Because Distress Oxide inks react with water, I wondered whether I could use water—or even a baby wipe—to stamp designs into an inked background. I had seen both techniques used to create different effects, so I decided to give them a try. It was interesting to compare the two results and see how something as simple as moisture can affect Distress Oxides.
Video Tutorial:
Suggested Materials:
Links are Affiliates AZ – Amazon, SSS – Simon Says Stamps, SB – Scrapbook, O – Other
Learn how to use metallic paint to create a shimmering, grungy textured background for your next mixed-media paper craft!
This week’s tutorial features a metallic paint technique that creates a beautifully grungy, textured background. The earthy colors give the background its grungy appearance, while the technique adds layers of unique texture.
The free printable will be available next week so stay tuned by signing up for our mailing list.
Suggested Materials:
Links are Affiliates AZ – Amazon, SSS – Simon Says Stamps, SB – Scrapbook, O – Other
The paint was found at a discount store. I was unable to located a company that carries it. You can search online and find it listed on sites like eBay, or look at your local discounters.
In the image above, you can see the shimmer of the metallic paint contrasted with the duller areas, which have a wonderful tactile texture.
When alcohol ink didn’t go as planned, I switched gears and created this colorful tag background
I had an idea to use alcohol inks on textured baking parchment paper, but when it didn’t work as planned, I switched gears and applied the inks to cardstock instead. Adding a little rubbing alcohol softened the colors, helped them blend, and filled in the open spaces—creating a beautiful background for this week’s tag.
After creating the tag’s background, I added a coordinating paper scrap and a stamped butterfly. A stamped sentiment was the perfect finishing touch.
If you would like to learn more about how I stamped the butterfly on tissue, here is the tutorial link:
Create a colorful, one-of-a-kind background using alcohol ink and a simple stencil-lifting technique!
This week’s tag features a fun stencil-lift technique using alcohol ink to create a beautiful patterned background. A few printable elements and a coordinating ribbon complete the design.
The alcohol ink used for this technique comes from an alcohol ink marker. The lifting comes from rubbing alcohol.
Turn leftover ink into something beautiful—see how metallic paint and a stencil gave this colorful background the perfect finishing touch!
This week’s tutorial began with a piece of cardstock I used to pick up leftover ink from my glass mat after another project. The colorful splatters created a beautiful background, but it needed a little something more. Stenciling metallic paint over the ink added the perfect amount of shimmer, texture, and visual interest.
In the image above you can see the detail added with the stencil and metallic paint.
A close up of the ribbon shows how it coordinates with the colors on the tag.
Create colorful, one-of-a-kind backgrounds using the surprising combination of hand sanitizer and alcohol ink!
Can you believe you can use hand sanitizer to create beautiful crafting backgrounds? You can! When combined with alcohol ink, hand sanitizer produces colorful, organic patterns that are different every time.
Because the sanitizer is thick, it slows the movement of the ink and creates fascinating swirls, textures, and blended areas. Experiment with several colors, but avoid overmixing them—you’ll want to preserve those beautiful variations.
Set the finished background aside until it is completely dry. Drying time may vary depending on how much sanitizer you use. Once dry, your background can be transformed into cards, tags, die-cut shapes, journal pages, or other paper-crafting projects.
In the close-up image, you can see how the rainbow alcohol ink adds a beautiful shimmer to the stripes without altering the background color.
Video Tutorial:
Suggested Materials:
Links are Affiliates AZ – Amazon, SSS – Simon Says Stamps, SB – Scrapbook, O – Other
Learn how to stamp with a stencil to create a beautiful two-toned blended background in this week’s tutorial!
This week’s tutorial shares how to stamp with a stencil to create a beautifully blended, two-toned background. This easy technique adds layers of color and visual texture, making it a fun way to create a unique foundation for your next paper-crafting project.
I used two coordinating Distress Oxide ink pads but any ink that activates with water will work.
Video Tutorial:
Suggested Materials:
Links are Affiliates AZ – Amazon, SSS – Simon Says Stamps, SB – Scrapbook, O – Other
This week I’m putting DIY craft products to the test and using my favorite results to create a finished mixed-media tag.
I recently heard about Distress Glaze and was curious to see if I could make my own version. I asked ChatGPT for a DIY recipe and decided to give it a try. I started to get some interesting results, but then I wondered how it would compare to my DIY Resist recipe, which has given me great results in the past. So, of course, I had to put the two techniques to the test!
For the backgrounds, I used the same technique for each trial with Distress Oxide Ink. Since Distress Oxide is water-reactive, it was the perfect choice for this comparison. It would clearly show whether the glaze or resist actually protected the surface from additional applications of water or other wet mediums.
The recipe for the DIY Distress Glaze was surprisingly simple—just petroleum jelly combined with rubbing alcohol. With only two easy-to-find ingredients, I was curious to see how well this homemade version would work as a resist and how it would compare to my tried-and-true DIY Resist recipe.
Video Tutorial:
I ended up choosing the DIY Resist version for this week’s tag tutorial because I really liked the results it created. To finish off the tag, I layered on some ephemera and added a few rhinestones for a little extra sparkle and dimension.
While I did start to see some results with the DIY Glaze, I don’t think it worked as well as a resist. Instead, I think this mixture would be better suited as a protective finishing layer or a final buffing layer. For techniques where I really want to protect the surface while continuing to add wet mediums, my DIY Resist was definitely the better choice.
Add amazing texture and dimension to your paper crafts with expanding mousse—see how I used it to create this week’s Tag it Tuesday background!
This week’s tag shares how to create a fun, textured background using expanding mousse.
Once the background was complete, I added stickers, Diamond Dotz, a sentiment, and coordinating ribbons to finish off the tag and add even more color and dimension.
The close-up image shows the amazing depth and texture created by the expanding mousse, adding a dimensional effect that really makes the background stand out.
Youtube Tutorial:
Suggested Materials:
Links are Affiliates AZ – Amazon, SSS – Simon Says Stamps, SB – Scrapbook, O – Other
Turn your favorite printables into beautiful handmade stickers and craft with them!
I was inspired by a free printable I shared a while back and decided to give it a new purpose by turning the images into stickers for this week’s tag tutorial. It’s a fun way to get even more use from your digital printables while adding unique, handmade embellishments to your projects.
To finish the tag, I added a coordinating moonlight sentiment, inked the edges for extra definition, and tied on hand-dyed fabric strips in shades of blue and lavender. The result is a whimsical tag that would be perfect for a gift, journal, bookmark, or mixed media project.
Suggested Materials:
Links are Affiliates AZ – Amazon, SSS – Simon Says Stamps, SB – Scrapbook, O – Other
