hey all you crafty types!
i've been away far too long... i think it's high time i got back into the blogging groove! need to drum up some new followers, and provide some inspiration for my current peeps! :)
so - speaking of inspiration, i have made a bunch of card-packs recently, based on a lovely (and luckily, EASY) technique i found on the
Ranger website. those folks (especially t!m holtz - my craft guru as you probably all know) sure do know how to inspire the masses!
let's get started - i was careful to take step-by-step photos as i went along, so i could share my efforts with you all.
DISTRESS INK BLENDING - CARD SETS
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| MY FINISHED SET |
tools required for this project:
- 4 Distress inks in coordinating colours, light to dark for a graduated look
- black ink
- foam blending tool
- 3"x5" sticky notes
- white cardstock, 4" x 5 1/4"
- cardstock for the card base, 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" (kraft or black look great, but use whatever colour you like that coordinates with the Distress Ink colours you choose)
- a large background stamp, at least 4" long so you don't have to try and line it up
- a long, tall stamp in your choice of image
- a sentiment stamp
- corner punch of your choice (i used a small corner rounder)
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| begin by choosing 4 Distress Ink colours that go well together - a light colour first, then continuing darker colours. you will finish with the darkest colour. (my choices were Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Weathered Wood, and Broken China) |
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| gently tear sticky notes down the long side, leaving the repositionable sticky back part intact to stick onto your cardstock as a mask towards the left side - you will end up with blank space on the right side to stamp a sentiment. (just reverse sides if you want your sentiment on the left!) next grab your blending tool with foam attached, and beginning with the lightest colour, add ink to the top 1/4 portion of the white cardstock. continue with the next 3 colours, lightest to darkest, overlapping a little with each new colour. as the distress ink dries, you'll be left with a smooth, blended look that is awesome! (HINT: i did 4 of these at a time so I would end up with a set of 4 cards... you could just do 1 card, or 100 if you're so inclined!) |
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| leaving your sticky note masks in place, stamp your chosen background image in one of your Distress Ink colours (I used Weathered Wood in this image, with a background stamp from the Mixed Media set by Stampers Anonymous - Tim Holtz collection. sorry - no photo of that set!) |
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| once again leaving your masks in place, choose your main image... it can be one that fits completely within the open area, or a wider image - but keep in mind that only the portion that fits within the open area will be left when the masks are removed. i have used both of these stamp sets and they look lovely! on the left is Delicate Branches, and on the right is Meadow, both by Inkadinkado |
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| ink up your stamp with black ink - i used Colorbox chalk ink in Blackbird, but have also used Momento Tuxedo Black for a nice, crisp image |
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| please off your sticky note masks to reveal the great, uneven edging |
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| now that the Distress inks are completely dry, you can see how the colours have softened up and blended really nicely! add a sentiment to the right bottom corner, round the right top & bottom corners on the layering white cardstock, as well as the card base, stick your layers together with double-sided tape - and voila, you're done!! i left these quite simple, but if you want to add ribbon, rhinestones, or other accents to make it your own, have fun & embellish away! | |
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take care,
karin the crafty girl
