Stencils, Masking, and Ink!

LDRS Creative shopping list:

Playful Patterns stencil

Alloy ink

Evergreen ink

Key Lime Pie ink

Bali Blue ink

Dark Wash Jeans ink

Raven ink

Puddle Jumper stamp set

This is a fun technique to do, and you can easily switch it up just by changing which colors you use! Let's jump in!

Step 1:  Tear a scrap piece of cardstock in half... an irregular edge will give more interest to the finished piece. These two pieces of paper will become masks.

Step 2: Tape the masks down over your card front. Make sure the gap between the two pieces is not wider than the stencil. (In the case of the Playful Patterns stencil, the gap can't be any wider than about 1.5" )

Step 3: Using a sponge or blending brush, ink the edges of the mask using Alloy ink. Start on the mask, and brush out onto the card. It doesn't need to be all the way across the gap, you just want a bit of a shadow alone the edge of both masks. This will give definition and dimension to the "torn" edges.

Step 4: Tape the stencil over the masks (keep those masks in place!). Taping it down will ensure it doesn't shift during the inking process.

Step 5: Chose a light and a dark hybrid ink from the same color family (example: light and dark blue). Start by applying the darker color first at the bottom 1/4th  of the gap, then apply the lighter color to about half way up the gap. Be sure to overlap the two inks slightly.

Step 6: Choose a light and dark hybrid ink from another color family (example: light and dark green). Start by applying the darker color first to the top 1/4th of the gap, then apply the lighter color to about the half way point. Be sure to overlap the light and the dark slightly, as well as the light green with the light blue slightly. 

Step 7: I like to go over the 4 colors a second time, really working the areas where they overlap to create a seamless blend between colors. (I love the teal that you get when you blend Bali Blue with Key Lime Pie!)

Step 8: Working quickly, remove the card front from the stencil and masks, and cover with a thin layer of Perfect Pearls. Use a soft paint brush to pounce the powder into the ink. Then use the brush to whisk away any excess powder. The shimmery powder should stick to the inked areas and no where else!   Set the powder by spritzing some water into the air and waving the card front through the mist.

Typically hybrid inks dry quickly, and thus are not capable of doing things like this... however I have found the the LDRS hybrid inks work AMAZINGLY well for this as long as you work quickly! It is one of the things I love most about these inks!

Step 9: Add a sentiment... I'm using some sentiments from the new Puddle Jumper stamp set... I inked up just the word "happy" from the "be happy" stamp, and stamped that in Raven hybrid ink.

I then stamped "you are my" on top of "happy". I love that this set allows you to build your own sentiments!