Workshop Wednesday: Layering Stamps and Inks

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

Being as it is Wednesday, that means it’s time to start another Workshop for the week! Today’s card focuses on using creating a lot of layers and depth using ink and stamps. With just a few supplies, you can add a lot of dimension and texture to your card without adding a lot of bulk (which can be tricky to mail!).

I started off by cutting a piece of watercolor paper down to 3  3/4″ by 5″, to be the panel for my watercoloring and stamping. Taking the Penny Black “Critters in Love” stamp set and some Timber Brown StazOn ink, I stamped this cute little cat image onto the top center of my panel, as well as onto a sticky note to be a mask. Using the sticky note to mask off the cats, I restamped the image in VersaMark ink and heat embossed it with gold embossing powder. With the same gold powder, I also stamped the “Love Ya” sentiment from the Paper Smooches “Scripty Sayings” stamp set.

Leaving the mask on my image, I took the “Arrows” background stamp by Heidi Swapp and stamped it in some Versamark Dazzle ink onto the panel. Sprinkling on clear embossing powder, I heat set the powder to create a nice, subtle background that has just a hint of shimmer… I love how the Dazzle ink gives off this effect! This look gets especially enhanced when stamped onto a dark paper.

With some Worn Lipstick distress ink and an ink blending tool I brushed on ink around the edges of the panel; because of the heat embossing we already did, the arrows resist the ink and create a great pattern. To the create splotchy look on the background, I took a bit of water spritzed into my hand, and flicked it onto the panel, letting it sit in the color for a few seconds before quickly blotting it up with a rag.

The kittens are watercolored with distress inks (Tea Dye, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, Iced Spruce and Worn Lipstick), and shaded with colored pencils (Prismacolor). Finally, the ink splatters were created with Heidi Swapp Gold Color Shine and some Worn Lipstick distress ink; I also applied Wink of Stella clear glitter to the very edges

Layered behind the kitten panel is a scalloped rectangle, which is adhered to the card base using dimensional foam tape. Some pretty, pink ribbon finished off the card and matches the Worn Lipstick ink perfectly!

Thank you for stopping by! I hope today’s post has inspired you to add layering and texture to your cards using ink and stamps in some fun ways! Mix it up while you play around with them; experiment in creative ways with your supplies… there is no wrong or right way to make a card; the important thing is to have fun! :)

Happy Creating!

Challenges

This card has also been submitted to the Simon Says Something New challenge.