Blooming Lantana – A Watercolor Puzzle You’ll Love to Piece Together

If you love puzzles, you will love Altenew’s newest Mini Delight: Blooming Lantana. It’s playful, clever, and lets you build your florals piece by piece — a creative twist that’s both relaxing and rewarding.

Hi there, everyone! Erum Tasneem here, and today, I am sharing a fun project featuring a very interesting stamp and die combination. I am using the brilliant Mini Delight: Blooming Lantana. The stamp includes subtle placement hints for each tiny bloom — how cool is that? It’s a first in the Mini Delight series, but the best part is you can follow the guide or completely freestyle and create your own floral cluster.

Watch the Blooming Lantana video tutorial below or CLICK HERE to learn more about this cardmaking technique! Or read step-by-step instructions after the video.

1. Cut a 3-inch-wide strip of Cold-Pressed Watercolor Cardstock. Generously apply water to the surface using a flat brush.
2. Squeeze Ultraviolet Watercolor Brush Marker pigment onto a Watercolor Palette and brush it across the wet panel. The water will help the pigment flow naturally, creating a soft, dreamy base.
3. Add the color randomly, then also add Purple Wine for pop and visual interest. 
4. For texture, flick splatters of both colors onto the panel. 
5. Let it dry completely before die cutting the florals.

Tip: Layered watercolor tones add richness to even the tiniest die-cuts.You can add splatters once the panel is completely dry for a prominent texture.

1. Cut another piece of watercolor cardstock to A2 size.
2. Apply a diluted wash of Ultraviolet pigment, starting from the top and letting the color drip downward for a dripping watercolor look.
3. Add hints of Purple Wine for variation, then splatter some diluted color for soft background texture.
4. Dry completely before stamping the Blooming Lantana image with Obsidian Pigment Ink.

1. Now the fun part begins — assembling the Blooming Lantana die-cut pieces like a puzzle!
   Start with the larger layers, then add smaller ones using foam tape for added dimension. This is where your Perfect Picker and tweezers will shine! You can follow the stamped guide — or place your florals wherever inspiration takes you.
2. Darken the flower centers with the Ultraviolet Watercolor Brush Marker for depth and variation.
3. Arrange and adhere two floral clusters to your card front with all the layers.

1. Next, lightly shade the stamped leaves with Monochrome Shading Pencils. Blend softly with a blending stump, following the midrib and veins to mimic natural shadows. (I suggest doing this step before adhering the flowers.)
2. Add a few black splatters for contrast. Stamp your sentiment — “keep on blooming, beautiful.”
3. Finally, to the top-most layer of the flower center, apply a thin, diluted layer of the white watercolor from the Metallic Watercolor 14 Pan Set for a gentle shimmer that enhances the Blooming Lantana layers beautifully.

I hope this project with the new Blooming Lantana inspired you to play with your watercolor supplies and explore the playful side of layering with the Blooming Lantana.

Don’t worry about perfection — just enjoy the process and let your creativity bloom with every piece you add. If you’d like to see this Blooming Lantana card come to life, watch the full tutorial on the Altenew YouTube channel and leave a comment — I’d love to know how you’d color your own version!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy crafting!

Lots of amazing, new crafting supplies are waiting for you with Altenew's October 2025 Release! Get your hands on the Blooming Lantana and other beautiful crafty goodies to make your next masterpiece! Shop HERE! 

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