5 Background Techniques with Distress Inks Volume 1

Welcome to my new series which I have released over at YouTube focusing on a variety of background techniques for you to use.  This video starts you off with distress inks but keep an eye out for many other mediums.  As well as a video please scroll down for close up photos…

In this volume the techniques covered are:

1. Foam Blending + Spritz with Water
2. Faux Beaching + Splatters
3. Stamping
4. Gesso Resist Stamping
5. Embossing Folder Press

1. This is probably the first sort of background people play with when they get distress inks.  Using a foam applicator or piece of cut and dry foam lay down randomly your colours and overlap them.  Give it a spritz of water from a misting bottle and mop up excess with dry paper towel.

2. Apply the colours as before (this time I’ve gone for more of a night sky look).  You can faux bleach with water and a brush for a moon shape and to create splatters you can flick water from your fingers.  Mop up the water with dry paper towel and this will lift your colour off.

3. You can also stamp with distress inks.  For this background I have taken an assortment of my texture stamps from Crafter’s Companion and Sheena Douglass.  To finish I have distressed the edges to create a veneer. 

4. Apply white gesso to your stamp (I’m using tissue to get a thin layer) and then stamp onto your card.  Make sure you clean your stamp well afterwards and make sure the card is completely dry.  Finish off with distress inks like in background 1.  For a subtle effect you can stop here or take a damp cloth or wet wipe and go over the gesso lightly.  You can lift a lot more ink off the gesso areas creating a contrast.

5. Apply the ink pad directly to either side of your embossing folder depending on which way round you want it.  It will always be the debossed areas which will be inked.  Run it through your embossing machine as normal.  You will only get ink where the folder pressed into the card.