Watercolor Wreaths with Aqua Pigments

Hello crafty friends! Lauren here, sharing some freehand watercolor wreaths that I painted with the Brutus Monroe Aqua Pigments. I am usually only a stamper, but I've been watching some simple watercolor tutorials on YouTube, and decided to try some basic leaf shapes! I mixed the Green and Black colors together to create a more gray-toned, frosty green shade and it worked perfectly. I used a rounded watercolor brush that comes to a fine point. I traced around a jar top lightly with a pencil to get the basic circle shape, and then used the green I mixed to paint the circle with just the thin tip of the brush. Then, to make the leaves, I press the side of the brush onto the paper so the shape of the brush makes a leaf shape. Then as I drag it towards the circle, I gradually lighten the pressure until it is only the thin tip again, making a fine line to connect it to the circle. I them mixed the Red aqua pigment with the Black aqua pigment to create a cranberry shade for dotting some berries onto the wreath.

For this first card, I heat embossed the "Holly & Jolly" sentiment in Gilded embossing powder in the middle. Using a wide, flat brush, I used the cranberry color to paint stripes on a panel of aqua pigment paper. After adhering a strip of Gilded gitterstock along the left side, I popped up the wreath in the middle with foam tape. 

,

For this second card, I also used Gilded embossing powder for the "Merry & Bright" sentiment. I trimmed the panel down and matted it on Midnight cardstock, gold metallic cardstock, and Scarlet glitterstock. 

For this next card, I tried painting pine branches instead of leaves. I traced the jar top for the circle again, and then painted shorted branches around the outside. Since I wasn't painting one continuous circle, I made some of the branches stick up a little and some stick towards the middle, to give the effect of layered branches. The background for this card uses Scarlet glitterstock and a strip of gold metallic cardstock. 

For the last card I used a larger paintbrush to attempt some larger leaves. I traced a larger cup for a circle, and let it hang off the side of the page. I heat embossed the "Joy" sentiment with Gilded EP, and then I used some of the new Gilded Brutus Monroe glitter drops for the berries! They are sooo glittery and shiny! 

I hope you have a fantastic weekend! Be sure to share your creations on social media, and don't forget to use the hashtags #BrutusMonroe and #CreateYourOwnEnding so we can see what you make!