Tutorial - Inking those edges with Lauren

Whether you're new to crafting or not, inking the edges of your card can be tricky to get to grips with and yet its one of the most useful techniques to have in your crafting arsenal.

So why ink the edges of your card in the first place? Well, it can help to create definition; it will mask an imperfect edges and it can be a cheaper way of creating a matting and layering effect without using your precious and expensive paper.

Here are a couple of techniques I find very useful. I like to use Distress Inks because they stay wet for a long time which makes them easy to blend. That said, you can use most inks for this technique and chalk inks are also a particular favourite of mine.

Firstly, just to create a soft edge around the edge of a piece of card couldn't be easier. You can take your ink pad straight to the edge of the card but on the whole I wouldn't recommend it. The colour is generally too strong and if you've got a very juicy ink pad you're going to be in all sorts of trouble. I like to use Cut n Dry foam but you can use a make up sponge or a bit of washing up sponge if you prefer.



I cut small inch big squares and I keep the same square for each colour which ensures you get a nice build up of colour over time and you don't have to keep washing out your sponges (there's method in my madness)

Pick up your card and dab your sponge onto your ink pad a couple of times.



Now stroke onto the edge of the card moving away from you. I don't tend to run the sponge in straight lines round the edge. I like to use short strokes, moving from the front of the card in downward strokes (towards the table top) moving away from me to give a nice soft finish.




To create a nice grass and sky effect around the edge of a stamped image, I like to use a glass mat (a craft mat will also do for this job), a piece of Cut n Dry foam and Ranger Distress Inks in Old Paper and Peeled Paint for the grass. For the sky I use Broken China.

Here's how it looks



and here's how to do it

1. To create the sky effect or ink larger areas on the card, place the card onto a craft mat or glass mat and dab your foam onto the ink pad a couple of times. Don’t overload it.



DO NOT start on the card. Start with the foam on the glass mat or craft mat and, using circular motions, rub the ink from the mat onto the card, blending to get the effect you want. You are transferring the ink from the mat onto the card.



If you start on the card you’ll get hard lines and dark patches. Blend the colour from the edges towards the centre in a circular motion. You can add more but you can’t take away. Remember the ink will stay wet for quite a while so you can blend away any hard edges.

This is how it looks without the image in the middle, though you would obviously stamp and colour your image first and then ink almost to the edges of your image to create a subtle highlight around your image and draw your eye to it.




I like to go round again to get a deeper colour round the edges for extra definition. You can literally keep going round, blending all the time, until you get the shade and depth you want.