Waxed Paper fun.

Aren't I doing well!! Another blog post, but to be fair there is so much going on at the moment I don't have any excuse not to update this blog!

Following on from the last post I now have completed another couple of cards with the waxed paper technique and I am loving it more each time! The ingredients you need to complete the technique are distress inks or similar, mask, super smooth paper (I always get great results with our stamp and colour card) and shock horror an iron (don't panic no housework is involved!!) finally you need waxed paper, I get mine from a soap making supplier, you just have to make sure you get proper wax and not wax effect, some nice artisan breads and sausages come wrapped in it, so doesn't hurt to ask your local friendly butcher if he can spare a sheet!.

So to begin, simply emboss the waxed paper with the mask, through your big shot, grand Calibur, cuttlebug etc. Don't panic if the paper tears slightly round the embossing it won't effect the over all results. Now sandwich the waxed paper between 2 pieces of the smooth card/paper. And iron, once over with a hot iron is enough, if you keep going over you can lose the design a bit, if you are using thicker card, go over twice just to make sure the heat has got through. Now simply rub over the waxed design with your distress inks and watch the batik style design appear! Simple but stunning and unusual results. You can ink both pieces of card and you will get different effect. Give it a go it!

It is a busy week this week with the NEC HobbyCrafts show starting Thursday and I will be demonstrating all 4 days so if you are passing pop by and say hello.

See you soon

Ali xx

Not what I planned but....

I had hoped to share the wax paper technique with you but I then remembered I had sent the sample to the lucky person who had their named pulled out of the cup! But fear not (I know you weren't) I am already working on a new one with the new masks and stamps that are launching on Friday so I will share when I can.

So instead I thought I would share one of my favourite simple stamping ideas, label stamping. It is easy quick and very effective. If you can't find labels that have space all around them it is not the end of the world, you simply make up the space, but if you can perfect. I simply ink the sheet of labels (using a brush rather than cut and dry) to create a nice background, this highlights the edges of the labels, enabling you to stamp centrally in a the layout. Then carefully transfer the lables on to your background card, ensuring they are evenly spaced. I find that gently sticking only one edge of the labels allows you to arrange them and move them if necessary before you firmly press the labels down. As well as using this technique with stamped imaged I also use it with the stencil style masks. I love it.

I will leave you with my White on White embossed card from last week, top tip with this is always do these cards first before you pick up the distress inks!! Or they don't stay white on white!!

Well hav another busy week, with some amazing new masks and stamps launching this coming week so I must go off and play (sorry I mean work!!) and if you love Vintage and Steampunk there may just be something for you in this range. I don't think there is much danger of me doing girly cards this week!!

See you soon

Ali xx

Something a bit different

No I haven't come over all funny, but I have moved out of my comfort zone a little this week. Not just because I have blogged, but I have also challenged myself a little crafting wise, to try a very different style for me.

This came about because of the beautiful new masks that we are launching on Friday on Create and Craft. So I have played with White on White (not easy for Mrs Inky fingers), which I will upload later, as blogger keeps rotating it, and you would need to stand on your head to see it!! But really different for me is this pretty girly card. This is a sort of paper piecing (well my version anyway) I embossed the lovely topiary tree mask on a few different small designed patterned papers (they need to be small designs or it doesn't work, and I know as I tried!!) then you give it a little ink, to highlight the embossing, and then cut out the various elements. I then pieced it back together on a nice background, added some paper flowers with gem middles, a doodled line (another first for me!!) matted it on to a nice paper and a pretty doily. Done! Worth the fiddly cutting I think!
So 2 posts in one week can't be bad! I will try and upload more pictures using the new masks and some of the techniques to help you get the most out of them. Happy Crafting and see you Friday

Ali xx

New Start!!

Ok lets start this blog again! And I aim to do an entry every week (let's not make rash promises of more than that, but if I can I will!!) I will try and share on going projects, sneak peaks and explain mad cap crazy techniques!!

Many people have been emailing me about the fabulous Petroleum Jelly technique, so here is a quick outline, but I highly recomend that you grab a pot and have a good old play!.


Place your mask over your paper (I find the Stamps Away stamp and colour card brilliant for this technique)

Then using a piece of cut and dry foam, gently rub a small (you really don't need much) amount of Petroleum Jelly over the mask (just the same as if you were inking through your mask)


Remove the mask, and then apply distress ink or similar over the paper, I find that using a brush gives a better finish as using sponge or cut and dry can smudge the design.

I would love to see your projects using the masks so feel free to post links to your projects so I can go off for a nosey! Until next time keep crafting and keep messy

Ali xx