"#4PIAP" by Sue Plumb

Hi everyone!

Sue Plumb here to share my latest design team project with you. Today I am sharing a mixed media scrapbook layout that features Colour Artist Inks, Colour Paste and Colour Shimmer Dust. It also features a photo that was taken at a scrapbook retreat last year with some of my favourite people. 

To create my page I began with a sheet of white cardstock, which I brushed from side to side with 'Barley' Colour Artist Ink using a wide brush. (The key to making sure your brush strokes are visible is ensuring your brush is not too wet.)

Over the top of the ink, I added some texture using 'Stormy Weather' Colour Paste and a stencil from Dusty Attic. I applied the paste to three areas on my page, then wiped off the excess paste from my palette knife randomly around.

Once the Colour Paste had dried, I used some stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps to add extra depth to my background.

Once my background was completely dry, I gathered together some papers from Cocoa Vanilla Studio that all featured navy. I cut several pieces in different sizes and shapes, layered them together and secured them with staples before adhering to my page. 

I then turned my attention to the embellishments for my layout, reaching for a pack of paintable Heidi Swapp ephemera. These pieces all feature "resist" details, that is revealed once the pieces are painted. I mixed up some 'Cobalt' Colour Shimmer Dust with a small amount of water and used a small brush to paint each of the pieces. I gave each piece more than one coat to ensure the colour really popped.

Once the ephemera pieces were dry, I added them to my page, along with some Cocoa Vanilla Studio chipboard frames and stickers, before adding my photo on top. I used a small amount of cardboard behind my photo to help pop it up from the page.

I used foam Thickers to add my title to the page.

The final step in my process was to add some splatters of 'Marine' Colour Artist Ink around my page.

I am really happy with how this layout turned out. This is not a colour combination that I would have ordinarily opted to create with, but allowing my palette to be guided by the colours of the photo really did yield a fantastic result.

That's all from me today, I hope I have inspired you to perhaps try a colour combination that might be outside your "normal" choices.

Until next time, happy scrapping! 

'Broken Bones' by Kristy Abela

 Helloooo...Wow first post for Colour Blast today!! I envy the work of so many that have worked on the team and am super flattered to be able to add my name to those ranks. 

I have been scrapping for so long now that I have actually run out of pictures... Yep you know that you have problems when you have no back log of projects... So with the freedom I have now I get to really play with my products. This page is a tribute to my favourite song.. As well as a showcase my fave products...
Yep all Colour Blast.

 I am an earthy girl at heart and the Colour Artist Inks are so versatile for various colour pallets. I started with my go to products.. Wood grain and Script. I put my Heavy White Gesso to work.. to seal the page, as an adhesive, as a top coat and a highlight with my fingers to rub it into the edges of the paper to blend in the edges. 

 I wanted to create some hand made leaf embellishments for my page.  I coloured some watercolour cardstock in two layers. My first layer I dripped some Colour Artist ink in Cider, Rust and Walnut. I added some water and spread it with my brush to fill the page. I sprinkled some Olive Colour Mica Powder across the page for sparkle. 

 Once dried I added a second layer of Colour Artist Ink in Grass and Soot... Ok, maybe a little bit more Olive Colour Mica Powder too..

 I covered the whole sheet in a layer of crackle paste..

 Boom!! 

 I used Ranger as I have found that it is the best when drying with a heat tool. Often the instructions are to leave it overnight.. Too impatient for that! 

 I ran it through the die cutter... It was thicker in some parts and I ended up trimming through the thicker bits with scissors. It was worth it. Check out the texture and shimmer in those leaves. They remind me of Eucalyptus..

Now for the background... I used a Kaisercraft stamp (Marble) to create some variation in the background. I added some drops of Colour Artist Ink Soot to the page and with my wet wipe I began to age the background. I repeated the process with Colour Artist Ink Walnut.

   I collected my Embellishments together to cluster. I coloured a plain non-textured piece of cardstock with Colour Artist Inks Walnut, Cider and Rust to run through the Cuttlebug to create the script. 

After this I dry brushed some Heavy White Gesso back over the page to bring out the texture that the paper piecing created to really give the effect of a weathered wall.

  My favourite part of this whole layout was playing with Michelle Grants' new stencil Large Owl. The wide lines have given me so much yummy texture. I used some home made modeling paste that I made up with my Heavy White Gesso and added some Colour Artist Ink Soot to make a charcoal colour. I rubbed a little bit of crayon onto the leaves... but wait there's more!! 

Can you see the shimmer? I used my Clear Shimmer Brush Marker and was SO impressed with the effect. I later did a comparison with "other" brands who offer similar products. Hands down Colour Blast have nailed this product!

Thanks for checking out my page! 

Looking forward to seeing you again soon!

Pink Clouds by Suzanne Franin

Hey Everyone Suzanne here

This is my first post for Colour Blast and I had so much fun playing with the products

I started with a small canvas that I had prepared with White Heavy Gesso  and I also used it on my chipboard

Then I used some Colour Paste in Fire Engine

I spread it across the canvas with a spatular making it look random thicker in some parts and making sure to do the edges of the canvas

While this was drying I used some

Colour Shimmer Dust Sunflower and Amber on a Memory Maze chipboard Flourish and mini Dream Catcher 

I mixed a little of the two together to try and get the orange colour to match the sky line

In the end I didn't use the Dream Catcher so that will be used another time 

I used Colour Paste Blush through a stencil and the left over mix of  the Colour Shimmer Dusts I let dribble over the canvas once the stencilled areas had dried 

So I wanted to add a touch of blue as there is a little bit in the sky 

I used the Colour Mica Powder Polar on a doily by stamping with the versa mark ink then brushing over the top with the Polar - the versa mark helps it stay as it has a glue like effect

The stamp is from Memory Maze

I also used the Polar  Colour Mica Powder on a paper clay flower and a metal embellishment which I also added versa mark too 

I added a coat of Helmar Crystal Kote Fixative which helps the Colour Mica Powders from coming off your projects when you don't add them to a binder like Gesso or gel medium type products

Here you can see I added some small glass beads, I love using those or micro beads just for added texture and dimension 

Here are close up's of the metal and the paper clay flower I used the Polar Colour Mica Powder on, it's so pretty and shimmery

I also added some Bling Colour Paste to the edges of the white flowers for some bling (this is one of my favourite paste colours of all I use it on everything) 

I used some Flutterby Design White tiny sticky quotes I use these a lot too, these ones seemed perfect for the photo I used 

I like to try and find inspirational words to add to my projects 

These two photos show the dimension that the paste gives through the stencil and also the layers I have on my canvas

Well that's it from me I hope you enjoyed my project as much as I did making it 

Thank you and I hope you will come back again xx

Smile by Ros Aggett-Madley

Hello (big, big wave) from me.  I'm very excited to have joined the Colour Blast team and super excited to share with you my first project.

My page today features Colour Embossing Powder.

That's it, nothing else.

I thought I might share a few different techniques that you may never have tried or maybe just not used for a while.

The title on my layout was done first.  I have laid down a whole heap of  Envy Colour Embossing Powder on the the bottom corner of my page.  Nothing else is needed for this, the melting of the powder will adhere it to your page.

Because there's a whole heap there, not being held by anything, you need to heat the powder until melted by holding your heat tool under your page.  Moving it slowly until all melty and liquid.  Whilst the powder is still hot, press your stamp into the melted powder and hold down firmly for about 30 seconds.

You can't muck this up.  If it's not how you wanted it, reheat and melt it again until all the impression has gone and stamp again.

I used a clear polymer stamp but have seen this technique also done with red rubber.

You may notice that your page buckles a little when the Colour Embossing Powder is set.  I just very lightly warmed the powder from underneath again, being very careful not to melt the impression, and straightened my page out that way.

If you try and smooth it out when it's set, it cracks.

Lesson learnt.

I have place a long piece of chipboard on my layout.  I again used the Envy Embossing Powder.  This time I've stamped my chipboard piece with some embossing ink and then sprinkled over the Colour Embossing Powder.

Once melted with my heat tool, I have repeated this another 2 times.

I love my chipboard pieces to have a really thick, lush look so will normally emboss with 3 layers of powder.

I wanted to use some stamping as another feature on my page.  This was done by stamping some embossing fluid on a piece of vellum, heating and then fussy cutting.

My page is all about the Envy Embossing Powder and I knew that when I put it all together, it would still be lacking a little something.  

Another awesome thing about embossing powder, is the way you can pimp up your embellishments.

I've taken some old pearls out of my stash, stamped over the top of them with an embossing fluid stamp pad and covered in embossing powder. 

This ones a little messy to do but gives you perfect goodies for you layouts.

All done with gorgeous Envy Embossing Powder

Hope you've been inspired.