Thursday, February 10, 2011

Makin' Custom Ink Pads

We had some inky fun in the studio Tuesday and Wednesday night with the Technique of the Month Club. This month's technique? - Making your own custom ink pads!

I did this technique years ago when I created multiple Christmas Cards -- like say 200 cards in 2005! LOL Perhaps it was the "I'm not making that many Christmas Cards again" but I forgot about this absolutely amazing, time saving technique.

If you followed Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas this year, Tag #2 used this technique. YAY!! I re-discovered it AND have been enjoying it ever since -- so much so, I needed to show the gals!

Why make your own ink pad? Well, if you are making oodles of cards for an event or an occasion and love the look of multi-coloured stamped images this is the way to go. Cut N Dry Felt is an 8.5x11 version of the felt that Ranger uses in their ink pads. Simply cut to the size of your favourite stamp and stamp (with Archival Ink) on the felt side of the product. Then colour (on the lines) in your favourite coordinating Distress Ink Colours -- like this:

Then align your stamp over your new ink pad and ink it :).... Now you're ready to stamp it out.
Look at the detail you can create with different shades of ink.... and you can get 40 - 50 impressions just like it!!!!!

Now, remember that Distress Ink reacts with water. Want a custom ink pad for your watercolour effects? Do the steps above but before you stamp it, give it a little water spritz with a mini mister.... voila... a gorgeous watercolour image!!

I made one with the new Paperbag Studio Stamps that I just got in the studio! OMG... I am in love with these stamp sheets -- but that's a blog for another day *smile*

I used the HOME Set.... and picked out the image ironically called "Emily" (my daughter's name) (She's the one on the top right). And created some watercolour images of it.... THEN....Got out the beeswax and put together a card featuring the image. -- Yes, a soft, thin beeswax finish. I LOVE THIS CARD!!!!

You must come see it on Saturday during our customer appreciate day!
I guess that's it for now. Thanks for a wonderful TOMC month ladies -- I hope you enjoyed the technique as much as I did. hummmm.... me thinks I need to make a video *smile*
Have a creative day!

3 comments:

Kelly said...

That's pretty! What kind of paper is that - the white with the blue and the blue with the white? Did you make it or do you have some for sale?

Unknown said...

It was a piece of SEI paper. I did have it in the .40 bin -- I'll see if I have more (this was in my scrap bins, not a new sheet)

Kelly said...

Gotta love the scraps!