Let’s play with fall colors and background techniques today! I have 4 basic and easy ways for creating backgrounds on your card fronts. It is the beginning of the fall season here and I’m channeling in some fall color combinations on my backgrounds, however you can create backgrounds with any color combinations you choose. All 4 of these techniques use a version of blending colors together. Are you ready?
Watch the video tutorial for step by step directions and download the color combination pdf for your files.
The fall color combinations I chose to highlight these 4 background techniques with are some of my favorites for this season. Pumpkin Pie is the constant with all 3 variations. I have titled these 3 fall combinations: Classic Fall, Jewel-Toned Fall, and Modern Fall. Which one best represents your favorite fall colors?
Burnish, Stamp, & Splatter Technique #1
For the first background technique you use burnishing to apply ink to the paper using a blending brush. To burnish means: To make shiny or lustrous using rubbing. The blending brush is the perfect tool for applying the ink evenly and slowly. Ink up the brush by swirling over the ink pad. Tap off extra ink onto scratch paper. Rub the brush in a circular motion over the cardstock starting gently at first then adding pressure as the color comes off the brush. When using multiple colors of ink, do the lighter colors first and work your way to the darker colors. Reapply to intensify the colors. Next, stamp a line art background image in black ink over the burnished cardstock to cover completely. Splatter water drops over the finished background using the water painter. Add focal image.
Stamp, Burnish, & Emboss Technique #2
The next technique is almost the opposite process of technique #1. The first step is to stamp solid images in different color inks creating a random looking pattern. Make sure the images go off the edge of the cardstock. Start with the largest image and work down to the smallest image. Then use the blending brushes to lightly burnish the same color ink (as the stamped image) on top and surrounding each image. Run the cardstock through an embossing folder to create texture. Add focal image.
Blended Ink in Embossing Folder Technique #3
This third technique is really fun! Use the Blending Brushes to apply ink to the inside of an embossing folder on the debossed side making sure to have the ink colors touching. Lightly spritz the ink with a Stampin’ Spritzer filled with water (about 3 mists). Carefully lay the cardstock on top of the spritzed ink, inside the embossing folder, close the folder and run through the Cut & Emboss Machine. Remove from folder and let dry. Add focal point
Blended Alcohol on Vellum Technique #4
Technique #4 is like magic. Apply ink to a piece of vellum cardstock using the same burnishing method as in Technique #1. The colors can be applied in random areas with the color touching. Next dip a dry water painter into rubbing alcohol (90% works best) and start to dab it into the inked areas one color at a time (to avoid mixing the colors). A dabbing motion works best to mix the rubbing alcohol and ink. Start with the lightest ink color and work to the darkest. Once all the inked areas are puddles, hold the end of the paintbush onto the vellum to hold it still for drying. You can use a heat tool on the low setting to speed up the drying time. Press the vellum flat, add adhesive all around the outside edge of the back side of the vellum and attach to a piece of Basic White cardstock cut the same size as the vellum. Add focal point. (note: if stamping directly onto vellum you must used StazOn ink)
What I love best about these techniques is that the colors are driving the vibe of the card and the focal point can be just a simple greeting with an accent. You can make these backgrounds over and over without getting bored by switching out the colors used and the stamped images! Which background technique are you going to try first?
