Friday Focus: Small Step, Big Impact

I am going to show you a very SIMPLE step, but for a few seconds of work, your card will have much more depth and dimension. 

The step: Rub ink on the edges of each of your layers! 

Your card will appear to have even more layers and each layer will appear slightly popped.

Here's a simple example:

BEFORE

AFTER

(I feel a little bit like those cheesy weightloss infomercials.  I have the most unflattering photo possible for the BEFORE!  I haven't glued anything down in the BEFORE so I can take it apart and ink the edges so I have to photo it just laying there flat!)

I know that it is very subtle. If you just saw the AFTER, you might not even notice it.  It's so simple, I just rubbed each panel across the ink pad.

I particularly like it on a card like this that has a black stamped image and sentiment but no other dark colors.  I always feel like the black stands out too much.  By rubbing a little black on the edges, I have balanced the black image and added shadows.  I wouldn't have wanted to add black mats - that would be too much - just this very small touch of ink!

Here's another example:

BEFORE

AFTER

Again...it is VERY subtle.  I inked each of the edges in a dark brown (Early Espresso).  In particular look at the blue layer - I could have added a mat behind that layer, but I wanted to keep it more subtle.  I wanted the focus on the very simple lighthouse - too many dark layers behind it would be distracting.  Also see the sentiment layer.  I could have matted it - but it would have been too big. 

The curves on the sentiment layer make it hard to rub on an ink pad so in this case, I just rubbed it on a marker.

Another example:

BEFORE

AFTER

I did the green and the patterned paper layers as indicated earlier by rubbing across an ink pad.  But simple rubbing didn't give the image enough contrast.  So in this case I used a cotton ball.

Tap a cotton ball on a brown pad.



Start away from your layer.



Pull the ink onto your layer.

You have TOTAL control!
If you stop right at the edge, you
get a small amount of brown.
If you pull the cotton ball onto
the layer, you get a lot of brown.
But..by doing it in this way, the
darkest part will always be at
the EDGE of the panel - just
where you want it!

A last example:

This is a card that I have previously published, but I took pictures when I made it and I am reprinting it here because I think it is a rather startling difference.


Look between the pink & green.
It's plain, too little contrast and the
brown mat on the flower looks lonely.

Just a quick rub of chocolate
and you appear to have
another brown mat!
(Details on this card can be found here.)

I do want to thank Kris (parkerquilter on SplitCoast) or at Nostalgic Collage.  I hang out in her craft room a couple of times a month and I watch her rub all of her edges with ink!


YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE (Set 277 - Furnished with Love)

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Furnished with Love
• Ink: Staz-On Black, So Saffron and Bashful Blue Stampin' Up Markers
• Paper: Stampin' Up Pumpkin, Washington Apple dsp
• Accessories: Gold Glimmer Mist (a circle spritzed around the lamp), misc orange rhinestone, orange stickles on the fringe
• Challenges: Layout from Techno Stamper

THINKING OF YOU with LIGHTHOUSE (Set 278 - Uncharted Territory)

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Uncharted Territory, Three Little Words (sentiment)
• Ink: Stampin' Up Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist and Early Espresso markers (Espresso only to ink the edges)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Marina Mist
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Linen Thread, Modern Label Punch, Tim Holtz embossing folder, Creative Impressions brads
• Challenges: Layout from the sweetest thing (turned sideways)

ETRUSCAN CHRISTMAS (Set 279 - Etruscan)

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Etruscan
• Ink: Stampin' Up Garden Green and Soft Suede markers, Soft Suede pad for edges
• Paper: Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Hobby Lobby Heartwarming Holiday Christmas pad
• Accessories: Martha Stewart border punch, ribbons from Joann, misc circle and scalloped circle punches
• Challenges: SplitCoast Stampers Friday Free 4 All to do a Christmas card "on the fly", i.e. in under 15 minutes and the layout from Card Patterns.