Zen Flower Burst

A few weeks ago I taught a Distress Techniques class. One of the most requested techniques I get is how to blend with Distress Ink. I also have a lot of people ask me what is Distress Ink. 

Distress Inks are acid free, non-toxic, fade resistant, water based dye inks. When Tim Holtz first developed this line of inks, he did so to help crafters actually make their projects look “distressed”, or worn and yellowed. Over time, as more and more colors have been added to the collection, the range of Distress Inks has grown to encompass, not only his beloved browns and neutrals, but a wide array of bright, vibrant colors. Distress inks stay wet much longer than other dye based inks, and are specially formulated to react with water. They are therefore ideal for many interesting and beautiful background techniques.

This is one of the cards from my Distress Techniques class. This card illustrates color blending, and shows how beautifully Distress inks can be blended together when using patience and going slowly.

For this card, I masked above and below the inked area with Post-It 2 inch wide tape. I left slightly over 1" of my panel open for inking. The panel is 80# Neenah solar white Classic Crest cardstock, cut to 3.75" x 5". It is very important to get your masks straight for this to look good, so use a guide behind your panel, such as graph paper. After taping off the panel, I applied the inks with a Tim Holtz mini blending tool. I began with Twisted Citron, and began to apply ink in a circular motion, using hardly any pressure. In order to apply ink without making unwanted blotchy spots or dark marks on your paper, you have to start out very slowly and softly. 

Once you have gotten some ink down, you can slowly build it up by adding a little more pressure, and continue to add pressure as you go along. With very dark or juicy inks, it may be beneficial to tap off the blending tool before you apply it to your panel. This process takes patience and some practice to get it just right. I continued inking the panel with Peacock Feathers, and then Wilted Violet, covering about 1/3 of the unmasked area with each color. 

When the inking is complete and you are happy with the colors, the masking should be peeled off. At this point, the blending always looks amazing. I promise you'll think so if you give this a try.

To finish the card, I stamped it with the Zen Flower Burst stamp that I designed for Magenta, which is one of my favorite stamps. Since I stamped it using the MISTI stamping tool, I was able to use Wilted Violet Distress ink and stamp it several times to get it as dark as I wanted it. I finished the card with a sentiment from Magenta, matted the panel and mounted it on a card base, and then scattered a few sequins.

Magenta Products Used:

(If you are local, please look for products at Art 'n Soul. If you are not local and wish to find Magenta products, you can click on the link in the stamp name below each image, or you can visit the Magenta online store here).

Zen Flower Burst 44.017.L

Art Washes 07.691.G

Other Products Used:

Distress Inks: Twisted Citron, Peacock Feathers, Wilted Violet

Post-it® Labeling Tape 695

Tim Holtz mini blending tool

Versafine Onyx Black ink

So Silk Fair Blue cardstock for matting

80# Neenah solar white Classic Crest cardstock for panel

110# Neenah solar white Classic Crest cardstock for base card

Various sequins