Two ways with watercolour powders

Ken Oliver Color Burst, Lindy's Magicals, Color Crush Powders, Brusho Crystals. They're all so much fun!

Hello everybody, it's Donna here and today I have two cards that use these powders as an integral part of the design. 

Firstly, I used the crystals to colour some watercolour paper. I used Colour crush powders in Misty Lilac, Glacier Blue and Spearmint, and just a tiny bit of Color Burst Indigo and Brusho Sea Green.

I sprinkled the tiniest amount of each of these (except the Spearmint which was lighter, so I used more of this one) onto a dry piece of watercolour paper, and then lightly misted it with water. I used enough water to get the colours to move around, but not so much that it all blended and looked like regular watercolour paint. Once it was dry, I used a butterfly die to cut out the butterflies and their bodies. These would make such a lovely accent on a scrapbooking page.

The butterflies have been attached with some strong glue in the middle, so that the wings can fly free. This will be a card that I hand directly to a friend, and not put through the post, as it will get flattened in the mail. You can see the dimension in the close up shot.

The sentiment was stamped in Versamark ink and heat embossed in white. I love how the powders separate into their component colours, and you get so many different variations from the one powder, as shown in the photo below.

 Next, I used Color Burst Powders in Merlot, Tangerine and Violet to create another background piece. This time I left it intact. I used some of the papers from the April 2017 Crop Kit, and fussy cut them out. The card was a little busy as it was, so I lay the fussy cut pieces on white paper and cut them out again, leaving a second white border. That was what was needed to let the images pop off the page. The sentiment is from my stash.

Here's a closer look at the way the powders react with water. You can see the tiny dots of colour where there wasn't much water at all, and he larger blobs and more pastel background where more water hit the powder. You can't control these powders 100% which is what gives them such a lovely organic look. Watercolour paper gives the best results, as it allows the pigment to sit on top of the paper and run and blend.

I hope you've been inspired to grab out some powders and enjoy playing with them. I've had a (colour) Blast!!!

If you are interested in seeing more of my cards, feel free to have a look at my Instagram, where I've used these powders for other cards too, including a very vibrant orange!

Until next time, may your days be full of colour!

Blessings, 

Donna

'Dreams' and 'Happiness' by Sarah Rosse

Hello Shop and Croppers, Sarah here with two layouts using more of the Kaisercraft Indigo Skies Collection. This first layout I have called 'Dreams' - it pictures my oldest son in three of our favorite outfits when he was younger. The layout however highlights some key messages that I'd like him to take on his life journey. This collection is in the April Kaisercraft kit which can be purchased in store by clicking here. This can be purchased as part of a kit subscription or as a once off purchase.

The base of this layout uses the Indigo Skies 'Misty' patterned paper. I have used a stencil from my stash with Dylusions 'After Midnight' paint and Brushos to create the background. Brusho Crystal Colours are amazingly versatile watercolor ink crystals that can be used in a myriad of different ways. Sprinkle them directly on a wet substrate and watch intriguing organic patterns appear almost like magic. Or sprinkle Brusho Colours on a wet brush, painting knife, or texture tool to create a variety of gorgeous effects. Another alternative to this is the Ken Oliver Colour Burst powders or the new Lindy's Stamp Gang magical shakers.

The frames on the layout are from the Indigo Skies emphemera pack and the sentiments are from the Indigo Skies sticker sheet. Lets take a close look at the sentiments and the lovely colour on the page.

For the second layout today, I have called this 'Happiness'. I love this photo of my youngest son sitting and watching his dad work on his beloved car. The 'love' reference in this layout however is directed at the love my husband has for his car. Whilst he made the decision recently to sell it, it was a special car that meant so much for many reasons.

Again, this layout used the Indigo Skies patterned paper 'Blue Moon' as the base. I smeared some white gesso to tone down the background. I applied some Brusho (I cant help myself!) and some splatters of the same Dylusions paint in 'After Midnight'. Following on from the first layout, I had turned the wet stencil over onto another piece of paper to make a print - makes the perfect connection between the two layouts. The photo was layered on patterned paper from the Indigo Skies Collection - just love the denim look paper! The title thickers are from the We R Memory Keepers High Five collection, available instore now! Lets take a closer look...

Thanks for joining me - please be sure to check out the wonderful inspiration from the Design Team on the Shop and Crop blog by clicking here. Until next time...