A Little Bit of Ink

Here's a quick scrapbook page I put together for an introductory class last night. There was no stamping involved, but we did play with some inks & a couple of different direct-to-paper techniques. Even if a scrapbooker never intends to stamp in their scrapbooks or anywhere else, I always recommend to them that they have at least one brown ink in their supply closet. Ink is so versatile. With ink and a simple sponge dauber, you can soften the appearance of the edges of your paper, quickly making something look aged or distressed. Or....if you take the inkpad directly to the edges of your paper or photo, you can actually give them more definition. This trick comes in especially handy if you are dealing with multiple patterned papers. Multiple patterns that are layered can sometimes become overwhelming and appear to blend together, if the edges are not clearly defined. This can also help to 'pop' a photo or photo mat off the page if layered directly on a busy pattern - calling attention to the photo, which if of course the goal of creating the page in the first place. Inking is essentially an inexpensive way to give your pages some 'dimension', and doesn't add any bulk. This page was especially fun for me as I started with a pre-printed layout page, something that I often forget about. At left is the before picture. I cut a couple of squares from coordinating cardstock and made some photo mats (2 different sizes). Scissor distressed the edges of the pink ones, and inked the edges of the Vanilla ones -- although I admit it is difficult to see that in this picture. I cut the title on my Wishblade from Bamboo cardstock and inked it with a sponge dauber --- then added a simple paper flower and my photos. Voila! A completed layout - in less than 10 minutes! The strips on the side are for my journalling, and I will add simple names and dates (when I find my brown pen).