distress markers = MAGIC...

I'm excited to share some fun little "arts"

using tim's new distress markers...

I have been patiently waiting for these markers,

since the distress pads came out...

YES...that long...

let me just say...

they are well worth the wait...

I really wanted them to ink small areas...

but when tim showed me the magic of these markers,

I about fainted...

like the title says...

PURE MAGIC...

you'll see...

here's the first "art"...

it's an ATC made from

Ranger's new "specialty stamping paper"...

let's get started...

use the distress markers to color right on the fish stamp...

it doesn't matter if you go from light to dark to dark to light...

just randomly color...

overlap...it doesn't matter...

I used rusty hinge, broken china, peeled paint, black soot & mustard seed distress markers...

you DO NOT need to work quickly...

to rehydrate the inks before stamping,

just lightly huff on the stamp...

stamp & dry...

it takes just a little huff...not a big blast...

your fish should look like this...

next, use the blending tool with bundled sage & broken china to ink over the entire ATC...

do you see the MAGIC?

normally distress inks blend & create beautiful custom colors...

but look...

the markers resist the distress inks &

the color is still vivid...

MAGICALLY...

the markers have NOT blended with the background...

next...

fill in the fish with rusty hinge on the blending tool & dry...

now create a mask,

by stamping the fish onto a post-it note, using jet black archival...

make sure to stamp a portion of the fish over the sticky area of the post-it...

that will hold it in place & the post-it won't leave any residue on the ATC...

cut it out...right on the outline of the stamp...

or even a tiny bit inside the stamped image...

*tip* if you cut outside the line & make the mask larger, it creates a halo around the image...

and you won't have any background stamping there...

place the mask right over the fish...

ink the background stamp with olive archival & randomly stamp over the fish...

I usually don't press over the whole background...

I like the random, worn look...

leave the mask there...

now ink the bubble background with

aquamarine archival & stamp over the entire ATC...

remove the mask, then add shading to the edges with walnut stain & the blending tool...

it will now look like this...

stamp the saying, using jet black archival...

*TIP*

stamp the full saying first...

then stamp a portion of it on both sides of the saying to create a continuous saying...

add some simple doodling with a waterproof pen...

that's it...

I mounted mine on black card stock...

and added Glossy accents to the eye & for some bubbles...

*WARNING*...

these markers are like potato chips...

you can't do just one...

don't like fish?

here's the same technique,

with a little twist,

using my tree stamp, forest moss, peeled paint, fired brick, walnut stain & brushed corduroy distress markers...

ink the tree with the markers...

huff, stamp & dry...

this time I used watercolor paper...

it looks like this...

you'll see the image is NOT perfect...

I missed some areas...

it doesn't matter...

trust me!

next, use the new detailer water brush to go over the tree...

do it quickly...

not real precisely...

this creates a cool watercolor effect...

dry it & it will look like this...

then add background colors with distress inks & the blending tool...

just as in the first ATC...

I used brushed corduroy & broken china,

then walnut stain around the edges...

this background was randomly stamped with

aquamarine archival & dried...

Lady Dy showed using large backgrounds without the acrylic mount...

just roll the inked stamp over select areas & you don't end up with harsh edges...

LOVE IT!

the saying was stamped with jet black archival...

*TIP*

here's a fun way to use the water brush...

I used it to make the water spots...

tap a tiny amount of distress stain onto your craft sheet...

add a bit of water with the water brush...

I used broken china first & then brushed corduroy stains...

pick up as much color as the brush will hold & tap the brush against your hand to create the drops...

what's cool is that the distress inks in the background react with the water, so you add color from the stains & a bleaching effect, because of the water...

here's the finished piece...

this is 2 3/4 inches x 4 inches...

and it's cut from Ranger's manila card stock...

I couldn't stop...

here's one more...

this time a flower...

this is a 3 1/2 x 5 journal page...

cut from the manila card stock...

I colored the stamp with these marker colors...

rusty hinge, fired brick, peeled paint & forest moss...

stamped it once on the right...

then huffed on the stamp to get the second generation (lighter) image on the left...

dry it...

and again...

I went over the the stamped images

with the detailer water brush...

added the background...

stamped portions of the background,

with aquamarine archival again...

my new favorite...

stamp field notes & the saying with jet black archival...

accented the flower centers with

the black Sakura glaze pen...

that tiny dot defines the flowers...

this took a total of 10 - 15 minutes...

for something so quick & easy...

I like the result...

I hope you can see how much fun the markers are

and that they really are MAGIC MARKERS!

ok...studio time for me...

I gotta

make art!

wendy