Ink-Only Backgrounds by Judi Kauffman for The Queen’s Ink

I played with Red Castle Texture Plate stamps last week, creating backgrounds that I promised to use for projects in an upcoming post. (And some envelopes, because I love stamping envelopes so much…)

I’ll be keeping that promise in the next tutorial, but today I wanted to show backgrounds that involve no stamps at all – just INKS! In this case, Tim Holtz’s Distress, Distress Oxide, and dye inks.

See you in a day or two with a batch of projects that combine the Texture Plate pieces with the ones you see here! There will be LOTS of cards, bookmarks, and a coil-bound notebook, too…

TIP:
Take digital photos of your Ink-Only Backgrounds before you cut or tear them up to use in projects! Because you created them without any rubber stamps* or other elements that are under copyright where electronic reproduction is not allowed, you can alter them in your computer and, best of all, make as many photo prints of them as you want. That way, you can use the photo prints as collage papers or backgrounds in your projects, along with – or instead of – the originals!

(*Reminder: Each rubber stamp company has an ‘Angel Policy’ outlining how its stamps can be used. Red Castle’s policy is hand-stamping only, no electronic reproduction via photos, scanner, etc., but Red Castle does allow you to sell whatever you hand-stamp! This means I could use photo prints of my ink-only creations on my cards, but the stamped elements must be hand-stamped.)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Use the pads as ink applicator tools
2. Activate the Distress Oxide Inks with a bit of water from a fine mist spray bottle.
3. Air-dry the pieces that are on uncoated cardstock.
4. Add clear embossing powder and use a heat tool to set the Distress Oxide Inks on coated cardstock.
5. Use the photo gallery below to give you some ideas for color combinations and compositions.

SUPPLIES:

• Distress Oxide Inks in colors of choice
• Distress Inks in colors of choice
• Other dye inks in colors of choice
• Coated and uncoated cardstock
• Panel cards
• Fine mist spray bottle, water
• Heat tool