Cardmaking with Inky Backgrounds

While crafting all these pretty cards, I have been learning new techniques as I go, and the latest is inking up a background to create a colorful base for stamping and collage. I’m usually a more of a precise crafter, so I had a lot of fun trying this freeform technique.  You can also check out my last post on cardmaking techniques – edge dies.

One way to ink up a background is to use water based ink pads and a blending tool to rub on the color. Some examples are Spectrum Noir Harmony Water Reactive Ink Pads or Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads. I’m always surprised at the beautiful new colors that are made when two or three colors overlap. A fun combination is blending the primary colors – pinky-red, yellow, and blue – and the rest of the rainbow – orange, green and violet – magically appears!

These backgrounds are perfect for die cutting, embossing and background stamping. I like using tone on tone colors when adding stamps in the background for a subtle effect.

You can also use the inks to create scenery, especially a moon or sun glow and add silhouette or other landscape stamps on top. To make a defined shape, start with the lightest color, such as the yellow of the moon, then cover with a circle paper to act as a stencil, and ink around the edges.

Another way to create a background with deep saturated color is with sparkle inks either in little ink pots or with a brush pen. These sparkly inks from Spectrum Noir are amazing and make me feel like an artist. They are water based, so all you need is a little water to blend and move the color around the paper. Unfortunately it’s hard to capture the super fine glittery bits in this ink with a photo, but the effect is truly magical. You can swipe on color with a brush, blob on the colors and blend, or color in details of a stamped image.

Both of these techniques look great under collages. Collaging is a chance to let loose a little and try layering haphazardly without planning too much – at least that’s what I try to do, but my orderly nature comes back in sometimes!

I hope you try using these techniques in your backgrounds and add some rich color to your cardmaking. Happy inking!