Ways with washables!

I love the washables because I love to be in creative control. I love to have options, I like to have choice and I like to do what I want in what ever colour. So the idea of washables was born, they are the burger king of the paper world, you have it your way! Now because they are printed on the beautiful stamp and colour paper they ink brilliantly, so all the inky techniques in previous posts work on washables, but have the added bonus of that design shining through. A really easy and effective use of washables is a nice crayon resist technique. I used the bauble washable from the Christmas pack for this. I then took a white crayon and added highlights to the edges of the design. Then all over the top with with a distress ink, where the white crayon is you will see the design pop! Buffed it with a bit of tissue, just to remove any residue ink off the wax, and my own designer paper is finished. A candle can also be used for different effects.
Nothing I do is overly complicated it might be different but not difficult, so. give it a go.

Happy Crafting

Ali

Upon Reflection

Our beautiful new riverside wildlife stamp set contains the most stunning Kingfisher stamp, it is adorable! But as soon as I got it I knew I had to reflected him, but me and brayers do not get on..... So I decided to use another easier more Ali friendly technique. First I needed to create the water effect and again this is usually a brayering technique, so I improvised, screwed up a sandwich bag, dabbed it in the ink pad and on to the paper, instant ripples! Just be careful to mot over do it as you can lose the effect. Normal inking gave the effect of sky. Background complete now on to creating the reflection, all I did was stamp my kingfisher with black soot distress ink onto a piece of acetate, the ink does not dry on this so it means you can turn it over and press it down onto your water effect, gently rub it and you will see the image darken as it is transferred. Remove the acetate and then just stamp the kingfisher normally above the reflection. This technique is perfect for this type of reflection as it doesn't give you a perfect image it really looks like there is movement in the water. I then coloured it in with promarkers, making the reflection slightly less intense with the colours. Job done!

Give this a go you will be surprised how effective it is!

Happy Crafting

Ali

Simple is best

Well sometimes the simplest of techniques can create the most wonderful cards. And colour blocking is one of those techniques, quick, simple but stunning! All you need to do is select your stamp, and the acrylic block you are going to stamp it with (now make sure your block is clean!!) select a couple of nice distress inks (or a Big and Juicy pad) and swipe the colours on to your acrylic block, always apply the lightest colour first to avoid contaminating your ink pads. Now spritz it with some water and stamp it onto some paper (not too close to the edge as a nice white border is effective!) making sure you really squished it down. Now lift the block off, trying to lift the lightest ride first as the colour can pool a little. Set it aside to dry, I sometimes mop up the excess with some kitchen towel but you don't need to. Let it dry. When fully dry overstamp with black your chosen image. The finishing touch comes from a free hand black line around the colour block. Simple bit effective!!

Now just a little note my Paper Clinic for Create and Craft has been moved to 30th July but that gives me time to do more experimenting!!

Keep crafting

Ali

Plaid and simple!

I am a sucker for patterned paper, I really am, but I also get frustrated when I don't have the right colours to suit my project. So I inevitably end up making my own. From these frustrations washables were born, printed papers specifically designed for you to ink yourself in your colour scheme, enabling you to create your own designer papers. Plus it is all printed on our beautiful stamp and colour stock, which is carefully selected to take inks wonderfully. Meaning all your favourite ink techniques work perfectly. My favourite of this background making session wa my plaid effect. All you need is a couple of distress ink pads and a wet wipe (still wet) fold the wet wipe up to form a pad, then dab the folded edge into the different colours of ink, so you have spots of colour along the edge. Now drag those colours diagonally across the paper, so it leaves streaks of colour. Repeat the process until the paper is covered with diagonal lines, I then repeat with diagonal lines across the other way to complete the plaid look! Great for men cards, quick and simple, plus helps clean all the mica and embossing powder off your ink pads!! Give it a go

Happy Crafting

Ali xxx