Colored Bubbles - A fun way to make interesting backgrounds!

Colored Bubbles - A fun way to make interesting backgrounds!

Julie Heyer Julie Heyer

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Create interesting and unique backgrounds with the Colored Bubbles Technique. There are a couple of ways to make patterns with bubbles, but the supplies needed are the same: Water, dish soap, a straw and a water soluble/water reactive medium like Peerless watercolor paints or Distress Reinkers.

Colored Bubbles Technique


Option One - Watercolors (Julie)


Add three drops of dish soap to 1/4 cup of water. Stir with a straw to combine. Gently blow into the straw to create bubbles. (To make smaller frothy bubbles, stir the bubble solution one end of the straw.

Scoop up the bubbles with a palette knife or spoon and place onto watercolor paper.

Working quickly, gather watercolors on the tip of a paintbrush or water brush.

Touch the tip of the brush to the bubbles to disperse the color.

Set aside to dry.

The dry bubble panels can be trimmed to embellish a scrapbook page, or as an accent on a card. In this case, trim the panels to fit three squares on a layout created with the help of a monthly page formula.

Let's take a look at the finished layout, created with the September Bonus Formula and supplies from the Abundance collection.

Don't have watercolor paper in your stash? Brush Matte Gel Medium onto a white tag (or any white non-coated cover weight paper) and allow to dry. Once dry, it becomes the perfect surface to make more bubbly backgrounds. (Left untreated, the colors soak into the paper fibers too quickly, and didn't allow them to dry on the surface to create fun patterns.)

Decorate the tag with stamps and embellishments from the Abundance collection.


Abundance Stamps, Card Ribbons, Maple Leaf Tag
Earth, Orange, Sapphire Hybrid Inks


Option Two: Distress Reinkers (Lisa)


Add ten drops of Distress Reinker (Walnut Stain) to the dish soap and water solution (recipe above). Stir to combine. Blow into the straw to make colored bubbles. Place a piece of white paper over the bowl, making sure the paper comes into direct contact with the bubbles. Set aside to dry.

Lisa added her backgrounds to a set of cards featuring several of Club Scrap's past coffee collections. (Cards below measure 4.25x5.5", unless otherwise noted.)

Card 1: Mocha Java Stamps


Card 2: Coffee Break and Mocha Java Remix Stamps

Card 3: Mocha Java Stamps (card measures 3.5x5")


What do you think about making bubbly backgrounds? We hope you'll give this technique a try. If you do, be sure to share your finished artwork on Club Scrap's Chat Group on Facebook. Not a member of the group yet? Simply answer a few questions and we'll accept your request in no time.

Abundance Stamps

Abundance Stamps

$19.25

Our premium clear photopolymer stamps are ready to use; no prep is required. The stamp sheet measures 6x8" and includes 17 individual images and phrases. Deeply etched for high-quality impressionsClear substrate for easy positioning and accurate stampingNon-yellowing and durableApply ink;… Read More

Abundance 12x12 Plain Paper

Abundance 12x12 Plain Paper

$1.15

12x12" premium plain scrapbook papers, sold individually, by the sheet. … Read More

CS Hybrid Ink Pads

CS Hybrid Ink Pads

$6.35

Exclusively Club Scrap®, this hybrid craft ink combines the most exceptional ingredients of both pigments and dyes for a fine, crisp, fast-drying image! Don't forget to stock up on re-inkers!… Read More

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