A book is a window - Shadow box house by Karen

Hello! I’m thrilled to be here with my first post as part of the ColourCraft team. I’ve been scrapbooking, card-making and creating mixed media art for over 30 years on and off and was able to turn my hobby in to my work when I moved to France 12 years ago, started my retail business and began teaching classes. When I discovered Brusho Crystal Colours some years ago it was love at first use and I’ve been sharing techniques using them and ColourCraft’s other products with my customers and friends ever since. I hope to continue that here.

This is one of my little houses created using a few different Brusho techniques: To start off I used some recycled card to create a house-shaped box (20 cm high) and a base to hold it steady. I then misted some heavy watercolour paper and sprinkled it with dark brown Brusho crystals and used this to cover the base, create a shelf and give the house a roof.

To decorate the walls, I cut more watercolour paper to line the house. I stamped the back part with transparent embossing ink and a roughly striped pattern before sprinkling it with lemon Brusho crystal colour and using a brush to pat the powder on to the ink. Misting with water then releases the colour and it stays stronger where the ink is holding more of the powder. I then used the brush to blend out the colour on the side walls, floor and ceiling. With those pieces all glued in place I was ready to start decorating!

All the stamped images were water coloured with Brusho crystals mixed with a little water before cutting them out ready to add them to the scene.

Finally, I repeatedly dragged a plastic painting knife through the dark brown Brusho while it was still wet to give the lined effect of the tops of books, as if you are looking down on the pages. I folded this before gluing it in place to support the stamped book spines.

The quote translates to “A book is a window that the reader can escape through”. Anyone else ready for lazy days of reading and dreaming of adventures? Or tempted to escape to the craftroom to create fun little houses?

Stamps are all from French company Chou & Flowers, available from Kerudoc Création

Brusho 24 Colour Boxed Set

Plastic Painting Knives

palette