Scrap, Paper, Scissors: Back to basics

Hi, Carol with you today on a trip down memory lane….

We all learn different techniques on our crafting journey, some we use every day and some we store for the odd occasion and some we think are just not for us and are shelved…

Back in 2004, 3 brand new, really different, ink pads were introduced…can you think what they were? …who guessed distress ink? by the very new, and really popular, designer Tim Holtz…what followed was a massive range of distress inks, and over the 12 years that has followed lots of different distress products, and of course loads of new and different techniques for us to try all detailed in Mr Holtz's books… so, whilst pro-craft-inating in my craft room, I decided for this post I was going back to my roots and playing with the first techniques I learnt all those years ago. (Actually its quite scary, I'd been crafting for quite a few years prior to distress ink hitting the market and to think that was 12 years ago I must have been crafting for nearly 18/20 years how has that happened?)

So, using my craft mat I swished my inks, added water, and added card stock - I then splashed water onto the cardstock to create clear patches.… I used two different colour ways - one reds, green and blue and the other brown, amber and blue.

These are my swished pieces…

I then added distress ink to my cardstock, to fill missing pieces.

So, my plan was to make a card and tag for a friend and a male card for a family birthday coming up…

Ladies first:-

I cut my cardstock to size and then stamped with a background stamp and candid apple distress ink, some stencilling was then added in the middle…using a crafters workshop doily stencil and candid apple distress ink….I then added black soot to a face stencil and added hi-lights with a white pen. The edges were then given an edge of candid apple distress ink darkening up some of the edges with my old time favourite (and used on almost every project) walnut stain…(which just happens to be one of the first three colours). Doodling was also added to the edges.

The base was then matted onto black cardstock. I stamped a sentiment onto left over cardstock and matted - the flowers are by prima and the black fern was cut using wildflowers die by Tim Holtz alterations. Some washi tape was added along with some small pieces of bling.

The tag was made using the same process and I added some distress ink coloured ribbon with some beads attached just to finish off the tag.

Male card:-

the background was made in the same way although this time I spritzed water thro' a tando mini stencil - bricks, and left the water in situ whilst gently lifting the stencil, flipping and pressing down onto the ink base - this removes the colour and leaves a lovely effect - its clearer to see on the tag….

On the main card I added some second and third generation text stamping before adding a handcut stamp image… The edges were inked and doodled as before. Using left over cardstock I stamped and cut a crazy bird and then added a hat and balloons from the accessories set. A stamped, and matted, sentiment, finished off the card.