with love, from me to YOU...

as a special THANK YOU for being blog friends...

and...

for all the wonderful comments you leave...(hint)

I have a valentine tutorial, just for you!

I'll show you how to use Ranger's pigment inks to make an easy awesome background and I'll show you a completed valentine tag...

studio 490 style...

The pigment inks are a quick drying pigment ink, that provide opaque coverage. So, they are perfect for quickly inking chipboard or grunge.

They'll air dry on porous surfaces in about 15 minutes...

or if you're like me...impatient...

just blast them with the heat-it craft tool for a few seconds and you're ready to move on.

So that's one way to use the inks...to provide complete coverage.

But I found another way to use them, for a totally different look.

This technique can also be done with the Distress inks, but because they are transparent and pigments are opague...
you'll see that the look is very different with each.

Using the pigment gives a chalky look, that I really like...
Let's go!

Make sure to work on your Ranger non stick craft sheet.

To make the Perfect Pearls mist, add a small bit (what fits on the end of a popcycle stick) to an empty mini mister & fill 3/4 full with water. Shake to mix.

Perfect pearls are set with water, so they won't rub off & no special stinky fixatives are needed.

For this sample, I used Sunflower Sparkle Perfect Pearls and Ranger's Red Pepper & Denim pigment inks.




2. Lightly swipe the ink pads onto the craft sheet, placing the inks close together.

Just a light touch is all it takes...

it should look like this...



3. Shake the Perfect Pearls solution to mix, then mist the inks to create dots of color to look like this...



4. Place a manila tag over the area & swipe your hand across the back of the tag.

DO NOT drag the tag thru the color...

that will mix the inks & make mud. trust me!

DRY with the heat it craft tool & the tag will look like this, with a base coat of color.

Nothing exciting yet...
but this technique is about adding layers to create interest...




5. Lightly tap the tag onto the remaining ink dots & pick them up.


DRY...repeat picking up the ink dots until you are satisfied with the background.
Dry between adding layers.

STOP when you like it...

if you go too far, you KILL it & calling 911 will do you no good! trust me!


It will look like this...notice the bling from the Perfect Pearls.



6. Using red pepper again, stamp the scallop 3 times as shown.

DRY with heat tool.

I designed the scallop stamp as a time saver.

Instead of rethreading the sewing machine each time I wanted a new color...now it's simple...

I just change the color of the ink!

7. Using denim, stamp the register stamp & dry, with the heat tool.



8. Trim the bottom of the tag along the scallop, to make a scalloped edged tag. It's so EASY...& I LOVE the look!


Use the gold Paint Dabber to edge the tag.


I chose gold...but other coordinating dabber colors would be fine too.





9. Using jet black archival, stamp "with love" @ the bottom of the text.

10. Next, grab a scrap of grungepaper and stamp the heart, using jet black archival.

Cut out the studio 490 heart.

11. Using the ink blending tool, lightly TAP the blending tool onto the red pepper pad.

Don't rub...just tap lightly...pigment pads are foam.

***Use just a bit of ink...remember the pigments are opaque, so use just a bit. Too much covers up the stamped image***

You can always go back & add more.

another...trust me!

12. Stamp the 2 mini flowers on grungepaper scraps with jet black archival & cut out.

Using denim, lightly apply ink with the ink blending tool.

Use jet black archival to stamp the register stamp over the flowers.

13. Using olive archival, stamp the leaves onto grungeboard scraps.

Cut out & ink with peeled paint, on the front & back.

Curl each petal to shape.

Stamp just the leaves from this flower, using jet black archival, onto a scrap of grungepaper.

Cut out, ink with peeled paint (front & back) and overstamp with a background stamp and jet black archival.

sorry...no photo...someone?? deleted it accidently! duh...

14. Assemble as shown.

Add a threaded vintage button for the flower center.

The finishing embellishments are a mini heart pin, from Maya Road and a bit of gingham ribbon, also from Maya Road.

Pen stitch around the edge of the tag.

Here's a close-up...

15. and the finished tag...
for that special someone...

Once again...thank you for being blog friends!

I hope this was fun...

now get those supplies & stamps out and...

make (valentine) art!

wendy

ps...some teaching locations have been updated.

Check the right sidebar.