Tutorial for creating an inked background

I thought I would show you how to combine a stamp - ink a background - and use digis with it all - to create a really effective scene.

I love trees - and I used Shelly's set for the trees - that's the beauty of sets - loads of choice.  I wanted to make a scene with a stamp that came free with a magazine - but is cute - but a bit small.

First - stamp your image roughly where you want it on to a piece of card bigger than you want.  The reason you use a big base piece is to give you space to work in.  Then stamp the image again on a scrap piece.  Cut out the image on your scrap piece out very closely.  You will use it to cover the image stamped on your card.

You can do just the same thing with a digi image - just print it in a space - and print another the same size in the corner or on another sheet

  

Second - take some sticky notes / post-it notes, and place them so that they cover the area that will be your 'ground' and holds the loose masking image in place

I used 2 blues and a pale brown to create the sky colours.  You can use an odd scrap of sponge, the Tim Holtz applicator, a foam block or a finger dabber to apply the ink.  don't use cotton wool - all it does is soak up the ink, leave streaky patches and uneven fluff everywhere.

Leave it a few minutes to dry 

Next - move the post-it notes so that you are covering the sky you have just created (still keeping the loose image mask in place) so that you can work on the 'ground'.  I used 2 pink colours and a yellow - going for a warm ice look.   Leave for a few minutes to dry

When you take all the post-it notes off and remove the loose mask from the image it leaves you a clean, clear, crisp look

Cut the picture you have created to the size you want it and mat it to match.

Use the digi trees at different sizes to create the final scheme - cut them out close and add a tiny bit of green and glitter.

Raise them on foam pads to get the depth - and spread them over your scene.

And there you go - a great versatile way to combine digis with other elements

The quote on my card is from Peter Pan - it is the directions on how to get to Never Never Land

Yours

kitten xx

www.princesskitten.co.uk