The Secret to Standout Cards: Textured Flowers | Perfect Pairings with Jaycee

Have you ever wanted to add a tactile, velvety feel to your stenciled floral cards? I've got a fun technique for you today using embossing paste and a watercolor brush to give your projects beautiful, touchable dimension.

Hi there Altenew friends, welcome back to another Perfect Pairing with Jaycee!

Today, I'll be using the new Altenew Build-A-Garden Rose Reverie set, but you can use this method with any outline stamp and coordinating stencil that has large, open petal areas. You can also take a look at the tutorial video on Altenew's YouTube here! 

First, I'll stamp the Rose Reverie image onto several panels of heavyweight white cardstock. I used the coordinating die to cut out the shapes beforehand, which helps with perfect placement on my Altenew Stampwheel. By placing the negative space of the die-cut onto the mat and then inlaying the positive piece, I can easily stamp multiple images in the exact same spot. For a crisp outline, I'm using Altenew Obsidian Pigment Ink.

Before we get to the star of the show, let's add some color to the leaves. Using the Rose Reverie stencil layers #4 and #5, I applied a base layer of Misty Sage and then a deeper gradient of Green Opal with a mini ink blending tool. I'm leaving the rose petals uncolored for now, as we'll be adding the embossing paste there.

Now for the fun part! Using the Rose Reverie stencil layers #1, #2, and #3, I'll apply the Altenew Embossing Paste to the petals. The goal here isn't to create a perfectly smooth, flat surface. Instead, I'm using a small palette knife to apply a small amount of paste, concentrating it on the outer edge of each petal.

Next, using a dry watercolor brush (#18), I'll gently push and pull the paste towards the center of the petal, creating soft, directional brush strokes. This gives the paste a gorgeous, textured look, mimicking the delicate veins and soft feel of a real rose petal. I repeat this process, letting each layer dry for about 30-60 minutes before moving to the next stencil layer.

Once all the embossing paste layers are completely dry (I let mine sit overnight!), it's time to add color. I'm bringing back my stencils and using Altenew Fresh Dye Inks to blend over the raised petals. The ink catches on the high points of the texture, creating a beautiful gradient and enhancing the realistic look we've created.

For my first rose, I used Citrus Burst, Mandarin Burst, and Red Jasper. I started with the lightest color at the base of the petal and blended outwards. I repeated this on each stencil layer until the entire flower was colored.

To add one last detail, I used a fine-liner pen (01 weight) to add delicate vein lines to the leaves. This complements the fine, brushed texture on the petals and adds a little more flow and direction to the overall image.

The result is three unique cards with stunningly textured roses.

• Warm Tones: My orange and teal rose cluster is mounted on a dark chocolate cardstock panel, with the edges outlined using a matching artist marker.

• Blush Rose: For a softer look, I used Rose Quartz and Purple Wine inks to create a dreamy mauve blend on Morning Frost cardstock.

• Simple & Elegant: I used Pink Sand to create a subtle gradient on a white rose, making it pop against the Sand Dunes cardstock.

Finally, I added some black and white enamel dots as a finishing touch to each card. I'm so happy with how these turned out! The tactile texture of the embossing paste truly makes these roses feel like they could be plucked right off the page.

If you give this technique a try, be sure to tag me on social media! I'd love to see your textured blooms.