July 24, 2021

Coloring with Nuvo Alcohol Markers and Aqua Flow Pens

Hi everyone and happy Saturday! It's been so hot here lately in Cornwall, I haven't been able to concentrate at work this week. I also managed to wash my USB stick (accidentally) and am still retrieving a months worth of work off of it, including this project, lol. 

Today is all about Stamp Club, Nuvo Alcohol Markers and Aqua Flow Pens. I've put together a basic tutorial so although there are a lot of steps I wanted to show my process for the wonderful card I made. 

Recipe: 

• Nuvo Alcohol Markers:
• Leaves 410, 412, 416
• Sunflower: 401, 405, 404, 393, 374, 461, 463, Black, Blender Pen
• Bee: 401, 405
• Ladybird: 374, 375
• Nuvo Aqua Flow Pens:
• Clear water, True Turquoise, Sliced Kiwi
• Liquitex Acrylic Ink: White, Black, Copper
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink (for alcohol markers)
• Versafine Black Ink (for watercoloring)
• Nuvo White Embossing Powder
• Daler Rowney JUMBO Smooth Watercolor Card 300gsm
• Hammermill 100lb Cover Copy Paper (my favorite for alcohol markers)
• Craft Perfect Classic Card Jet Black
• MISTI 2.0
• Tonic Studios Guillotine
• Craft Perfect Foam Pads
• Craft Perfect A2 White Card Black
• Scotch Removeable Tape`

Pre-planned card designs aren't something I do often as I like a more organic approach. This isn't everyone's way, but it is my creative process. 

Instructions

The leaf

1. Stamp out your leaves onto alcohol friendly card. I use Hammermill card and Memento Ink.  

2. Color entire leaf with 410.

3. Use 412 up the middle of your leaf. blend with 410. 

 4. Now add 416 as shown. 

5. Blend out the 416 with 412. Blend with 410 to achieve a smooth finish. 

Sunflower Petals

1. Stamp our your sunflowers with Memento Ink.

Color in a small section with 401.

2. Add 405 to the base of the petals as shown. 

3. Blend out with 401

4. Add 404 following the lines in the petal as shown. 

5. Blend out with 405

6. Continue the process for the entire front layer of petals. 

7. Now color in the back petals the exact same way. 

Sunflower Disc (center)

1. Add 401 to the entire center. 

2. Add 393 around the edge as shown.

3. Add 404 to the edgewhere 393 stops and blend. This leaves the darkest edge and blender lighter towards the center.

4. Add 374 to the very edge of the center. 

5. Add 461 to the edge middle using a stippling effect as shown. 

6. Blend out with 404.

7. Add 461 around the edge, pull out the color to the base of your petals as shown.

8. Add 404 to the petals, following the natural stamped line as shown. 

Blend with 401. 

Extra's

1. Color in the bee with 401 and 405.

2. Color in the ladybird with 374, 375. I prefer these to reds as it's a better match.

3. Die cut all your elements and add your white, black and copper splatters using acrylic ink.

The Background

1. Trim a piece of watercolor card 5 inches by 3.75 inches. Stamp your flower head and stalk into the position shown. You can bend the stalk stamp using a stamping platform or large stamping block. Stamp your leaves and then use a black waterproof fineliner pen to draw a little line that attaches your leaf to the stalk.

2. You're stamping onto watercolor card so it's safe to use your Nuvo Aqua Flow Pens to create a fun background. 

3. Outline the flower with True Turquoise Aqua Flow Pen. 

4. Draw out the color using water and a round paintbrush. 

5. Add Clear Water to soften the color and then Fern Green and Sliced Kiwi around the leaves. Pull out the color as you did with the blue and blend until you are happy with the finish. Remember that Aqua Flow Pens dry a lot darker so less is more.

6. Once dry add Green Fern and Sliced Kiwi to the stalk. if you don't wait until your background is dry, the colors will bleed. Place your die cut flower head and leaves over your stamped images and adhere with foam pads.

7. Add white, black and copper acrylic ink splatter. Allow to dry and then add Fern Green Aqua Flow Splatter where the leaves are situated. 

8. Use White heat embossing powder on black card two sentiments - hey, and I appreciate you. Trim and attach with foam pads. 

9. Attach a blade of grass, the ladybird and a bee to the card. Mount onto an A2 card blank and add a couple diamond sequins to finish. 

Isn't is beautiful!! Technically, you could call this card mixed media as we've used different mediums and textures on the card. 

With the leftover pieces I'd colored at the same time, I also made this card which is a cleaner version. 

If you'd like to watch my coloring process, there is a video with the same stamp set but I've used slightly lighter colors for the sunflowers. You can watch it here: 

I really hope this has been helpful and has given you some inspiration with Stamp Club, Alcohol Markers and Nuvo Aqua Flow Pens. There's a MASSIVE sale on over at Tonic this month and it's all about coloring. All of these pens can be bought at a fraction of their original price. 

For USA customers you can shop here
For UK customers you can shop here. 

Thank you for joining me today on my blog. I'm so grateful for all your support, it really means the world to me! 

Some of the links I use are affiliated. This means I make a small commission when you purchase through my links. Any commissions I earn help to compensate the time and materials I use to create projects, blogs, tutorials and YouTube Videos. 
Materials