What a fun day I had yesterday, Sunday, playing with my Distress Oxides and letting people know about some of the many things you can do with them. It also meant I got chance to meet up with the Oyster family who I have not seen for simply ages.
I have spent time on the internet looking at the various techniques others have done, initially saw Tim Holtz demonstrating them at CHA in January, and as a result spent many a happy hour doing backgrounds as if they had gone out of fashion and finding out through experimenting what can be done with them.
If you know me you will know I have been a "Distress Ink Freak" for a long long time. They have always been my 'go to inks' but now they have a rival - Oxides.
Let's talk about DISTRESS OXIDES
The first thing to know is that Distress Inks are Translucent but Distress Oxides are Opaque.
(Also note that the Hybrid inks contain a pigment that dries like a dye ink BUT Distress Oxides contain both Pigment and Dye ink and therefore can do much more than Hybrids.)
Remember:
WET on WET blends - so if you use your Oxides together they will blend,
WET on DRY layers - if you dry between colours they will layer
Please always store your inks FLAT with the label UPWARDS and always use separate blending pads for the colours, don't use the same ones that you use for your Distress Inks.
(as an aside Tim H says you cannot contaminate the pads, if you do, simply wipe the pad with a dry piece of kitchen roll. I don't take the chance).
Most people find these inks blend more easily than the Distress Inks. (I tried it out with some of the ladies yesterday and they agreed, their blending was better, the ink simply glides on the paper)
Layering: put two or three colours of ink on your craft mat (eg iced spruce, cracked pistachio and broken china) close to one another but not touching. Now spritz them and then take your cardstock and swipe it through the puddle on your mat. DRY with your heat tool. Mop up some of your colour again and this time it will sit in a layer on top of the previous one. If you don't particularly like it you can go on putting layer after layer on until you get something that you do like. Sometimes it is knowing when to stop, but what fun you can have with these backgrounds. Remember to dry each layer before adding the next one though. Want something brighter - try Worn Lipstick, Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade - then on a later one bring in something warmer, eg Fired Brick as well as the tones already used for a different look. Peeled Paint, Cracked Pistachio and Fossilized Amber is a nice combination, whilst either Pink looks nice with Iced Spruce just as a touch after lots of pink layers. The beauty of these inks is that a light colour can sit on top of a dark one. What else can do this?
When you have swiped through your puddle you often have droplets left on your mat, dab into them and create spots on your paper - dry again before proceeding.
Try layering with a final colour that is totally different to your base colour, ie blue if you have a pink/orange background. This will showcase that you do not end up with mud - PROVIDING YOU HEAT SET BEWEEN LAYERS.
Oxidising: they react with water, as do Distress Inks, but these give a more milky tone to the water droplets. By adding more water you are separating the dye ink from the pigment ink. You can see that it is lighter where there is more water. By itself it is just pigment, and the only way to oxidise them is to spray with water. At first the colour really rises to the top when you spritz, keep applying water and drying and it will oxidise more and more; you can influence how much the dye and pigment separates from one another by the amount of water you add. As it dries it all oxidises.
Oxidising: they react with water, as do Distress Inks, but these give a more milky tone to the water droplets. By adding more water you are separating the dye ink from the pigment ink. You can see that it is lighter where there is more water. By itself it is just pigment, and the only way to oxidise them is to spray with water. At first the colour really rises to the top when you spritz, keep applying water and drying and it will oxidise more and more; you can influence how much the dye and pigment separates from one another by the amount of water you add. As it dries it all oxidises.
This has had a fine mist sprayed over it, you can see the delicate oxidisation starting
This has had water droplets from my hand on it, see the milky colour
Both the above samples have had only one layer of Oxides and then the water but you can go on by drying and then adding more ink, more water droplets/fine mist, dry, more ink etc until you are happy with your background. Remember to dry between each layer though.
Smooshing: just as you put two or three colours on your mat try putting two colours on your acrylic block. Spritz with water and this time "smoosh" your block over your paper/cardstock. This can sometimes give you a more "blocky" type of look. Dry with your heat gun and go again.
Watercolouring: put three small dabs of different toning colours on your mat with room between each one and add a little water to them all. Take a piece of Watercolour Paper (or Acrylic Paper) and wet it all over. Then using a paintbrush add your three colours, starting with the lightest, and make a graduated wash over your paper.
You can also use your Oxides like watercolour paint to colour your images. The Crazy Bird, Crazy Dog and the Crazy Cat were all coloured in this way. Simply put some on your mat and use water on a paintbrush - easy peasy.
Stencilling: try using your inks through a stencil or a diecut with your blending tool - try blending two colours together for a different look - try them on black or Kraft cardstock.
"on the left is the ghosting technique and on the right just pouncing with your blending tool with several colours of Oxides"
Ghosting: you may remember I showed you ghost stencilling where you had an existing background and you sprayed water on your stencil and flip it over so that the water will go on your background. You push the water off the stencil with a paper towel, section by section, lifting the stencil and dabbing it off again and again. I also showed you the way I preferred which was to put the stencil over the existing background and gently spray though with water again dabbing, section by section, with a piece of kitchen towel. To me this gave a more 'ghost like' image.
Stamping: to me this is most impressive as you get such a clear crisp image. Rub your ink over your image being careful so as not to damage the ink pad.
Using Black Soot for the image
Multi-coloured stamping: it is best if you do this in conjunction with your Misti, especially if you are using a large background stamp. Sorry I never got around to showing you this but it is fun to try. Ink part of your stamp up with one colour, say orange, and another part with, say pink, and stamp. Wipe the colours off and ink two other areas up. Say blue and green. Repeat and clean stamp again, adding colours until you have a rainbow effect card.
Halo Stamping: again this is one I didn't show you, sorry. Ink your stamp up with the Oxides and stamp on your cardstock. Then take your blending tool and smudge the ink around to give a halo effect. What is happening is the pigment is staying true to the image but the dye is moving around ie they are separating. Repeat with another stamp, another colour, smudging each time. Finally using your blending tool and another colour do the edges or do several colours on the edges. Drop some drips on and remember, the longer you leave the drips on the more intense the colour will be on the edge of those drips. Heat set and dab off with a kitchen roll.
Colouring with Acrylic Markers: no need to emboss your images if you want to colour them with alcohol markers, I tried stamping with various colours of Oxides and scribbled over them with my Promarkers. I was pleased to see that the colour of the ink stayed underneath and the Promarkers didn't alter them at all.
Embossing: because the oxides give such a clear crisp image they are perfect for embossing with a clear embossing powder.
The top one showing you it on black and the other on white card
Black Soot: if using Black Soot for your base layer the first layer will not stand out. You need to go back in with a second layer that is not standing on the black - it is standing on the other colour. Advisable to use the Misti for this.
Remember: several of you asked if I used a special card. No, I have used various white cardstocks, Manilla tags, black card, Kraft card, glossy card, photographic card (remember to heat from higher up with this or it will blister), vellum, acrylic and watercolour paper. If I can think of any other card I will give it a whirl, crafting is all about experimenting and having fun!
Glossy Card
Glossy Photographic card
(remember to heat carefully with your heat gun high or the paper will bubble and peel)
Vellum - imagine using this for your diecut flowers
Black cardstock - left plain stamping, right clear embossed
Think that is it, hope I haven't forgotten anything and sorry I do not have samples of everything I mentioned - still, no excuse, you get trying them and good luck - Enjoy and have Fun!
NB always keep your eye on what you are doing. Card can scorch when heating if you are not careful and always, when heating, have the room ventilated.
All images and the Distress Oxides and Reinkers are available from Oyster Stamps.
NB always keep your eye on what you are doing. Card can scorch when heating if you are not careful and always, when heating, have the room ventilated.
All images and the Distress Oxides and Reinkers are available from Oyster Stamps.
