Techniques You Can't Live Without

Using Re-Inker to Create Your Own Background Paper
August 11, 2010

Recently, I decided to venture out of my comfort zone and play around with my juniper re-inker.  The end result was amazing and the entire process was quite fun.  Take a look at the steps for creating your own background paper using re-inker.

Step One:  You will need a spray bottle and for this particular layout, the juniper re-inker.  Place about 20 drops of re-inker into the spray bottle and then dilute it with a little bit of water.  Spray it onto a piece of test paper to see if the color is the shade you want.  You may need to add more re-inker or water depending on the look you are going for on your layout. 

Step Two:  Choose a few dimensional elements that coordinate with your layout to use for masks.  Adhere these elements with repositionable adhesive onto your cardstock base pages.  Arrange the dimensional elements in the places where you will want those images to be seen (they will be latere removed and a 2-D image will be left without re-inker on it).  Then spray the re-inker along the edges of your cardstock base pages.  Be sure to spray really well around the dimensional elements so that when you remove the elements the re-inker splashes create the shape of the dimensional element. 

Step Three:  Remove the dimensional elements from the layout and then let dry.  Press flat before drying. 

Step 4:  Finish your layout. 

All You Ever Wanted to Know About the Generation Stamping Technique
July 20, 2010

This week I am going to focus on the generational stamping technique.  This technique is great for creating your own background and texture paper or creating a brand new image.  It is a simple and fast technique, but the end result is aesthetically pleasing to the eye!!

 

Step One:  Choose an ink (the darker the ink, the more generations of stamping you can get out of it) and a stamp that coordinates with your layout. 

In this case, I chose the present and asterick stamp from the stamp set, It's Your Day and Cranberry, Outdoor Denim, Clover Meadow, & Honey CTMH Ink Colors. 

Step Two: Cover the stamp with ink and then stamp the image over and over (without reinking the stamp) until it the image becomes as light as what you want. 

This shows 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th generation stamping of the present using Cranberry Ink. 

Adding Other Generational Stamped Images:  You can add other generational stamped images around your main images to create your own background and texture paper. 

Using the asterick stamp from the same stamp set, I generational stamped this image in multiple colors all around the presents.  The generational stamping gives the background a nice light and dark contrast of colors adding dimension to the stamped piece. 

Using Generation Stamping to Create a Brand New Image:  Another way that I like to use generational stamping is to use it to fill in the inside of the first generation stamped image.  In this case, I continually stamped inside the top of the present (rotating the stamp each time I stamped), so that the end result creates an entirely new image (present top).

Putting It All Together:  Adding your Generational Stamped Images to a Layout adds a great deal of artistic flare! 

Base and Shade Technique

July 2010

This week I am going to focus on a basic stamping technique; a technique that can easily be done with Close to my Heart's My Acrylix stamp sets. 

Step One:  Use an outline stamp of a shape; in this case I used the cloud outline in the Over the Rainbow stamp set and stamp the outline image in a slightly darker (but complimentary) ink color than what you will be using for the inside or "shade" image. 

Step Two:  Use the fill image to stamp and "shade" in the middle of the outline stamped image.  I used a lighter color for this. 

The image can then be cut out and used for an embellishment on a card or layout or it can be a left on the square of cardstock and the entire piece can be added to a card or layout.