"Too Glam" art journal spread by Sue Plumb

Hi everyone!

Sue Plumb here with my latest design team project with you. Today I am sharing a colourful art journal spread I created in my altered book journal using Colour Artist Inks, Colour Pastes and a Colour Shimmer Brush Marker. 

Here's a look at the entire spread...

And now for my process...

I began by priming my page using White Heavy Gesso. I used an old gift card to spread it to ensure a thin, even coat. I didn't want it too thick, as I still wanted some of the text to be visible.

Next, I began adding colour to my pages using Colour Artist Inks. I chose Berry, Bordeaux, and Slipper as my colour palette - all shades of pink / purple. I used a small, round brush to apply the ink, starting with Berry around the outer edge, then moving to the lighter Bordeaux inside it.

I then dried the two colours off with a heat gun before going in with the Slipper ink to add some extra colour along the very outer edge and in a few spots over the top of the Berry ink. 

Once all the inks were dry, it was time to add some features and dimension to my page. I used the 'Dream of Palms' stencil from StencilGirl; which I paired with Deep Water Colour Paste. I applied a thin layer of paste through the stencil in the top right corner of my page, before flipping the stencil over and applying more paste on the left side. 

I then moved onto adding the focal point for my page. I cut out a flamingo from a printed paper napkin and adhered it onto the page using a gel matte medium. I also tore up some other pieces featuring flowers and leaves and collaged them onto the page as well. The quote was cut from a card from Flutterby Designs, and I thought it was a perfect sentiment to use for a flamingo! 

To add a little extra texture and colour I then swiped some Lovely Lilac Colour Paste over a few random areas of my page with a narrow palette knife.

Next, I wanted to add some contrast and a little extra sparkle, so I used a Gold Colour Shimmer Brush Marker to add some highlights through the branches of the palm trees and on top of some of the collaged pieces. Sometimes it's hard to capture just how gorgeous the sparkle is in photos (especially when you are taking shots and the sun won't come out to help you!)

I decided my focal image needed a little something extra to help it pop and stand out from the page, so I used my Stabilo All pencil to add some shadowing to the outline. Once I had drawn it in, I blended it out with a water brush.

To finish off my page I decided to add some splatter using Cider Colour Artist Ink. I simply dipped a small, stiff bristle brush into the bottle and then tapped the ink off around the page.

You can see how the Cider ink brought extra warmth to the page and helped to tie in the gold from the Colour Shimmer Brush Brush Marker...

Here's a closer look at the finished page, so you can better see the colours and texture...

I love all the layers at play here...

That's all from me today; and as it will be the last time I post here for 2018, I would like to take the opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and safe new year. Thank you to everyone for your kind words and support for my work throughout the year, it really is very much appreciated.
Until next year, happy creating!

Stay Fierce by Sue Plumb

Hi everyone!

Happy hump day! It's Sue Plumb here to share my latest Colour Blast design team project with you. Today I am sharing a mixed media piece I created using Colour Artist Inks and Colour Paste. For this post I decided to re-visit a project style I have created previously, but this time I mixed it up a bit by changing some of my materials and altering my process steps. 

First, here's a look at my completed piece...

And now to my process...

I started this project with a page torn from a large, glossy wedding magazine that I picked up at an op shop. I have never created one of these girls on gloss paper before, so thought I would give it a go. I deliberately didn't use any gesso on the paper as I wanted to as I wanted to see how the Colour Artist Inks behaved on a different substrate. 

I stuck with a range of warm colours - Citrus, Sunburnt,Cranberry, Slipper and Cider. To apply, I simply dropped the ink randomly onto the page from the dropper, then spread using a brush. I then set it aside to dry. When I returned I noticed that the inks had dried a bit lighter than they would usually, obviously from reacting with the gloss paper - and I loved the effect!

Once the background colour was in place, it was time to add my focal image. I used a fabulous face stencil from StencilGirl that was designed by Andrea Matus deMeng, and I simply used Staz On ink and a sponge to apply it. I then used a Sharpie to fill in the small gaps left from the stencil in the hair and along the edges of the face.

Next, I added a few torn pieces of paper. This paper was from Flutterby Designs and featured a mixed media design. I wanted to use the paper over the top of parts of the stencilled design to push the face back into my design by building over the top of it. (This is different from my usual process, when I usually have the face more in the foreground; but as this face was larger and quite bold I wanted to soften it a bit.)

The next step was to add some stamping using rubber stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps. The purpose of the stamping was to add depth and interest to my layers.

I followed this with some contrasting colour detail using Oasis Colour Artist Ink applied with a small brush directly from the bottle. (When doing this, you need to remember that the colour will blend a bit with the colour underneath, so make sure you use colours that will work together.)

Then it was time to add some texture. I used a stencil from Flutterby Designs, along with Lovely Lilac Colour Paste. Using lilac gave me a good bridge between the warm and cool colours, and also helped to blend the lilac colour that was on the paper pieces I had used.

After the Colour Paste, I went in with a white Posca pen and added white highlights to the eyes, lips and bridge of the nose; as well as some other defining detail around the face.

With all the structure in place, it was time to add my focal words. These were fussy cut from a Flutterby Designs card; attached with a liquid adhesive, then stapled to add extra detail. I also used some Flutterby phrase stickers.

For the final details on my piece, I used a Stabilo All pencil to add some scribbles to help highlight the words and add a bit of a border; then used Slipper Colour Artist Ink and a small brush to add some splatters over the top.

When you look closely you can see all the layers at play, and despite its simplicity at first glance, it demonstrates how much depth this piece really has. I will be popping this one into a frame for sure!

Thanks so much for stopping by today so I could share this with you. I hope I have inspired you to try something similar using your Colour Blast supplies. (If you don't have a face stencil, make sure you check out the Michelle Grant designed ones available in the Colour Blast store HERE or you could even try using a magazine image.)

If I have inspired you to create something similar, I would love to see it! Make sure you share it in the Colour Blast Creative Corner on Facebook or tag me on Instagram - @sue.plumb

Until next time, happy creating! 

"Take Me There" Art Journal Spread by Sue Plumb

Hi everyone!

Sue Plumb here to share my latest design team project with you. Today I am sharing a fun spread in my altered book art journal using Colour Artist Inks and Colour Paste. This page was inspired by the image of the hand holding the cocktail glass (those that know me, know how much I love a cocktail!); that I cut from a magazine advertisement. 

To create my page I began by roughly smearing some white heavy gesso across the book pages using an old gift card. I didn't go all the way to the edges of the pages, or worry about complete coverage as I wanted to show some of the original book paper.

I then added some colour to my pages using Oasis Colour Artist Ink, which I brushed on and then used a little extra water to move it around before using my heat gun to dry it off.

Once I had the base ink colour down, I wanted to add some contrast and texture using Fire Engine Colour Paste and a stencil from Flutterby Designs. I applied the paste through the stencil using a palette knife in 3 small areas close to the edges of the page; creating a "visual triangle" around where my focal image and words were going to be placed.

Once I looked at the red paste against the blue ink, I decided that it the contrast was too great, and I needed another colour to bring the two together. The obvious choice was a colour that met somewhere in the middle, so I looked for a shade of purple and chose Berry Colour Artist Ink. Again, I used a brush to apply the ink, dabbing it over and around the areas where the paste was to tie the colours together.

Once I had dried the background off, I added the large focal image that I had fussy cut from a magazine; along with the take me there quote that I had fussy cut from a Flutterby Designs Everyday Etc card; a Flutterby Designs sticker and a line of text from a magazine. I also added the fish and the (upside down) flower to the glass; then used a Stabilo All pencil to outline them all, before blending it with a water brush.

To finish my page I added some white highlights using a paint pen; some stamping using a roller phrase stamp and the Doodle Dots stamp from Viva Las VegaStamps. 

And last but not least, a single sweet little heart sticker.

That's all from me today, thanks for stopping by so I could share this with you. If you are an art journaler (or even if you aren't...yet); I would encourage you to keep an eye out everywhere for items you can use in your journal. (I keep a folder specifically for collecting things of interest that I find.)

Until next time, happy scrapping!

"Even the Prettiest" Art Journal Spread by Sue Plumb

Hi everyone!

Sue Plumb here with my latest design team project, and today I have another spread in my altered book art journal to share. (I did warn you there would be more!) For this spread, I again reached for my favourite product - Colour Artist Inks, along with white heavy gesso and Colour Paste. I just love the colour and vibrancy of these inks!

Here's a look at the full spread...

As you can see, I used a super pretty blue / pink / purple colour palette; and a variety of techniques including watercolour, stencilling, layering, collage, and stamping to achieve my result. (Which I love!) I will take you through my full step-by-step process so you will be able to try it too - bear with me, as I have lots of photos to share.

I started by laying down a coat of white heavy gesso on my pages. This primed my pages and ensured they were ready for the mediums I was going to apply. I used an old gift card to scrape the gesso across the paper which ensured a thin, even coat. (I didn't want the gesso too thick, as I still wanted to be able to see the book text underneath.)

Next, it was time to apply some colour using 'Oasis' and 'Slipper' Colour Artist Inks. I started with the 'Oasis' and simply brushed the inks onto random areas of my page, using extra water to help move the ink around. Once I was happy with the coverage, I dried it off using a heat gun. (That is how I achieved the "water lines" you can see in the ink. If you prefer a softer look, leave the inks to air dry.)

Once the 'Oasis' had dried, I simply repeated the process with the 'Slipper' ink; using it to fill the gaps I had left earlier, whilst also layering it over the blue in some places. (Again, I achieved the strong "water line" effect by drying with a heat gun.)

Next, it was time to add some layers! I used the fabulous 'Deconstructed Floral Bouquet' stencil from StencilGirl, along with black Staz On ink and a sponge to apply some floral details to several areas of my page. (I love the way this technique adds a layer, but still allows the layers underneath to show through.)

Once the stencilling was complete I then decided where my focal image and quote were going to be placed, then used my finger to apply some white heavy gesso to each area. (Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty - fingers really do make the best brushes!)

I then added my feature quote (which was from the Flutterby Designs 'We Run the World' collection); along with some Flutterby Designs phrase stickers and my focal image (which was cut from a magazine). As the theme of my page was about being flawed, I took the opportunity to "modify" my image by cutting off one of the model's arms, and by rubbing back the paper on one side of her face.

At this point, my page was looking like this...

It was now time to start adding some texture. I hit on the idea of using up a (very) old supply I had lurking in my cupboard - flat paper flowers. I used many of these when I first began scrapping all those years ago, but they have laid dormant and unused in my cupboard for a long time; so I thought this would be a good way to use some of them up.
I used the "visual triangle" principle of design ad stuck them in 3 clusters on my page using a multi matte medium. (I brushed the flowers down as flat as I could and layered them together.)

After the flowers were applied I decided my page need a little extra "something", so I used 'Lovely Lilac' Colour Paste to add a small smear to the centre of the flowers using a thin palette knife, and then I also added some random smears around my page with the excess.

To help my focal image and quote stand out a little more from the background, I used a water brush filled with 'Soot" Colour Artist Ink to add some shadowing around the outside of them. I also used a correction pen to add some white highlights to my flower petals.

To finish off my page I used my 'Doodle Dots' stamp from Viva Las VegaStamps to add a little stamping to a few areas of my page.

And with that, my page was done! I hope you have enjoyed seeing my entire process and that it might inspire you to try recreating your own version of it.

Here's a couple close up shots of the finished spread...

Thanks for stopping by so I could share this with you. 
If you ever have any questions about the products I have used in my projects or my process, you can either leave a comment on my post, or pop over to the Colour Blast Creative Corner group on Facebook and ask there - I am always happy to help.
Until next time, happy scrapping!