Dragon Dreamer | Sue Plumb

Hi everyone!

Sue Plumb here today with my latest design team project for you. Today I am sharing a page I created my altered book art journal using the Aagar the Emotional (dragon) stamp as a focal point. I have been dying to use this stamp and I figured what better way than to give it an entire page in my journal.

I started my page by giving it a coat of gesso to prime the paper before using some Faber-Castell Gelatos to add colour. I simply scribbled randomly around the page before using a baby wipe to blend the lines out.

Next, I turned my attention to my Aagar the Emotional focal image, which I stamped onto smooth white cardstock before colouring with Faber-Castell watercolour pencils. I then used a water brush to blend the pencil lines out before cutting the image out. Once I had cut around the image, I used the same Gelatos as I had used for the background to colour the small amount of white space around the edges.

Once I had my dragon complete, I followed the same process with the Doodle Frame stamp, and set the pieces aside so I could add them to my page. I also stamped out some hearts with the Scribble Heart stamp, which I also coloured and cut out. 

Next, I turned my attention back to my page. I used the Ethos Shape stamp repeatedly around the page with black ink to add interest to the background before sticking down all the pieces I had prepared.

I used the She Was a Dreamer stamp to add the quote to my page; then Doodle Dots stamp with green ink to add some subtle detail and a Stabilo All pencil to finish off with a bit of shadowing and scribble.

Here's a closer look at the finished page...

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

Stamps used:

- Aagar the Emotional

- Doodle Frame 

- Scribble Heart

- Ethos Shape

- She Was a Dreamer

- Doodle Dots

Other materials:

- Colour Blast white heavy gesso

- Faber-Castell Gelatos

- Tsukineko StazOn ink

- Ranger Archival ink

- Faber-Castell watercolour pencils

- smooth white cardstock

- Stabilo All pencil

"Space Girl" Mail Art | Sue Plumb

Hi VLVS friends!

Sue Plumb here today to share my project for Mail Art Monday. 

I recently held a giveaway on my Sue Plumb Designs Facebook page to celebrate {inter}National Scrapbook Day and needed to post the prize out to the lucky winner. Of course I didn't want to send a boring old box, so I took the opportunity to bust out some mail art and make the package a bit more exciting when it was received.

 I recycled a pizza box I had previously received scrapbooking supplies in so I had some details on the front I had to cover up first; which I did quickly by roughly applying some Colour Blast black heavy gesso with a wide brush. I then cut an 8x8" piece of cardstock to use for my address label and stamped out my design.

I was dying to use one of the Space Girl stamps designed by Katy Paltridge (daughter of Fiona) from the new release plate #1501, and I chose some complimentary stamps to use along with it. I used the word Starbound and also the rows of stars which were both from the astrologically themed new release plate #1500. The final stamp I chose was the Sky of Stars Background, which has been one of my recent favourites on high rotation. 

I then used a selection of Faber-Castell watercolour pencils and a water brush to add some colour to my images. (Using watercolour pencils is one of my favourite colouring methods for stamps - quick, easy, accurate, and I love the look of them.)

Once I had added all the colour, I adhered my label to the box using Miracle Tape and then used a white Sharpie pen to add some detail to give it a "galaxy" type appearance.

Then it was simply a matter of adding the recipient details to my label and sealing over it with clear packaging tape to protect it.

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

Stamps used:

- "Space Girl" from plate #1501
- "Starbound" from plate #1500
- "Rows of stars" from plate #1500

- Sky of Stars Background

Other materials:

- Miracle Tape

- American Crafts white cardstock

- Staz On ink

- Colour Blast black heavy gesso

- Faber-Castell watercolour pencils

 - white Sharpie 

- felt pen

"#EPIC" scrapbook layout | Sue Plumb

Hi everyone!

Sue Plumb here to share my latest design team project; and today I have a mixed media scrapbook layout to show you. This page features a photo of my daughter when she first got her new tablet and her very own version of Minecraft for Christmas. (To say she was excited is an understatement.) 

For my layout, I wanted to create a background that reflected the theme and the colours that were depicted in my photo. I decided to use the Overlapping Squares stamp (designed by Corrie Herriman) and stamp out a pattern on my page that I could then colour to suit.

I used Staz On ink as I knew that I would be using a wet medium and didn't want it to run at all.

I then used Faber-Castell watercolour pencils to add splashes of colour to the squares, before blending the pencil out with a water pen.

Once the squares were coloured, I also used the pencils to add some shading around and between some of them.

Next, I wanted to add some less structured marks to balance out all the hard lines from the squares, so I used the Crackle Background stamp to add some random, organic lines. (I keep my stamps unmounted for exactly this reason - I like to be able to bend them and manipulate them to only use small areas of the stamps surface.)

I then used the It's Only a Hobby stamp to add a few phrases to my background; before using a Colour Blast Colour Shimmer Spray to add some random splatters around my page.

With the background complete, it was time to add some papery layers to my page. I used some patterned paper pieces from Amy Tan; along with some Project Life cards and a paper doily to create a mat for my photo and then adhered it to my page using Miracle Tape.

I added some scrap cardboard to the back of my photo to pop it up from the page; then added the word woohoo (fussy cut from another Project Life card) using foam tape on top.

For my title I used a wood veneer word from D-lish Scraps, which I coloured using Posca pens.

To finish off my page I added a Charms Creations handmade heart embellishment topped with a flair button from D-lish Scraps. 

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

Stamps used:

- Overlapping Squares

- Crackle Background

- It's Only a Hobby

Other materials:

 - Miracle tape

- Cardstock

- Staz On ink

- Faber-Castell watercolour pencils

- Colour Blast Colour Shimmer Spray

- Amy Tan patterned paper

- Project Life cards

- D-lish Scraps wood veneer and flair button

- Charms Creations heart

- paper doily

- Posca pens

- felt pen