This article is written by journaling artist Tammy Klingner
Did you know that the Life of Colour Pens are so useful in your scrapbooking? The watercolour brush pens, dual brush pens, paint pens and paint stix are perfect to have close by and especially useful when traveling or away on a retreat.
Here’s some of the ways I use them:
1. To colour your chipboard.
Chipboard can be used to create thickness and texture on your scrapbook pages, with the most popular use being cut-out letters and quotes. Most of the times, it comes plain and the artist can decide how to paint it and embellish it.
I use both the
watercolour brush pens and the paint pens for colouring chipboard words. My favourite is definitely creating a rainbow effect. Just add some white gesso to your chippy first.
2. Stamping with paint pens
The acrylic paint pens are ideal for stamping backgrounds or words, especially when you want a grungy look, because they dry matte and allow for more layering on top. Just paint up your stamp and press it down. Don’t forget to clean your stamps after!
Pictured here, the
brush tip paint pens that make very easy to colour the stamps because of the flexible brush nib and silky acrylic paint.
Did you know you can use old glad wrap and aluminum foil rolls for stamping too? Simply paint the edges of the cardboard roll and stamp on paper for easy and organic-looking circular stains.
3. Create your own watercolour backgrounds
I love lots of colour so I tend to layer up both the watercolour pens (left / top on mobile) and the paint pens (right / below on mobile). I used a very technical term called ‘smooshing’.
Grab some plastic from some old packaging and add colour using your pens. Add a touch of water and then flip it over and watch it smoosh!
4. Splatter!
I am addicted to this technique and nothing feels complete without this final step. I use
paint pens and push the nibs down so that paint loads itself into the nib. I then began flicking over my page. It’s fun but you may want to cover up your photo prior to this as it will go everywhere. My desk is rainbow splattered and so is my kitty!
Tip - before popping the lid back on, wipe with a wet baby wipe to remove excess paint and prevent drying.
5. Colouring in stamps
So much fun to create embellishments in the exact colour you need by adding your own colour.
Watercolour brush pens are perfect for this task because they are transparent and create soft watery effects.
You can paint directly with the watercolour pens and then create effects using the water brush, or mix on a palette and apply the colour to the paper using the water brush.
6. Make your own embellishments!
Don’t be afraid to try drawing flowers or circles or leaves to add to your pages! Roses are one of my favourite embellishments to create. You can cut the drawing and add it to the scrapbooking piece using dimensional tape and create a 3D effect.
7. Journaling, scribbles and borders
The
paint pens are pretty magical for adding the personal story behind the layout. Plus I often use them to add borders. Either drawn lines and scribbles around the edges or strong swipes of colour (use finger to smear) for a grungy feel. These just finish everything off!
There you go. So many ways to use Life of Colour in your scrapbooking creations!
Now let’s take a look at the completed pages full of all these techniques….
Thank you for reading, don't forget to share your creations using Tammy's techniques and Life of Colour products in our group and social media!
