Clearsnap: Whimsical Dreaming

Hey everyone! Suzanne here to share a layout I completed using Smooch Spritz and Clearsnap's Premium Dye Inks. My son, was having a quiet moment sitting and daydreaming. I called his name to take a picture-without taking his eyes off of whatever he had fixated on...he just cracked a smile and kept on dreaming. I wanted to create a layout with lots of whimsy (child's play) and was able to do so with the use of several Clearsnap inks!

I love how the inks keep their vibrancy (even after mixing with water!) and how well they work together with other mediums.

I began with a piece of lined notebook paper sewn onto black cardstock. To "wash" out the lines of the notebook paper and add a bit of texture, I applied gesso to the center of the page with a palette knife. Once the gesso dried, I traced clouds from a Crafter's Workshop template using a permanent black pen.

I used several colors of Clearsnap and Stephanie Barnard Premium Dye inks to color in the clouds. To create my "watercolor," I simply touched an ink pad to a piece of freezer paper (shiny side up). Using a water brush, I squeezed a few drops of water directly into the ink and blended together. FYI: because I used gesso on the paper, the ink resisted a bit. If I didn't get complete coverage inside the cloud, I simply dried and applied more ink until the desired look was achieved. The water and gesso does warp the paper some, but I'm not a "perfect" scrapper, so I chalked it up to "added texture!" (watercolor paper would work well if warping isn't your thing ;))

With the same watercolor concept in mind, I put a small amount of Navy Twinkle Smooch Spritz and water inside a water brush-shaking to mix.

Simply squeezing the water brush while running it along the edge of the lined paper, I was able to achieve the distressed, colored edges I was after (I gently rolled the edges as I went along). Again, the color of the Smooch Spritz still packs a vibrant punch even after adding water! Here are a few close-ups: