Technique of the Week: Smooshing Revisited

This post is in conjunction with the Art 'n Soul Newsletter article Technique of the Week.

Made with Nuance by Magenta

I have shown you "smooshing" before, but this time I'm taking it up a notch. You can view my previous posts on smooshing here and here.

Made with Distress Ink

Smooshing is applying ink onto your panel using a piece of acetate. It creates very interesting backgrounds on which you can stamp. The piece of acetate I used was cut from some packaging.

This time, instead of applying color to a blank panel, I stamped and embossed an image first, using White Diamond embossing powder by JudiKins.

My panel was cut from Tim Holtz watercolor cardstock, using the largest die in the set LF768, Lawn Fawn Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables. This die gives a stitched edge around a panel 3.75" x 5". If you don't have this die, you can just cut your panel to this size with a paper cutter. this is the perfect size to be able to mat with a colored piece of cardstock before you mount it to an A2 size card.

Also of note is that I like the Tim Holtz watercolor cardstock because it's white. When I mount it onto my base card, which is also white, it coordinates well.

Note in the above image that I'm using one of the new MISTI Creative Corners. I LOVE these! This way if I'm using a large stamp, and it comes close to the edge of my panel, I can set it away from the ruler edge of the MISTI. I don't seem to get a good image when my stamp is close to that edge. This corner is being used in the mini MISTI by the way, and works just fine.

I also decided to try Smooshing using Distress ink on one panel and Nuance on a second panel with the same stamp. I'm using Distress first.

Magenta Stamp 14.639.P Three Flowers, Distress ink in
Wilted Violet, Blueprint Sketch and Cracked Pistachio

Another difference this time is I applied the ink to my craft mat and sprayed it with Pearly Water (1/4 tsp Perfect Pearls Powder mixed with 2 oz water). Last time I applied the ink directly to the acetate and sprayed it there. I think this new way I can get better control over which color I'm using at any given time.

Wilted Violet first

After picking up the ink with the acetate, I dabbed it around on the panel, taking care to apply it to the embossed flower areas.

Picking up additional colors with the acetate, I continued to dab ink around the embossed image.

As the ink is added, the image pops out of the layers of color. I noticed that the Distress ink has a transparent look to it so that you can see layers through layers.

Next I decided to try Nuance, used the same way. I chose Raspberry, Cerulean Blue, and Aquamarine.

I tapped the powders onto my craft mat and sprayed with Pearly Water.

The first thing I noticed is that the colors are darker and more vibrant. You can probably get lighter colors if you spray the powder with more water. In order to get the colors to spread out onto the embossed areas, I occasionally scraped the puddles of water with the edge of the acetate.

I continued applying the different colors. I noticed that the Nuance seems more opaque than the Distress ink. I love the vibrancy of the Nuance.

At the end, I used a paintbrush just a bit on both the Distress and Nuance panels to be sure color got where I wanted it around the embossing.

Here are both of the panels, Distress on the left and Nuance on the right. They are completely different, and I love them both.

I added the sentiments last, using Magenta stamp 07.954.G Think about you often (one of my favorite sentiments). On the Nuance panel, I stamped with Nuance and embossed with JudiKins White Diamond embossing powder, just as I had for the main image. This step could easily have been done when I stamped the flowers. 

On the Distress card, I decided to stamp the sentiment with Wilted Violet Distress ink to match the main image. One of the many things I love about the MISTI tool is that now we can actually stamp with Distress and not worry that it will be too faint or blotchy. You just keep inking and stamping until you are happy with the color. 

Note that here I am again using one of the MISTI Creative Corners (in the mini MISTI). This sets the panel away from the hard side and bottom of the MISTI and allows for a better stamping.

I hope you try this smooshing technique to color your stamped and embossed images. It's easy and it's fun, and you can probably use things you already have around.

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 or product name below each image, or you can visit the Magenta online store here).

Three Flowers 14.639.P

Think about you often 07.954.G

Nuance colors:

MNU007 Raspberry

MNU011 Cerulean Blue

MNU020 Aquamarine

Other Products Used:

Tim Holtz Watercolor cardstock

Distress ink: Wilted Violet, Blueprint Sketch, Cracked Pistachio

Perfect Pearls Powder

Scrap of Acetate

Versamark ink

JudiKins White Diamond embossing powder

Lawn Fawn LF768 Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables

So Silk Fair Blue cardstock (for matting)

So Silk Passion Purple cardstock (for matting)

Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock (for base cards)

sequins from Neat & Tangled

Technique of the Week: Distress Ink Lifting

I saw this technique on Jennifer McGuire's blog, and I think she invented it. She makes it look easy, but I'm here for you. I decided to try it to see if a mere mortal could do it.

To make 2 cards, I used panels cut to 5.5 x 2.25 and 5.5 x 2.75. (I made a third panel, but did not make it into a card).

To do this technique, first you need to find a stamp or stamps with images that have some open space in them. Flowers are perfect. I used two great Magenta stamps, 14.639.P Three Flowers; 14.635.P Mallow Flowers.

Stamp your image with Versamark on 80# Neenah white cardstock, and emboss with clear embossing powder. You heard me correctly! She did NOT use watercolor cardstock; she said that 80# Neenah cardstock worked the best. I admit I have not tried it on other papers. This did make my paper curl, but by the time I stuck them down on the base card, they were fine.

Using Distress ink, the color of your choice, apply ink from the pad direct to paper, and cover your whole panel completely. Use a lot of ink, and make sure it's completely covered. For the first card, I used Mustard Seed ink and the Mallow Flowers stamp. 

After covering the embossed panel completely with ink, I took a small watercolor brush and water, and painted the petals and leaves of the image with water. This lifted some of the ink from those areas.

I let it dry and then put some Spiced Marmalade ink on an acrylic block, added a little water to the ink with my brush, and painted with this in the petal areas. I used Mowed Lawn in the same way to paint the leaves. (I may have painted some of the Spiced Marmalade on a leaf, but I like how it turned out in the end).

I left this all to dry and started on the second panel, where I used Peacock Feathers for the background color, and Wilted Violet for the secondary color. 

I again used Mowed Lawn for the leaves. The stamp was Magenta's Three Flowers stamp.

Painting water on the petals

Painting Wilted Violet on the petals after lifting color

Painting Mowed Lawn on the leaves

I inked a third panel, but did not end up making it into a card.

Blueprint Sketch ink and the beautiful Magenta Fuchsia stamp 42.235.O

Here are the three panels I made. I flicked a little water on them to get little drops in the color.

To finish the cards, I applied strips of leftover cardstock on each side of the panels. (Stardream Fairway, and So Silk Fair Blue). (Yes, I save my strips, especially if it's pretty cardstock).

These photos show me using the MISTI tool. I prepared base cards using 110# Neenah Solar White cardstock. I decided to stamp the sentiment directly on the base card, and to do that I used a MISTI tool. If you have not heard of this tool, then you should definitely check it out. At Art 'n Soul, we are going to carry this product as soon as we can get them in stock. I believe they are due to be shipped in March. I would not feel safe stamping directly on a base card any other way. If you are interested in obtaining a MISTI tool, please get one from us at Art 'n Soul. You can pre-order from us with a pink sheet.

Lining up the panel and stamp placement on base card

I decided to stamp the sentiment using Distress Ink, which can turn out splotchy. I don't usually use it for stamping a sentiment, but I wanted to match the colors on the panels. With the MISTI, you can stamp it down as many times as you like, and it won't mess up.

I love, love, love the Magenta Happy Birthday stamp, 07430.I. I used the cling version, since the MISTI does not accomodate wood stamps. This is a fantastic stamp with a vertical orientation, and worked perfectly for this card design. I stamped one sentiment with Peacock Feathers, and one with Mowed Lawn. I did have to stamp each one a couple of times to get perfect coverage.

I decided to stamp on scrap paper first to decide which color I wanted to use for the sentiment. Wilted Violet or Peacock Feathers?

Both are good, but definitely Peacock Feathers!

After mounting the panels on the base cards, I added a few touches of bling: Wink of Stella clear glitter pen on the flower petals; touches of Stickles in the centers, and some scattered sequins. The glitter touches are very hard to pick up in a photograph, so if you want to see these cards in person, please come in to Art 'n Soul.

I have to say that I did not find these hard to do, and most importantly, they were really, really fun! I think you could easily make multiple cards using this technique, and depending on the stamps you use, you could mount the panels horizontally on your card instead of up and down. You could also use smaller images and mount them in the center. There are lots of possibilities. I hope you give it a try!

Magenta Products Used

Mallow Flowers 14.635.P

Three Flowers 14.639.P

Happy Birthday C07.430.I

Fuchsia 42.235.O

Other Products Used

Distress Inks: Peacock Feathers, Wilted Violet, Mowed Lawn, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade

Versamark Ink

Judikins Clear Detail embossing powder

Neenah Solar White Cardstock 80# for panels and 110# for base cards

Small watercolor brush

So Silk Fair Blue cardstock

Stardream Fairway cardstock

MISTI Stamping Tool

Various sequins

Ranger multi medium matte adhesive

Wink of Stella clear glitter pen

Stickles Orange Peel and Starry Night