Watercolour Bookmarks | Sue Plumb

Hi everyone! 

Sue Plumb here today to share my latest design team project with you. I have been inspired by some of the fabulous tags that some of the team have produced lately and wanted to try my hand at something similar. Being the practical Virgo I am though, I really wanted them to have a purpose, so I decided to make some new bookmarks for my daughter. (She reads constantly and is always losing her bookmarks.)

I wanted to create something colourful (she loves colour) and also something that was a little bit quirky, but also with positive theme for her.

I started by cutting some white cardstock into pieces measuring 2.5x7"; then stamped the background patterns on using Staz On ink.

The stamps I used for my three backgrounds were:

- Doodle Dots

- Crackle Background

- Sky of Stars Background

- Star Sliding

Once I had the backgrounds stamped I added the watercolour using Colour Blast Colour Shimmer Dust, which I mixed with water and applied simply with a brush. (I used the colours Paris; Peacock; and Velvet.) I then set them aside to dry while I moved onto the focal images.

I used some of the left over cardstock and Staz On ink to stamp out the images that were to be the focal points.

The three stamps I used were: 

- Whimsical Tribal Face

- Striped Leggings

- Whimsical Star Girl in Frame

I used Faber-Castell watercolour pencils to apply colour to each of the images, which I then blended out using a water brush before cutting them out

I then chose 3 quotes to add to each bookmark:

- You are beautiful

- Let Fear Be by Cat Kerr

- She was a dreamer

I stamped them onto cardstock; cut them out; then blended a small amount of watercolour pencil over the top. I then used Miracle Tape to stick the images and quotes onto my backgrounds before putting them into a laminating pouch and running them through the laminator.

Once they were laminated, I cut around each of the bookmarks. I used a hole punch to add a hole to the top of the blue one before tying a small tassle to it with twine.

My daughter was THRILLED with her new bookmarks, so I think there will be more of them being made at some stage. (I think these would make great little thank you gifts / teacher presents / party favours for older children - anyone who loves to read, really!)  

Thanks for stopping by so I could share this with you. I hope I have inspired you to get inky too!

Stamps used: 

- Doodle Dots

- Crackle Background

- Sky of Stars Background

- Star Sliding

- Whimsical Tribal Face

- Striped Leggings

- Whimsical Star Girl in Frame

- You are beautiful

- Let Fear Be by Cat Kerr

- She was a dreamer

Other materials:

- cardstock

- Staz On ink

- Colour Blast Colour Shimmer Dust

- Faber-Castell watercolour pencils

- Miracle Tape

- laminating pouch

- cotton tassle

- twine

**Note: the book pictured is called "Nevermoor" by a wonderful Australian author called Jessica Townsend who lives locally to me. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has children that are Harry Potter fans, my daughter loved it**

"Foo Fighters" scrapbook page | Sue Plumb

Hi everyone!

It's Sue Plumb here to share my latest design team project with you. Today I have a mixed media scrapbook layout I created featuring a recent photo of my daughter and I when we went to the Foo Fighters concert. (To say she is my mini me is probably an understatement! haha)

To create this layout I first started by stamping out a custom background on some white cardstock. I used a variety of my favourite stamps:

- Squiggly Star Collage

- Sky of Stars Background

- Texture Background

- Star Sliding

Once I had all the stamping done and I was happy with the way it was looking, it was time to add some colour. I used Colour Shimmer Cube watercolour paints from Colour Blast and just painted a few metallic colours randomly around the page; before applying some gold Colour Paste (also from Colour Blast) with a small palette knife.

Once I had all the mediums dry, I created a layered mat for my photo using a variety of collage materials - sheet music; paper doily; punchinella; paper bag; tissue paper and frayed gauze. I held all my layers together with a couple of staples before adding my photo mounted on top.

Once the photo was in place, I added my title alongside it. I used the this one time at chipboard title from Kinder Kreations; along with some small black alpha stickers from Flutterby Designs. To draw attention to my photo, I also added a handmade denim and hessian chevron embellishment from Charms Creations.

The small phrase stickers I used around my page were also from Flutterby Designs.

To finish off my page, I added a few splatters of Colour Blast 'Sienna' Colour Shimmer Spray, which is a beautiful copper colour.

Thanks for stopping by today so I could share this with you. I hope I have inspired you to get inky!

Stamps used:

Squiggly Star Collage
Sky of Stars Background
Texture Background
Star Sliding

Other materials:
cardstock
Staz On ink
Colour Blast Colour Shimmer Cubes (Stormy Weather; Sienna; Leather)
Colour Blast Colour Paste (Bling)
Colour Shimmer Spray (Sienna)
Flutterby Designs alphas and stickers
Charms Creations chevron embellishment
Kinder Kreations chipboard title
assorted collage materials (see post above)

"Born to be Wild" scrapbook page | Sue Plumb

Hi everyone!

It's Sue Plumb here kicking off my first post as an official design team member for Viva Las VegaStamps. (I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to say that!)

So I thought I would start with what I do best - a mixed media scrapbook layout. I even used a fun SnapChat selfie, so you can see who you are putting up with for the next 6 months...hehe

To create this page, I started by laying down my background colour onto my cardstock using  Colour Blast Colour Artist Inks. I first spritzed the cardstock with water, then used a small brush to apply the inks and a little more water to move the colours around, before drying it with a heat gun.

Once dry, I decided I wanted more hard water lines; so I went back and applied more ink & water to my focal area; as well as some splatters with a small, stiff brush; before again drying with the heat gun. 

Next, it was time to add some depth to my background. I used Staz On ink along with a couple of my favourite mark making stamps to add structure to my focal area:

- Row of Distressed Lines

- Punchinella / Sequin Waste Border

I also stamped a few quotes randomly around my page:

- Add a Little Whimsy

Next, I turned my attention to the focal piece of my page. I fussy cut my photo away from the background; and I also cut out two rabbit images I had previously stamped onto tissue paper to use on either side:

- Creepy Rabbit by Tera Callihan

I adhered them all to a piece of cardstock using a matte medium, before cutting around them, leaving a white border. (You will note the tissue paper simply disappears into the background using this technique.)

To add a bit of colour to my gorgeous creepy little rabbits, I used Faber-Castell watercolour pencils, which I applied roughly, before blending them out with a water pen. Once coloured, I mounted my photo up on some cardboard to raise it from the background and then moved on to putting the page together.

Underneath where my photo was going to be placed, I added a die cut glitter frame, that I had cut in half; along with some messy purple thread.

I then added a few torn pieces of washi tape to my background, and also tucked a piece of paper doily in behind my photo before sticking it down.

I used a chipboard title from Kinder Kreations, which I coloured simply with black ink.

I then stamped some scattered stars using purple ink:

- Star Sliding 

To finish my page I added a wood veneer arrow (also inked black) to the left of my photo.

And to the right of my photo, I added a cute handmade rabbit embellishment from Charms Creations.

Thanks for stopping by so I could share this - I hope I have inspired you to get inky today!

Stamps used:

- Row of Distressed Lines

- Punchinella / Sequin Waste Border

-  Add a Little Whimsy

- Creepy Rabbit by Tera Callihan

-  Star Sliding 

Other materials:

- Colour Blast Colour Artist Inks

- Staz On ink

- Studio Calico ink

- Kinder Kreations chipboard title

- Charms Creations rabbit embellishment

- Cocoa Vanilla Studio wood veneer arrow

- washi tape

- die cut glitter frame and arrow

- cotton thread