is a 5x7 card that I cut from some cream colored cardstock.  Stick your image on top of the black mat, and then adhere to the card front.

8.  To cover up the two little mistakes black ink dots, I decided this card needed some butterflies.  I used some paint chip samples to punch out some soft mint green butterflies with my new Martha Stewart butterfly punch. I love that punch!

I put a butterfly over each mistake little black dot, adhered them with hot glue, bent up the wings a little bit, and put 3 tiny vinyl dazzle stickers on their body. Voila! mistakes all gone!

9.  Stamp a small sentiment on the top right, and another larger sentiment on the bottom in the middle. I usually like to ink the edges of everything for that vintage look, but decided to leave this card crisp and clean. Finished!

I stamped some little butterflies inside the card, dancing atop a strip of black border punched cardstock. 

How fun was that????  Here is another card that I did with pinks. This time I made sure that the stalk of the top flower appears BEHIND the lower flower.... and I put tiny black dots around the block for a different look.

I made a 5x7 card using gray cardstock for a different look, and punched the butterflies out of some silver cardstock that I got at our local discount store - an entire package of 6x6 pieces for $1.29! Can't beat that.. and it makes gorgeous butterflies.  Look at them shimmer! I put little gems on top of their bodies for a little bit of glimmer.

My two sentiments are different. I used "Beautiful You" at the top, and "Your friendship means so much to me" at the bottom, both stamps from the dollar bin at Michael's.

Here's one more picture of the pink card. As you must know by now, I LOVE pink and green and love the way this card turned out.

Now I need to get some more stamps that are "color in the lines" type of stamps.... and I'll be off to make some more of these "block fill" cards.

I'd love to know if  you try this technique and the outcome. If you do use this technique, please email me and send me a picture and I'll post it on my blog.  I'd love to see what you make!

Enjoy!