Expiramenting ........

Hi everyone! Yup- it's been a while since I posted here- just haven't made the time to get it done.....it really can be time consuming with all the photographing and trying to fight with my hubby and son for some actual computer time.....I guess that's why I post so infrequently lately....sorry. 

This past week I played a bit with making some of my own background paper. I just sat down one day and got out my watercolor paper and some distress inks and other metallic inks I have and thought I would goof around and see what I could create.       
                             
                                                   I ended up making these funky and fun papers!
                           One of these is alcohol inks too (the yellow greenish bluish one in the middle) 
I started out soaking the paper well with water, then just dropped some ink here and there  and moved it around a bit with a paintbrush.....lots of trial an error here. 

Today I finally sat down and got busy creating something with them. There is a color challenge over at Hero Arts hosted by one of the newest hostess's Sally ......and I grabbed one of the papers to make some flowers with.  (Sorry- I forgot to take a picture of that particular paper I used before stamping on it and cutting it up).


                                                  This is what I came up with!



The paper was rather orangey red with a few splotches of brownish yellow here and there. I think I used Scattered Straw, Barn door, Worn Lipstick, and Vintage photo distress inks on this paper. I stamped the Hero Arts small striped flower in white, embossed and cut out, and I added a bit of gold paint to the centers. The stem for the flowers is a Hero Arts stamp "Real Daisy"-stamped and embossed as well. The background is another Hero Arts stamp " Old letter writing" and the "dream" stamp is from Inkadinkadoo.I just love the great multicolored flowers this made!

Next up I made this card using a favorite Penny Black stamp and one of the greenish-blue papers I created.



This just made me think of a rainy Springtime day......hence the sentiment (which was made on the computer). It's hard to see but the paper has a nice splotchy metallic sheen to it that reminds me so much of raindrops.

                                                Here is a much better view.




I sure had fun playing with making my own background papers- I hope you will try it too! I simply cut up some Hero Arts white watercolor paper.....soaked it really well with water....then dropped some distress ink refill ink onto the paper....then moved it around a bit with a wet paintbrush. Then I flicked on some watered down metallic paints I have with another paint brush and let it all dry. I had to try to flatten out the papers using a stack of heavy books and letting it sit  for a few days as the paper gets all warped and funky.....and they still seem a bit warped........thank god for heavy duty adhesive so they actually lay flat!

Thanks for stopping by everyone and hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Inky Hugs, 
Anne