Life can get in the way of creativity, and this can be a busy time of the year. Spring may mean gardening chores, the demands of children's sports, and for many a frantic race to the end of the school year. At those times when life is busy - and this is a busy time for me, I know that quality time in my studio is out of the question. When this is the case, one of the things that I like to do is to create backgrounds for future projects. This is a great technique for those times.
You'll need Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads and a surface to ink. Today, I used 140 lb. watercolor paper because I plan to make postcards with my backgrounds. Manila shipping tags work well too. You'll also need your Ranger Non-Stick Craft Sheet, a spray bottle filled with water, and a heat gun. Here's how to make these backgrounds.
- Rub several colors of Distress Ink Pads directly on your Non-Stick Craft Sheet without overlapping the inks. Liberally spritz the inks with water.
- Drag your paper through the ink until you achieve the coverage you desire. (Initially, you may “twist” the tag in the ink. Do not continue to twist the pad or the colors will become muddy.) Heat set.
- Tap uncolored sections in remaining ink for layers of color. (Spritz Non-Stick Craft Sheet if needed.) Heat set between layers.
- As an option, flick drops of water onto your background paper. Heat set.
Here are two of the backgrounds I made today.
I used Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick, and Broken China for the background on the left. For the background on the right, I used Mustard Seed, Aged Mahogany, Fired Brick, and Vintage Photo Distress Inks.
With backgrounds in hand, let the real fun begin!
