Okaydokay, photo's:
This first card has been made using the Smooch inks for the background as well as directly on the stamp. Now the backgrounds are really easy to achieve, and fun (not to mention messy if your like me!). First take a piece of non-coated card stock, the Smooch do not dry on coated card. Spritz the card with water, completely soaking it. Take a sponge (any old sponge, preferably not with bits of soap still in it however) and apply some of the Smooch ink to the sponge. If you wish to create a frame then simply lightly place one finger in the centre of the card, then dab the ink around the edges of the wet card, you will see the inks spread and flow beautifully towards the centre of the card. When the ink becomes lighter, re-apply more Smooch ink to the sponge, and continue until your happy with the colours. You can add different colours, or more water if you want the ink to spread more. I like to leave mine to dry naturally, as this will capture some of the movement of the ink - but you can dry it with a heat gun if you are in a rush.
To stamp with the Smooch ink, simply apply the inks directly from the bottle using the lovely directional tip, to the stamp. Apply a couple of colours, I'm rather hap-hazard with this technique, and stamp. Some stamps will suit this technique more than others - try more solid stamps as opposed to outline images. If your a tight crafter like me, then you can try to very lightly spritz the stamp before cleaning off the ink, and stamping again. As the Smooch is water soluble it will water down and you may get another image!
For this card I used the same technique to get the background, but rather than creating a frame, I covered the whole card. When it was dry, I overstamped using Vivid Ink Pads, which give a strong colour. Finish using the Smooch inks to paint with, as this will give a more intense colour, and show the wonderful pearlescent sheen of the paints.
Again, working the inks to create frames, then overstamping with the Vivid Ink Pads. The bird has then been coloured with the purple smooch. I like being able to use the inks as a background and then to highlight and colour my focal feature, this ties in the colours and gives you more options with your ink.
Unfortunately I didn't take any photo's of a solid background which can be achieved with the Smooch inks. Take a re-inker for your embossing pad, and smear a little of the fluid over your un-coated card stock. This will allow the inks to glide over the card stock. Pick up some of the Smooch ink with your finger and glide it over the card. Again mix and match your colours. If you want a smooth surface, gently brush over with a sponge or brush. I obviously recommend doing it with your finger as it will add texture and depth (and it's more fun!).
Well, I thought I'd got more photo's than that - next time!
xx
