Techniques and Tips

I'm hoping to list a few of my fave techniques in this section so they're easier to find than scrolling though the main blog.

Polished Stone Technique

Materials

For this technique you are best using Astrolux or similar (it's a card that is coated and very glossy like patent leather) . Some peeps use photopaper but I don't recommend it because it generally doesn't like heat and you will probably be using a heat gun at some point.
You CAN use a very shiny smooth coated card, like Ryman's but imho, it doesn't work quite as well as the Astrolux - although I know Astrolux isn't that easy to come by these days.

Shiny COATED card (ordinary uncoated will NOT work with this -it will just suck up your ink and not blend at all)

Materials you will need:-
Astrolux or similar (glossy photopaper if you have nothing else but DON'T heat set this!)
Alcohol inks such as Adirondak, Posh Rainbow or even Copics Various...!
A metallic ink like Posh Rainbow Metallics or Adirondak Mixatives
Either a blending tool with felt on or just a piece of felt stuck to a bit of cut & dry foam or make-up foam would do.
Blending solution. I use Adirondak but, once again, Copics would do the job or even a little antiseptic hand liquid (not gel or lotion) will do it - any high-octane alcohol really (keep the gin for drinking though...  )

Have your card cut to the approximate size you want - the one I've used was a light cream colour

Method

Take your blending tool/felt and put a drop or two of your chosen inks (not too much!) on the pad and apply to your card in random order, turning your pad so not to make a repeat pattern and just adding what colour you fancy where you fancy it.

When you're happy, add a drop of the metallic ink to your pad and carefully (but messily!) apply to your card where you want it.

When this has settled a bit, just take your blending solution of choice and carefully drop single drops here and there and watch!
Just repeat these steps until you are happy with your result. Once it's dry (if you're impatient you can use a heat gun) buff it off with a soft cloth. I might add a bit more copper to this as it looks like Malachite....

...and another piece....

Same as previous piece but I went back in with a felt pad and blending solution. You can keep changing it, keep the circular markings or tone them down. Blending solution can 'lift' an area you want lightening or blend what's there.

.......and a card made with a piece.

I hope you enjoy using this easy - but very addictive - technique!

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Ghost Resist

Materials

Gloss coated cardstock bigger than your stamp. Colour is your
choice. Astralux is brill.
Dye ink or inkpad(s) ‘Big & Juicy’ multi –colour are brill or you
can use a variety of smaller pads. Distress inks work well.
Ink blending pads (Cut & Dry works well) or brayer
Rubber stamps(s)
Clear embossing inkpad (Versamark is brill)
Heat Gun
Black dye ink or inkpad (for overstamped verse at the end.)
Kitchen roll or soft cloth

Method


Using your clear embossing inkpad, stamp your image and ‘Set’ the ink using your heat gun.

Then, using either your brayer or your pads, cover the whole of the card with your lightest colours
Using cloth or kitchen roll wipe over the stamped image and the
original card colour will remain.
Repeat step one with your next stamp.
Repeat step two with the next lightest ink.
Polish with cloth again.
Just repeat these steps, avoiding the lightest bits if you wish to keep the original colour anywhere (like my angel).

Repeat these steps as often as required for your design to build up
You can even overstamp with a strong colour at the end, if you’d like, using your design like a backing paper.

Another rather addictive resist technique!

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JOSEPH'S COAT TECHNIQUE

This technique has been called many things over the years but I like this title - it describes it well - the coat of many colours!


Materials

Plain white standard cardstock bigger than your stamp (I use Ryman's coated 200gsm usually)
Dye ink or inkpad(s) ‘Big & Juicy’ multi–colour are brill (sadly, they've now stopped producing these - I've no idea why) or you can use a variety of smaller pads. Distress inks would work well too but the brightest colours work best.
Ink blending pads (Cut & Dry works well) or brayer
Rubber stamps(s)
Clear embossing inkpad (Versamark is brill)
Clear embossing powder
Heat Gun
Black pigment ink or inkpad (Distress inkpad in Black Soot will also do the job)
Kitchen roll or soft cloth.

Method
Using either the brayer or the blending pads, cover the cardstock with patches of DYE inkpad colour in linear (brayer) or random (pads) pattern. Heat set with heat gun or leave overnight to dry.

When cool/dry, ink up stamp with clear ink (Versamark etc) and stamp your image.
Use the clear embossing powder and heat gun to clear emboss the image.

Wait for the image to cool, then apply black ink to the whole surface of the card using either the brayer or the pads—your own preference. Don't worry - you won't spoil it!

Then the magic........! 

With your soft cloth, wipe over the embossed image and it will reveal the lovely colours behind the resistant embossing powder.

Joseph's Coat!

For my top image, I mounted the finished image onto acetate and also trimmed the edges of the acetate with Joseph's Coat treated card pieces.

I hope you'll enjoy trying this out and we all get to see what you produce!


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