2015 #17 Spooktacular Tags {by Helen Chilton}

 2015 Topic 17: Pigment Powders

Hi everyone Helen here, joining you this evening with a post about Brushos, those little pots of magic watercolour crystals. There's loads of techniques you can do with these, but tonight I've chosen to look at how to stamp with them and use them dry. I've made a tag book with flaps to showcase the new Hallowe'en stamps HPHW05EZ.

Step One: Select your colours (I've used Purple, Grey and Lime Green) and rub them dry onto a tag, keeping the colours in separate blocks.

Step 2: Spritz your stamp with water using a mini mister and stamp onto tag. The water activates the Brusho crystals. Stamp off onto a spare tag for a lighter image:

HPHW05

Step 3: Ink up stamp with VersaMark, sprinkle Brushos directly onto stamp and rub in:

Step 4: Spritz again with water and stamp two or three times onto tag:

Step 5: prep stamp as for Steps 3 and 4, but this time spray water directly onto the tag not the stamp using a larger spray bottle, then stamp into it. The effect is much more watercoloury:

Step 6: This shows the different types of stamping so you can compare. From left to right: 

• dry rub on, spritz stamp and stamp
• VersaMark, rub Brushos onto stamp, spritz and stamp
• stamping off onto spare tag
• wetting tag, VersaMark on stamp, rub  Brushos onto stamp and stamp

Step 7: Finally, if you want a bit more definition for your image, outline some of the areas in a black watercolour pen and stamp over the top:

To finish: I've made some cut out flaps using a Framelits die (the shape always reminded me of a tombstone, so seemed appropriate somehow!):

and then hinged it all together and used extra tags to back it. The ribbon is seam binding that I've coloured with the Brushos. Here's the front:

and a couple of close ups:

So there's a lot you can do using the Brushos to stamp with - you get lovely watercolour effects but also a surprising amount of detail. You also get very messy hands, but it does come off (well,eventually!)

Helen.

Ohhh lovely fun was had here Helen! thanks again for another brilliant post! I love all those ideas using them with your stamps, some fantastic tips and ideas that have certainly never occurred to me, I love how you conjure up all kinds of possibilities!! You are such a wonder! ~Leandra

We would love you to join in with challenge #17: Pigment Powders If you are inspired by any of our guests who blog with us over the fortnight, then please join in and link up your creativity HERE. 

All links go in the draw to win a voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. The Circles link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, Sept 27th winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.