Brushos First Experimentation...

 During April's Lisa Baker class, we had the chance to experiment with Brushos. We tried different methods of application to see the effects created. The card to my right was created using watercolour card for the main panel, adding a few shakes of Brushos and then spritzing the card with water. Where the colour became too intense, this was blotted with kitchen towel. I then used a script stamp with brown ink to create interest to the background. To make it faded, I used the second generation of ink. The butterflies were created using Brushos on a separate piece of card, but allowing the pigment to really explode making the colours more intense. Once the colours were dry, I have stamped butterflies over the top and cut them out. A sentiment was added, some glitter, complementary card stock and voila!

 

The card to my left has been made again with Brushos, but this time blowing the pigment across the paper. Using watercolour card again for the main image, we have added water directly to the paper along one side. The main larger area of was then masked off before sprinkling the pigment on top. Before it had a chance to dry, we have used a straw and blown the wet pigment across the page, into the previously masked off area. Depending on how hard you blew, you achieved different effects. By using the mask at the beginning we have created lots of colour on one side of the card and just the blown streaks across the other. I believe the stamps we used were Stampendous stamps, but don't quote me on that!

Hobby House Wedding Couple

This is a card I have made for a friend's wedding. I have used a 7x7 pearl card blank for the base and added a craft card layer. On top of this is have used papers from First Edition pad 'Isabelle'. All the layers on the card have had the edges distressed with Tea Dye Distress Ink. Across the middle of the card I have added 2 layers of Duchess Lace from Creative Expressions. The main topper is from the Hobby House Sylvia Zet collection - 'Love Me Do'. I have cut the image out using Spellbinders dies Labels Two and also created a matt with the same dies. There are 2 panels behind the topper and these have been created using more papers from the First Edition pad and cut with Scalloped Labels One. They have been matted onto Decorative Labels One shapes cut from craft card. At the top and bottom of the card I have edged the paper with a gorgeous cream woven style ribbon. The flowers and pearl pins were from my stash; I have picked colours from the main image and built it all up from there. The little sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and the foliage has been created using Tattered Lace dies. Again, a box is needed for this one!

New Baby Girl Card

This card is based on a 6x6 card blank. I have used Kanban papers for the background along with some coordinating pink pearl and yellow card. The central image is a Hobby House topper from the Wee Stamps by Sylvia Zet collection called 'It's a Girl'. I have distressed the edges with Scattered Straw Distress Ink to bring in more of the yellow colour. The flowers are also from Hobby House, the ribbon and gems from my stash. Behind the main image is a rectangular panel, again backed with coordinating papers, and stitched all around using a sewing machine. The border die cut is from Tattered Lace and the Flourish is a Spellbinders D-Lites die. I had to make a box for this one as it would not fit in an envelope!

Watercolour Tonal Florals and Butterflies

Another simple design to follow the same theme as the last one. Difficult to see from my photograph I admit, but the large background is watercolour card distressed with Dusty Concord and Milled Lavender Distress Inks. I have also used a swirly stencil over the top in tones of the same colours to make a feint pattern. The main panel Indigoblu 'Summer Lovin'' stamp has been stamped with Versafine black ink and embossed with Cosmic Shimmer Clear Sparkle Embossing Powder. I have picked out the different flowers and coloured them with the same colours using Distress Markers this time (with water, as my watercolour medium.) Once dry I have used Stickles in the flower centres. The sentiment is also from Indigoblu and the different butterflies are from The Artistic Stamper 'Encyclopaedia Botanica' plate. The butterflies have been watercoloured in the same way as the flowers, cut out and then made '3D' with Pinflair gel. The card has been layered onto an Anne Marie Designs black 6x6 blank and some small Perfect Pearls dots finish two edges off. I am not used to using such subtle colours, but I quite like the effect on this one...
I am going to enter this into Lisa Baker's Challenge 'Spring Watercolours'.