On today’s card I had great fun watercolouring a new Clearly Besotted set, Make A Wish, with Tonic Nuvo Aqua Flow Pens. Clearly Besotted have just released today a bunch of new stamp sets – there are lots of lovely florals and some cute too so a little for everyone. Here’s a look at what’s new. The new sets are available at both Clearly Besotted and Simon Says Stamp. I’ve linked all supplies at the end of this post. Compensated affiliate links used.

I started this card by stamping the large floral image from Make A Wish in clear embossing ink on Arches cold pressed watercolour card and white heat embossing. I then had a delightful time playing with the Tonic Nuvo Aqua Flow Pens. Here’s the blurb on the pens:

Aqua Flow pens are uniquely designed to create a watercolour effect without the hassle and mess. These highly pigmented water-based pens leave you with a bright, vibrant finish. The perfectly formed watercolour brush nib makes the pens extremely versatile and is perfect for adding small detail or colour washing large areas. Each pen has its own reservoir complete with a non-drip valve.

These pens are new to me and as with any watercolour media I really enjoyed using them. If you’ve ever used a Wink Of Stella brush pen then you will be familiar with the type of dispensing system these pens use. When you first open a new pen you remove the stopper ring, screw the pen body in tightly which breaks the seal to the ink within the barrel.  You then squeeze the sides of the barrel of the pen to release the colour to the brush. The brush is nicely flexible and made from acrylic fibres. The brush is thicker than a Clean Color Brush Pen or Wink Of Stella pen but still narrows to a fine point for details and getting in the nooks and crannies of an image.

The most noticeable feature of these pens for me was the intensity and depth of the colours – great for packing a vibrant punch but also when blended out with water, softens to the palest of colours too.

I applied the paler colours directly to the watercolour card and softened the edges out with a damp brush. Tonic do their own Nuvo water brushes but I simply used a damp paint brush. For the more intensely vibrant colours I scribbled them on to an acrylic block and then picked up the colour with a damp paint brush. I used the colours in the same way I would my other watercolours and loved the way the colours layered over each other.

Another feature I liked about these pens is that the colour is very water reactive – after I’d finished painting I splattered the piece with water and you get the lovely highlight areas when you dab the water off afterwards. I also splattered the panel with Heidi Swapp Gold Color Shine.

When the panel was dry, I used a Wonky Rectangle die to cut a nice stitched edge and foam mounted it on to a Fog card base.

For the sentiment I chose a simple Happy Birthday from the new Tiny Type set, white heat embossed it on Black card and trimmed to a skinny banner. I foam mounted the strip over the watercoloured panel with a little thread for interest. As a final touch I added droplets of Crystal Glaze.

The new Clearly Besotted release is now live and available from both Clearly Besotted and Simon Says Stamp. You can also find the Nuvo Aqua Flow pens here.

SUPPLIES

You can find links to the supplies I’ve used below; click on the picture or shop icon to get taken directly to the product. Where available I use compensated affiliate links which means if you make a purchase I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read my affiliate and product disclosure here. I truly appreciate your support.

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Summary of the project which gives all the views of the card in one photo :D I’d love if you pinned and called by on Pinterest :D