You can watch the video below or head over to the Scrapbook.com YouTube Channel.
If you want to check out any of the supplies I'm using I have them linked down below. Using those links helps support me, so I really appreciate it! But please don't feel you need to use these exact supplies. You can certainly use what you already have that may be similar. Now let's get on with the making!
COLOR WHEEL
Many of you probably learned about the color wheel in elementary school and about the primary colors of red, yellow and blue. These colors can not be created by mixing other colors together, which is why they are called the primary colors. And when you mix together any 2 of these 3 primary colors you create the secondary colors which are orange, green and purple!
I used Distress Oxide Inks in Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed, and Salty Ocean as my primary colors, with Picked Raspberry as the red, Mustard Seed as the yellow and Salty Ocean as the blue. But feel free to use any combination of colors you have on hand just as long as they are a red, yellow and blue.
I mixed 2 of these colors to create a secondary color and you can get a completely different look just by switching which color you start with and you can create a rainbow of backgrounds when you mix and match just 2 of the colors.
OTHER PRODUCTS USED
Here are the other products I used, but feel free to use any similar type products you have in your stash. Along with Distress Oxide Inks in Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed, and Salty Ocean I also used Frayed Burlap. I used the Wordfetti Sunny Days Stamp set for the sentiments and scroll stencil from the Tim Holtz Mini Stencil Set 25. I also worked with the 3 leaf dies from Scrapbook.com Layered Roses Bundle Die Set and the detailed butterfly images from the Scrapbook.com Butterflies 1 Die Set. And last but not least, I used the largest circle and rectangle shapes from the Tim Holtz Vintage Labels Thinlits Die Set.
INK SMOOSHING TECHNIQUE DISTRESS OXIDE INKS
The paper I used is Distress Watercolor Paper cut down to 4.25 x 5.5 inches. I highly recommend using a paper made for getting wet such as watercolor paper for this technique as it can handle the water. For the first two backgrounds I created, I combined Picked Raspberry and Mustard Seed using the Ink Smooshing Technique. I used this same technique to create all of the backgrounds, but I used different color combinations for each one.
For this technique, all you do is take an ink pad and smoosh it onto a craft mat, spritz it with some water (I use a Distress Sprayer to spritz the water) and then smoosh your paper into the ink. The gentler you smoosh and the less paper you smoosh into the ink, the less ink you pick up. The harder you smoosh and the more paper you smoosh into the ink, the more ink you pick up.
I started off by applying Picked Raspberry to my craft mat and spritzed it with water. Before I smooshed the paper into the ink, I used my finger to gently tap into the ink and break up the harsh edges and create some larger droplets. Next, I gently smooshed the paper into the ink, pushing small sections of the paper into the ink so that I didn't completely cover the paper with ink. This allowed me to leave some white areas for the next step. I then used my heat tool to dry the ink.
Next up, I started mixing colors. I cleaned off my craft mat and smooshed the Mustard Seed Ink Pad onto my craft mat, spritzed it with water and tapped around the ink to break up the droplets. I then smooshed the piece of Distress Watercolor Paper with the Picked Raspberry on it into the Mustard Seed ink. I made sure to get some of the yellow ink onto the white areas and onto the pink ink areas as well. By mixing it into the pink you get a gorgeous orange color! If you have a small area where you want a bit more color, you can use your finger to kind of finger paint the ink where you want it. You can also use a brush to pick up some of the ink from your craft mat and add some splatters.
With that panel completed, I repeated the same process but I started with Mustard Seed and then added Picked Raspberry.
Here's a look at the two backgrounds I created by mixing the Picked Raspberry and Mustard Seed. The one on the right is the one where I used Picked Raspberry first and then Mustard Seed and with this one you get a more vibrant orange. The one on the left is the one where I used Mustard Seed first and then added Picked Raspberry. On this one the colors when mixed together create a beautiful coral color. Isn't it amazing how the same two colors create such different looks just by switching which color you start with?! Do you have a favorite? (I will also share that this is much more obvious in real life and even in the video as compared to the photos seen here.)
For this next set of backgrounds, I used Mustard Seed and Salty Ocean. I repeated the exact same process as above. Below you can see the two backgrounds I created by mixing the Salty Ocean and Mustard Seed. The one on the left is the one where I used Mustard Seed first and then added Salty Ocean. On this one the colors when mixed together create a turquoise color. The one on the right is the one where I used Salty Ocean first and then Mustard Seed and with this one you get more of and chartreuse color. Once again it just amazes me how the same two colors create such different looks when you switch which color you start with! Which one do you like better?
Now I'm moving on to the third and final color combination....Salty Ocean and Picked Raspberry. And here's a look at the two backgrounds I created by mixing the Salty Ocean and Picked Raspberry. The one on the left is the one where I used Salty Ocean first and then added Picked Raspberry and the one on the right is the opposite mix. I was surprised by the result here because when these two colors are mixed they make a beautiful purple color and they seem to create the same purple color regardless of which color you start with.
Once I had the backgrounds completed, I took my paper trimmer and cut each one down to 4 x 5.25 inches because I'm going to mat them later on to create a standard A2 size card which is 4.25 x 5.5 inches. You could also do this step to start before you begin applying the ink.
STENCILS WITH DISTRESS OXIDE INK
Now it's time to add some stencil detail. I used the Ornate stencil from the Tim Holtz Mini Stencil Set 25, but feel free to use any stencil you like. I love the delicate design of this one. I applied the ink using an ink blending brush. I personally prefer to use a blending brush when I apply ink through a stencil as it tends to get into the tiny nooks of stencils and create a more detailed design.
I applied Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide ink through the stencil in the upper left hand corner and then the right lower corner to bring your eye across the background. I repeat this process on each of the background papers. I probably should have switched up the stencil, but I was on a roll and I really love the design of this one.
Once I was finished with the stencil work. I applied Frayed Burlap to the edges of the backgrounds using a foam blending tool. You can apply it directly to the edge of the paper or you can lay the paper flat and apply the ink in a circular motion going from the craft mat onto the edge of the paper. When doing it this way, I like to tilt the tool at an angle so I don't get more ink on the paper than I want.
After I finished all of the inking, I spritzed each panel with my Distress Sprayer to reactivate the inks and create a little more interest. I then used my heat tool to dry them.
DIE CUTS
With the backgrounds finished, I moved onto creating some embellishments. I picked three of the backgrounds I created to make the completed cards. I used the Tim Holtz Vintage Labels Thinlits to die cut some vellum. These dies have a inside border that is embossed into the paper when you run it through your die cutting machine. I've found the Scrapbook.com Magic Mat to produce the most noticeable embossing as compared doing it with a regular cutting plate because the surface is self-healing.
Next up, I die cut the three different butterflies using the Scrapbook.com Butterflies 1 Die Set from Neenah White Cardstock. I left the die cuts in the paper to help hold them in place while I added color to them using Distress Oxide Inks. I used an ink blending brush to apply Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed, and Salty Ocean to each of the butterflies. Normally I would knock the insides of the die cuts out, but I kind of liked how these looked with all the little pieces still in place. If yours want to fall out, you could always put some washi tape on the backside to help hold them in place, or you could remove the insides to get a more delicate look.
For another layer of interest, I die cut some of the leaves from the Scrapbook.com Layered Roses Bundle Die Set from Neenah White Cardstock. From there it was just a matter of mixing and matching the labels, butterflies and leaves to create a little cluster for each card. Once I was happy with each arrangement, I adhered it to the card front using Scrapbook.com Refillable Permanent Adhesive Roller. I then finished off each card with a sentiment from the Scrapbook.com Wordfetti Sunny Days Stamp set which I stamped in each of the Distress Oxide colors onto Neenah White Cardstock. I then trimmed each into a strip, inked the edges with Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide Ink and adhered them to the card front using Scrapbook.com Double Sided Adhesive Foam Strips.
DISTRESS INK PAD STORAGE TIN & MORE COLOR COMBINATIONS
Before I go, I want to share with you about a way to store your Distress Oxide Inks using the Distress Ink Pad Storage Tin. This metal tin has a hinged lid with a clasp. It also has an insert that will hold 15 Distress Ink Pads.
After creating with Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed, and Salty Ocean to make the cards I shared with you, I was inspired to pull together some other color combinations and colors to fill up the tin. Fossilized Amber, Lumberjack Plaid and Uncharted Mariner would be great for a slightly more moody primary color combination. To get a little more on the lighter side Scattered Straw, Saltwater Taffy and Salvaged Patina would make a great combo. I then had to add in a couple of my favorite neutrals which included Vintage Photo and Brushed Corduroy. And because in my book one can never have too many neutrals, I added in Walnut Stain, Lost Shadow and Black Soot. This is just what I would fill my tin with, but you could certainly add in whatever colors tickle your fancy. Create your own rainbow of colors by adding in some secondary colors such as Carved Pumpkin, Mowed Lawn and Wilted Violet. What colors would you add to your tin?
I hope you enjoyed the techniques and inspiration I shared using Distress Oxide Inks for creating your own rainbow of colorful backgrounds and cards.
SUPPLIES
Below you can find the products I used to create these cards along with compensated affiliate links to Scrapbook.com. These links are at absolutely no cost to you. When you shop through the links below, I receive a small commission from Scrapbook.com. These links are at absolutely no cost to you and the commission I receive helps me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, which allows me to continue to provide you with FREE inspiration and tutorials. If you want to learn more about what an affiliate link is, you can see my full affiliate and product disclosure statement here. Thank you so much for your love and support!
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HUGS!
JULIANA