Using ink on a scrapbook page About This Page:

[Nala]

This post is in response to a request from kmurburg about how to use ink from a pad on a scrapbook page. If you use ink and have some ideas or tips on how to do so, please share them.

Ink can be used in a variety of ways and used to achieve a variety of looks. There are also many ways to apply ink. Two of my favorite ways to apply ink are with a damp sponge or using the pad itself to apply it.

When using the pad to apply the ink, I normally use it on the edges of the background paper or to the edges of a photo mat. I just hold the paper up and move the ink pad across the edges of the paper in quick strokes. Using this technique with a brand new ink pad will put more ink on the paper than one that has been used for a while.

To use a sponge, I simply wet it, wring it out and rub it on the ink pad and then rub it on my paper. Again, depending on the age and use of your ink pad, the coverage will vary. If your ink pad is new and the sponge soaks up lots of ink, you can blot some of it off on a scrap piece of paper before using the sponge on your page. You can wipe the ink on for a smeared look or dab it for a stippled look.

I use ink on everything (paper, chipboard, ribbon) with the exception of photos. At times I have forgotten to ink a photo mat and did it after I have mounted photo and have gotten the ink on the edges of a photo. While the inks I use claim to be acid free and I don’t think it will hurt the photo, I am not crazy about the look. So my tip for that is to ink everything you want to before you mount your photos.

Something else you can do is to crumple a piece of paper that will be used for the background or a photo mat. After straightening out the paper, you can rub either the ink pad or a damp sponge loaded up with ink across the paper. The ink will pick up the creases made from the crumpling and give texture to the paper. If the ink appears to heavy or dark for your taste, wash out the sponge and rub it across the paper.

I think the best way to break into using ink on a scrapbook page is to just dive in and try it on some scrap paper. Buy an ink pad and get a dense sponge and just dive in and experiment. The first ink I tried out was Archival Ink in the color sepia. That one became harder to find and I discovered Vintage Photo by Ranger Ink. Since it is more readily available, and has the same sepia type tone, it is now my favorite.

There are tons of ink colors available and they can be used to achieve many looks. I am a fan of ink colors that give a distressed look to a page, but that is not the only thing ink can be used for. As we saw with Dawn’s recent January challenge page, she used a mulberry ink on her photo mat that picked up the color of her title.

kmurburg, I hope that gives you some ideas and tips to try. If you have any questions, please let me know. And I hope that others who are fans of using ink will post their ideas and tips!

[Mouseketeer]

Great tutorial, Nala, thanks! I've only used ink a few times on the edges of my paper (I have a bottle of walnut ink with a dabber on top). I like the tip about using the sponge to add the aged look to paper.

[LilMarcieMouse]

Thanks Nala. this should be helpful.

[DawnDenise]

Excellent explanation for using ink Nala! I'm relatively new to using ink and tend to use the ink pads directly on the edges or directly onto the paper. I the sponge idea and will be using that on future layouts.

To add an even more antique look or vintage, I sand and distress it a little after the ink has dried.

[kmurburg]

Nala - Thanks for the great tips! I think I'll probably experiment with the sponge technique first because I'll feel a little more in control (what anal retentive qualities I have! )
I do have a question about doing the chipboard letters. One set that I bought seems to have a shiny finish that makes then hard to chalk. Will ink work better on these? I did try sanding them with a nail file (they are pretty narrow) but it didn't seem to make much of a difference.

Dawn - So you sand the paper after the ink has been applied and dried? Do you also wrinkle the paper like Nala does to distress it?

Thanks ladies for the lesson! I sure appreciate the tips!

[Nala]

Originally Posted by kmurburg

I do have a question about doing the chipboard letters. One set that I bought seems to have a shiny finish that makes then hard to chalk. Will ink work better on these? I did try sanding them with a nail file (they are pretty narrow) but it didn't seem to make much of a difference.

You are probably going to laugh when you read this, but what I most often do with those types of letters is peel off the top layer of color! I then use paint, embossing powder or ink on them unless they happen to be a color that will work with my layout.

For the ones that I didn't peel the top layer off, I used sandpaper on the edges (like you have done). The ink pad will pick up on the areas that the enamal (or whatever it is) has been sanded off. If you sand the face of the letter, it may also pick up some ink, but will take a bit of time to dry.

[kmurburg]

Now why didn't I think of peeling that top layer off! That would be so much easier! I haven't tried embossing powder yet. Is there anything special that you do with it to make it look good? Is it kinda like glittery? Thanks for the tips!

[Nala]

Originally Posted by kmurburg

I haven't tried embossing powder yet. Is there anything special that you do with it to make it look good? Is it kinda like glittery?

Some embossing powders will look like glitter after you use the heat gun on them. They are the ones that in the bottle look more like glitter than other embossing powders. There are also powders that look more like metal (shinny, but don't have that glitter look) and others that are flat colors. I think all of the flat colors I have, when embossed, have a high gloss finish (but no sparkle like glitter).

The amount of ink you get on your piece will make a difference as to how much of the embossing powder will stick to it. If it doesn't have any ink to grab on to, it will just blow away when you use the heat gun on it. If you don't get enough ink on the first time, you have to do the process over again to cover the spots that got missed.

You can also use a colored ink and a transparent embossing powder that will allow the ink color to show through. I have a powder called Kaleidoscope, that looks like clear glitter and is great for this effect.

Like ink, there are tons of things you can do with embossing powder. And like ink, you have to just play around with it and figure out how you want to use it and what effect you want to get.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

[kmurburg]

Thanks Nala! You know so much about all the cool stuff!

[POOH]

Great tutorial Nala. I keep wanting to try ink but haven't tried yet.

[graygables]

Just to add a few more tips...I use foam makeup wedges to apply different inks. They are cheap and I can keep one per color (store them in a baggie). I've also used eye shadow applicators for more detailed work. For sanding, I buy the polar sanding blocks from Sally's Beauty Supply, they are great for reaching around tight corners.

If you're looking for a glitter finish, I love stickles and apply them with my finger or with the foam applicators for a thinner coat.

And, if you like the look of crinkled, inked paper, but don't like it lumpy on your page, you can iron it after you've distressed it to smooth it back out again.

[kmurburg]

Dawn - thanks for the added tips! I'm going to try my hand at a heritage style book for my DMIL's 88th (!) birthday and I think the distressed paper along with some inking will be a great touch on this book.

[Shell_of_the_South]

I've never considered using ink before, but I may give it a try. What other colors do you recommend, and what types of photos/pages do you use it on? Karen mentioned heritage pages, but what about current photos?

[graygables]

Originally Posted by Shell_of_the_South

I've never considered using ink before, but I may give it a try. What other colors do you recommend, and what types of photos/pages do you use it on? Karen mentioned heritage pages, but what about current photos?

I use it a LOT. I have a rainbow of colors and for things I'm just trying to enhance with a little shading, will use something close to the color of the paper I'm working with. If I'm trying to age it, I'll use brown or sepia and black if I really want it to pop.

[GaGirls4disney]

Thanks Graygables for the ironing tip. I'm going to try that for some cards that I'm making.