Hibiscus Heaven
By Zana Clark of Stamp Zia

This 16x16" art stamp creation is made with only the Hibiscus stamp. It is a great example of how to "go beyond cards" by using just one stamp!

Materials:
- 16x16" white mat with a 10" circular mat opening
- Stamp Zia's Hibiscus Stamp
- Chalk palette with makeup applicators
- 90# Watercolor paper (at least 12x18")
- Watercolors
- White crayon
- Spray bottle with water
- Scissors, heat gun
- Pigment Ink-gray
- Embossing powder-clear
- Glue stick

Technique: Mat-

Stamp the hibiscus stamp on the mat with gray pigment ink. Try not to over stamp the "flower" part. The leaves can overlap. Emboss with clear powder. Do this in sections, you will be less likely to smear the ink or embossing powder.

Color the hibiscus flowers with a variety of colors from your chalk palette using makeup applicators. Color the hibiscus leaves with different green chalk colors.

Color all the negative spaces (areas not "inside" the hibiscus stamped areas) with black chalk. It won't be as dark as you think, it will appear grayer and match your stamped image lines.

Background watercolor paper-

Scribble onto the watercolor paper with a white crayon.

Wet your paper by spraying it with water. Drop watercolors into the wet paper surface. Tilt the paper to allow different colors to blend for soft color transitions. The white crayon will leave a "resist type" look on your paper.

Spray a bit of water onto the paper surface after it has dried for about 10 minutes. By spraying water onto a slightly wet color ground the water acts as a color lifter and "erases" the color under it. You can also achieve a similar effect by dropping a few kosher salt crystals onto the paper and letting them soak up some of the wet color.

Stamp and cut out a hibiscus or two on your dry watercolor paper. Tear out a couple of longish, leaf fronds from the watercolor paper. Make sure you are using the outer areas of your watercolor paper and are leaving enough to cover the 10"diameter mat opening.

Back the mat opening with your watercolor paper. Adhere it to the back of the mat with a glue stick.

Arrange and glue your cut out hibiscus with the torn leaf fronds on to the watercolor paper.

Sign your work!

Zia hints-

*Try a different color of pigment ink or embossing color.

*Draw swirls or zigzags with the white crayon.

*Spray watercolors instead of dropping them into the wet paper.

Zia Art Stamps, Custom Mats, & Awesome Art Papers and Powdered Pearls are available from Stamp Zia.