"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!

"Say Yes to New Adventures" by Sue Plumb

Hi everyone!

Sue Plumb here to share my latest design team project with you. Today I am sharing a fun, whimsical style art journal spread I created in my altered book journal using an old favourite product - Colour Shimmer Cubes; along with Colour Paste, and some of the new release stamps and stencils designed by Michelle Grant.

Unfortunately, the Colour Shimmer Cubes are now a retired product (although you may still find them available from selected retailers); but there are still many of you with them in your stash and they need to be used! If you don't have any cubes, you could still create a project such as this using an alternative product, such as Colour Shimmer Dust, Colour Shimmer Spray or even Colour Artist Inks.

Now, onto my process.

I began my spread by adding a coat of white heavy gesso to my pages using a brush. I chose to use a brush this time as I wasn't concerned about getting a thin, even coverage. If I was working on a scrapbook layout I would usually apply it with an old gift card, but I am less fussy in my journal, so a brush it was.

Whilst the gesso was drying, I chose the Colour Shimmer Cubes I wanted to use and gave the surface of each one a spray of water, then set them aside for a few minutes to moisten. I then grabbed a medium rounded brush and a cup of water and began applying my first colour - 'Sunshine', using a dabbing motion. As I applied the watercolour, I kept dipping my brush into the water to ensure that it was nice and wet going onto the page, allowing me to move the paint around.

After I had the Sunshine on the page, I then repeated the process with 'Singin' the Blues'; 'Envy' and finally, 'Lipstick'. (It is important to remember that the shimmer cubes, like all watercolour paints, will re-activate each time they are wet, so take care when applying one colour over another to ensure you don't make "mud".)

After I had all the colours dried, I decided that a couple of areas weren't quite as vibrant as I would have liked, so I added a little extra colour over the top before drying again.

The next step was to apply some stamping, so I reached for the new August release Colour Blast stamp set and used some of the stamps to add extra interest to my page.

After the stamping was complete, it was time for some texture and shine. The gorgeous golden 'Bling' Colour Paste fit the bill perfectly, and I used it with another of the August new release products -  a stencil. I used the dot section of the stencil along the top portion of my page, applying the paste using a palette knife, and then wiping off the excess paste randomly along the bottom edge of my pages.

I then added the focal points of my spread - some digital collage elements sourced from Mischief Circus that I had printed out and fussy cut. I used a liquid adhesive to adhere them to the page.

At this point my collage pieces were looking a little flat on the page and were in need of something to give them some depth and to help them pop. The answer? My trusty Stabilo All pencil. I added a rough outline around each of the pieces and then  used a water brush to blend the lines out. (These pencils are water soluble.) I also used the pencil to add some outlines to the stamped stars, some small crosses, and a few random scribbles. (I left these lines untouched though.)

Now my all my spread needed was some text. Enter yet another new August release Colour Blast stencil - this one with a fabulous quote. I used a permanent ink and a sponge dauber to apply the ink through the stencil. (Confession time - I actually changed my mind after I took this photo and began sponging the title and switched to black ink.)

To finish off, I used a fine white paint pen to add some detail to the inked letters.

Let's take a closer look at the details...

Adding the shadows around the outlines of the collage pieces makes a big difference in helping to bring them to the foreground.

Close up you can see the different layers and how they all work together to give depth to the page.

Wiping off the excess Colour Paste from the palette knife roughly onto the page gives a great textured result. And look at that pretty shine too! 

And who doesn't love a bit of bling, right?

Thanks for stopping by today so I could share this with you. If you have some Colour Shimmer Cubes in your stash I hope I have inspired you to get them out and use them. If not, why not try creating a similar style project with an alternative Colour Blast product?

I will be back again in a couple of weeks with another project to share. Until then, happy scrapping!

"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!