Right Here | Colour Blast

Hi everyone!

Sue Plumb here to share my latest Colour Blast design team project with you. Today I have a mixed media scrapbook layout to share that I created using my very favourite Colour Blast product - Colour Artist Inks. I just love the bright, vibrant colours of the inks which were perfect for pairing with this photo of my boys with their friend. 

I began my page with a sheet of heavy weight white cardstock and a couple of Colour Shimmer Cubes - Blush and Apple Of My Eye. I wanted to create a simple watercolour background using a couple of contrasting colours.

(Unfortunately the Colour Shimmer Cubes have now been discontinued, but I am sure there are many of you who still have them in your stash waiting to be used. As an alternative, you could use Colour Shimmer Sprays in the same colours applied with a brush.)

To use the cubes, I first sprayed the surface liberally with some water, then left them to moisten for a few minutes. I then used a round brush to apply the colors over my background, starting with Blush applied to a few random areas, then moving onto Apple Of My Eye to fill in the gaps. I used extra water to keep the cube surface wet, and used a clean, wet brush to help the colours move around the page. 

It is important to ensure the pink is dry before moving onto the green, and take care not to overlap them, as this product is a watercolour and WILL reactivate (and pink + green = mud)

Once the shimmer cubes had dried, it was time to start applying some vibrant colour using the Colour Artist Inks. (As the inks are flat colours, I planned to overlap the shimmery colours from the cubes to reactivate them and supply some extra sparkle.) 

I started with Oasis, Cider and Slipper; and simply applied the ink like a watercolour paint using a small round brush. I dipped my brush into the water a couple of times as well, just to add some extra moisture to the page and help the inks move more. I applied each colour one at a time, tipping the page up vertically to create small colour runs, before drying it off. 

I then went back with more Colour Artist Inks (Citrus and Spice) to layer some extra colour over the top. I followed the same process as with the previous colours, tilting the page to create small runs and drying between colours. 

The next step in my process was to add some depth to my page with some stamping. I used the 'Sky of Stars' background stamp from Viva Las VegaStamps, along with black StazOn ink.

At this point I wanted to add some subtle texture to my page, and I also wanted to tie in the subtle green colour I had began my page with; so I used Apple Of My Eye Colour Paste, along with a stencil to add some whimsical style tree branches. (You can see the difference in the paste colour in the process shots between the wet vs dry product - it's much deeper and shimmery!)

After the paste had dried, I wanted to define the focal area of my page, so I added some black spotted tissue paper and some torn pieces of washi tape. I used a small amount of gel matte medium to apply the tissue, and I love the way the paper then "disappears" into the background, just leaving the pattern visible. 

Now it was time for some papery layers. I wanted something bright to match my bright inks and photo, and I found some old Amy Tan papers in my stash that worked perfectly. I also added a couple of coloured paper doilies, a tag tied with twine and some left over pieces of a heart cut file. I secured all my layers in place using a stapler. 

To finish off my page I adhered my photo, a small journalling tag, and a few pieces from the coordinating die cut ephemera pack. 

I then added some small splatters of Calypso Colour Artist Ink. (I know that I usually reach for Soot, but I felt black would be too harsh in this case.)

You can see in the close up how the layers of colour work on top of each other to give the background depth.

I love how the small runs of inky colour extend out below the paper layers.

I couldn't resist but include the cute little acetate pineapple on this page (I had been hoarding it for FAR too long!)

That's all from me today. I hope I have inspired you to get creative - maybe play with some bright colours or pull out some inks and try an easy background like this too?

Until next time, happy scrapping! X