'What you do speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you say.'
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sunday 8 November 2009

I feel more than a little embarrassed about posting this as a technique because it really is so EASY, but here you go…

I used just three shades of Ecoline inks – Cerise, Cyan and Yellow – then, taking a sheet of card (thickish) or watercolour paper (I used hot press smooth) I just painted them on randomly (with thick brushes) and left them to dry. What a cheat? The colours blend beautifully and create all those shades you can see on the ATCs. On some, I wet the card or paper first, then added the inks, on others I spritzed after painting, then mopped up excess colour with another sheet of card/paper, so I ended up with lots of variations – some muddier looking than others, some paler.

Word of warning – it looks YUKKY before you stamp it and the white highlighting really does make all the difference :)

I did try this with Adirondack reinkers but they are too highly pigmented, so the colours are too dark. Great for inkpads but not for techniques like this. I am intending trying the same thing with Vivid Reinkers because I have quite a lot of those – I’ll upload my results when I do.

Here are a couple of the backgrounds BS (Before Stamping).

colour bg 1

colour bg 2

I think the first two were spritzed VERY lightly. Don’t they look YUKKY?

colour bg 4

colour bg 3

The second two pieces were wet before I started and then were spritzed a little more before being allowed to dry. These look much nicer unstamped.

8 very kind comments from lovely people:

Carol Q said...

those second two are gorgeous Cath. have you tried it with salt yet?

Lynne K said...

Easy, as you say, Cath, but aren't the simplest ideas often the best? The colours on these are gorgeous, and look so good when stamped over.

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing - I fancy having a go at that when I am done with the bags

kjjc said...

thanks Cath

Dotpat said...

Love your ATC's Cath the colours are fab
Dot

SYLVIA-ANNE said...

Thanks for the tutorial Cath. Such a beautiful background effect and your ATC's are fab.
Love the story of your day out with Ugly - she obviously had a great time!
Hugs, Sylvia x

JoZart Designs said...

I love the front page for the skinny alphabet book and can't wait to get mine to see the rest!
The colour technique looks stunning.... so vibrant and I love best the ones you call yucky!
Bestest
Jo x

Susie Jefferson said...

I really like these - I adore vivid colours at any time, and these are great combos!