Class taught by Jody M. on 2/4/05

Link to gallery:
http://orientalstampart.com/v-web/gallery/TechniquePolishedStone

Supplies:

• white glossy card stock cut into 4 pieces (easier to work with this way...)
• metallic pigment ink pads (Encore are terrific, but you can use colorbox or whatever)
• 2-3 inch strips of white felt (If you don't have that, try cotton balls or, in a real pinch paper towels or toilet paper). You will need at least 3.
• DYE reinkers in groups of three colors (beige, brown, olive green... for example or light blue, dark blue, yellow... whatever you like. Experiment. Go wild!!
• a bottle of rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) and a small container to put the alcohol in

Step One:

1. Take one of your white glossy card stock pieces
2. Choose the color of the metallic pigment pad you'd like to use. One reason I like the Encore pads is that they come in lots of different colors. You are NOT limited to gold, silver, copper...
3. Tap and smoosh (like these technical terms?) the ink pad all over the card stock. Photo #1 will show you what the cardstock looks like when I've finished "smooshing" the metallic pigment ink all over it.

Photo #1

Step 2:

1. Pour some alcohol into the little container so its ready for you to dip your felt (cotton ball, paper towel, etc).
2. Choose the two to three colors of dye reinkers you want to use.
3. Take your felt (or whatever) and dip it into the alcohol, saturating it to the point that you could actually wring it out. You really want it to be wet. TIP: some folks like to use a clothes pin to hold the ends of the felt so they don't get their fingers messy.
4. Now put one or two drops of the first dye reinker color onto the felt.
5. Tap the felt all around the cardstock, on top of the metallic color you've already put there. This is a random tapping; don't try to get the color to cover completely. You want to tap the color around the cardstock leaving metallic ink showing. (SEE Photo #2)
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with the next color (or two) of dye reinkers. (SEE Photo #3)

Have fun... play with the colors. Overlap the colors, try different motions for tapping the dye reinker color. Swirl it, daub it, whatever... see what YOU like.

HINT: Some folks like to put all the colors of the dye reinkers on the felt at the same time. Try this and see if you like it. In my opinion, you get more blended colors but have less control.

Photo #2

Photo #3

Step 3 (optional):

Here's the final step, if you wish to do it... You don't need to do this but it can add a nice effect.

1. Take a clean piece of felt and dip it into the alcohol.
2. Tap this around on the card stock, OVER the reinkers. This will thin the color and spread it around a bit more.
3. This works best if you do it before the reinkers dry.

Photo #4 shows both the background with and without this final step...

Now, you know that pigment ink will not dry on glossy paper. So, depending upon how much dye reinker you have used, you may find that once the card stock has dried, some of the metallic ink will come off on your fingers. If this happens, and it frequently does, use a sealant on it, Krylon makes a spray in both matte and glossy that works great. DON"T use hairspray unless you are desperate because hairspray will eventually yellow... IIIIK!

And... that's it!!! Simple, fast, and addicting....

Photo #4

Some thoughts....

I will frequently do a bunch, 20 or so, of these backgrounds (remember that this is only 5 sheets of card stock cut into 4 pieces) at one time and save 'em for when I need to make a card. I have a "backgrounds" drawer just stuffed with different types of backgrounds and I'll open it and pull out a few to do some cards. This is often helpful when I seem to be out of inspiration; somehow, just looking at these suggests
ideas for cards...

Here are two ways in which I use the faux polished stone backgrounds.

1. Using permanent ink, stamp a detailed image directly onto the background. Layer with a coordinating color and affix to a card.
2. Cut a piece of acetate larger than the image you want to use. Stamp the image onto the acetate with permanent ink. Glue the acetate, using a glue that won't show like a xyron machine, to the background. Trim the background so it is the same size as the stamped image. Affix to card.

Photo #5 shows samples of both these techniques.

Photo #5

I hope you enjoyed this and found the backgrounds easy and fun... please feel free to ask any questions about anything that isn't clear.....

Hugs,
Jody