Bloom by Elisa Ablett

Hi Crafters,

Merry Christmas to you and your families, hope you all have a wonderful Christmas day and holidays.

Now hopefully you all will have a few moments to yourself today, so grab a cuppa and have a look at the layout I created for today's blogpost. To be different, it's not a Christmas layout! 

A very bright and vibrant, spring inspired layout featuring a photo I took myself at our local botanical garden, practicing with my new camera.

Let's get started on the tutorial!

Step 1 - I used a paint palette tray and added a small bit of Paris and Lush Colour Shimmer Dust to water, spray your page with water first and then add Paris Colour Shimmer Dust activated with water to your page with a paint brush. Once dry add a second layer of Lush Colour Shimmer Dust colour to your page. Let the colours swirl around in the water on your page to create a lovely pattern. Let dry, then add splatters of Rainforest  Colour Spray.

Step 2 - Die cut leaves from white water colour paper or mixed media paper and cover your chipboard title in gesso.

Step 3 - Add a small amount of Paris, Lush, Lollipop Colour Shimmer Dust to a paint palette tray and add a small amount of water to each colour. Spray your die cut leaves with water and then using a paint brush add small amounts of Lush and Paris Dusts to the wet leaves from the stem. Then splatter your gesso'd title with drops of Paris, Lush and Lollipop Colour Shimmer Dusts and also a few Splatters of Rose Petal  Colour Shimmer Spray. See below photo.

Step 4 - When your background is dry add a small amount of Bling  Colour Paste to your page using a stencil and a palette knife, I added the paste to the areas where my flowers are going to sit.

Step 5 -  Stamp your desired flower stamp onto smooth watercolour paper using archival ink, I like to use Versafine Black Ink. Add a small amount of Lollipop and Candy Colour Shimmer Dust to a paint palette tray with a small amount of water and a nice thin paintbrush. Spray your flower with water and then add a small amount of the Lollipop colour to the centre of your flower drawing the colour out to the outer edges of your flower with your brush. The outer edges should be lighter in colour, keeping the intense colour for the inside of the flower.

Step 6 - While still wet, add your second darker colour to the centre of the flower drawing out to the edges of your flower petals. I used Candy Colour Shimmer Dust

Step 7 - Add a few drops of clean water to the centre of the flower and then using a dry paintbrush, dip it directly into your Lollipop Colour Shimmer Dust and add the crystals to the centre of the flower and watch the magic happen!! great patterns and colours.

Step 9 - Repeat and Repeat again ! I also added small touches of leftover Paris Colour Shimmer Dust to the stamens of the flower and outer edges of the petals. Once dry I used a White Gel Pen and added touches of white to the edges and stamens, just for a cleaner crisper look. Once Dry fussy cut the flowers out.

Next Steps - Add your title across the page by glueing it down, then add your photo (matted with white and inked around the edges) to the top of the title on the right hand side. Add your flowers and die cut leaves, I 3D mounted a few of them to frame my photo. I also then added a touch of stamping (grid stamp) and a few spring inspired rubons to complete the look.

Here are some close ups of the finished layout! 

You can vary this design to suit your taste by changing the stamp to say a 'Poinsettia' and a Christmas colour scheme.. 

Well that's it from me today, I hope you all have a fantastic holiday and perhaps even a few scrapping goodies under the Christmas tree.

Make sure you leave me some love in the comments below...

Elisa xx