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We shared the picture below on our Instagram a couple of weeks ago and had an inquiry about a tutorial. The technique is super simple, but we wanted to share the step-by-step with you today.  First, gather up your supplies. You will need Distress Oxide Ink Pads (available in 24 colors!), ink blending tools, stencil(s), washi tape, spray bottle of water, watercolor paper/cardstock and a craft sheet (not pictured). All of these items are available at Palette & Paper!
I like to put a little tape on the back of my cardstock and stick it to my craft mat so it doesn't move around. After choosing a stencil, I also use washi tape to tape the stencil down over my piece of cardstock.
Using my ink blending tool and assortment of Distress Oxide Inks I fill in the areas of the stencil. It's important to go into this knowing that it isn't going to be perfect. You will have color overlap a bit and that's okay!
 After you are done coloring in the stencil, you can spray with water or spray some water into your palm to "flick" on the cardstock. This will add to the distressed look.
Using a piece of paper towel blot the cardstock to absorb the excess water and remove the stencil. Craft Confession: I sprayed a little too much water and let it sit a little too long for the look I was going for. Taking pictures while crafting of all the steps is hard work and threw off my timing! As you can see my image was a little "soft" looking (see the picture below on the right). That's the great thing about crafting though. You can keep adding and layering on your project to get a look that makes you happy.
I realigned my stencil and went back and added more color as you can see below. I was much happier with the overall look of the project after reapplying some inks.
I also did this same technique with an "abstract" stencil. For this project I didn't tape my stencil down though because I kept moving it, using various Distress Oxide colors through the stencil and layering the colors (one of the coolest things about the Distress Oxide Inks is they don't make mud - they layer on top of each other vs. mixing together). After finishing with the color I sprayed, flicked and blotted. I love how this turned out.
I love both of these and they will make for great bases for the front of cards! I also can't wait to do something similar to the second project as a background in my art journal. If you haven't tried Distress Oxide Inks through a stencil yet I highly recommend it! You can create gorgeousness with limited supplies and time! #winnerwinner  If you have any questions about this post or Distress Oxide Inks feel free to leave a comment below!
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If you follow Palette & Paper on Instagram and/or Facebook you saw that the new Tim Holtz’s Distress Oxide Ink Pads are in stock!
So, what is a Distress Oxide? How does it differ from Tim’s other distress products? Distress Oxide Ink Pads are a water-reactive dye and pigment fusion. They create an oxidized effect when sprayed with water. They come in 12 colors including Tim’s gorgeous colors of “Worn Lipstick”, “Cracked Pistachio”, “Vintage Photo” and more. 
Since they have pigment in them they work well on darker paper also. Check out the various colors on white, kraft and black paper. 
When it comes to stamping, Distress Oxides work better for stamping giving an opaquer look vs. Distress Inks that tend to be “blotchy” when stamping.
You can check out Tim demoing the Distress Oxide Ink Pads while at Creativation here: Want to be inspired on how to use the new Distress Oxide Ink Pads? Check these projects out:
You need all 12 colors, rights? Be sure to tag us on Instagram and/or Facebook if you share what you have created with Distress Oxide Inks!
Yupo Paper is tree-free synthetic paper that offers a super smooth surface that is durable, water-proof and bright white in color. The Tim Holtz Yupo Paper is 86 lb. weight that resists buckling. It is perfect for experimenting with alcohol inks on and other mixed media techniques on. Alcohol Inks can be used on a multitude of surfaces including metal, plastic, glass, glossy paper and more. They are fast drying and blend together to make gorgeous and unique backgrounds.  Now, when Yupo Paper and Alcohol Inks come together magic happens! After last week’s blog post talking about “one little words”, I knew I wanted to make a small wall hanging with my word for the year to hang in my craft area. I decided to make the background using yupo paper and alcohol inks. I dropped a few colors of alcohol inks on my yupo paper (be sure protect your work surface as alcohol inks are permanent. As you add more and more drops they will “dance” together to create a one-of-a-kind background. Go slow adding your drops as they will continue to mix for a few minutes. Click through this slideshow to see how the drops mix together.  Next I cut my word from black and white cardstock with a Silhouette machine. I used a Spellbinders Tool ‘n One to loosen the cut-out word from the sticky mat. This tool makes it so easy with its spatula end to loosen cut items from the mat without tearing them.  I wanted to mount the yupo paper on a small canvas to give it stability for hanging. I knew a small amount of the canvas around the edges would be visible, so I added some Inka-Gold around the edges to add a gorgeous colorful, metallic shine.  Next I glued the black cut-out word on top of the white cut-out slightly skewed to give it a nice shadow effect that makes the word pop. I love the way it turned out and can’t wait to hang it!  For another idea on what to do with this amazing craft pairing, check out the awesome card that our friends at CardMaker magazine shared using yupo paper and alcohol inks here and in their last Spring issue. Have you used yupo paper and/or alcohol inks before? What did you make? In the past couple of weeks I’ve shared DIY projects to decorate your home (here and here) and cards to send to loved ones (here) to celebrate Halloween, but today’s post is all about YOU! Or at least decorating yourself for Halloween. Today’s post is about making a Halloween Necklace and Bracelet using items you can find at Palette & Paper (you will be looking at the washi tape in a whole new light!).
BraceletDid you know that you can make a bracelet with a water bottle, washi tape (I used Little B's gold foil spider web washi) and gel medium? It’s pretty awesome, let’s take a look!  First up, grab a water bottle, one that has a circumference similar to your wrist and is smooth. Cut the bottle open and a strip that is slightly thinner than the washi you are using. I used my heavy paper trimmer to cut a piece of the water bottle ¾ of an inch.
Tear off a piece of washi tape longer than your strip of water bottle and lay it sticky side up on your craft mat. Liberally apply gel medium to the sticky side of the washi tape (this will help it really stick to the plastic). Place the water bottle strip on top of the washi tape, apply more gel medium to the back side of the bracelet and wrap the sides and ends with the tape.
Next up, cut a piece of washi tape to measure the exact width of your bracelet (in this case ¾ of an inch). Cutting washi tape with a paper trimmer is so easy and such a great way to make “skinny” washi for a multitude of crafts. Add more gel medium to the back side of your bracelet from edge to edge (over the part of the tape that you previously wrapped around). Adhere your skinnier piece of washi to the back of the bracelet. Hold the ends down with whatever “paper weights” you have handy and leave the bracelet to dry.
To add to the spider web theme of my bracelet I wanted to add some spiders. I had a pack of Tim Holtz spider charms (available at P&P), so I carefully, with a pair of needle nose pliers, broke off the charm eyelet and colored the spider with some alcohol ink (available at P&P individually or in packs of 3 colors).
Once your bracelet has dried, dab on a liberal amount of gel medium (P&P offers a few varieties of gel medium) where you want your spider(s) to be and glue the spider on. I added two spiders to my bracelet so they would counter balance each other weight wise. And lastly, a small piece of sticky Velcro can be added to the bracelet to keep it closed.
Viola - - a Halloween bracelet and no one will believe it is a water bottle washi tape!  NecklaceFor the necklace, I gathered my supplies – Tim Holtz Spider Charms, Tim Holtz Crypt Cameos, Tim Holtz Typed Tokens – Halloween (all available at P&P) along with some other miscellaneous Halloween charms, bezel and a necklace chain I had.
I love adding in purple and green to Halloween décor and jewelry, so I decided to cover the two Crypt Cameos I was using with Alcohol Inks to make one green and one purple. I also covered a few more spiders with alcohol ink.  For the Typed Tokens, I painted a quick coat of black gesso and once it dried (in a matter of minutes) coated it with Inka Gold in a gorgeous copper color and in platinum (this product is so versatile, you should a color or two next time you are in the Shoppe).
I wanted to make a center bezel for my necklace that tied into the bracelet, so I put some of my scrap washi tape on a piece of paper, coated the back side of the clear cabochon with gel medium and glued it to the washi tape. Once it dried, I cut the cabochon out, painted gel medium inside the silver bezel and glued the washi backed cabochon inside the bezel.
Once I had all of my pieces created, I laid out the chain and the charms in the order I wanted.  Then with some jump rings and a pair of needle nose pliers I attached the charms to my necklace chain.  I love the results and can’t wait to wear my new Halloween Jewels over the next couple of weeks!  If you’ve been checking out the upcoming events here at Palette & Paper, you may have noticed Artist Trading Cards or ATCs listed a couple of times. What is an ATC you may be asking . . . it is a miniature piece of “art” that is traded around the world. Anything goes when it comes to ATCs, with the only official rule being that it needs to measure 2.5” x 3.5”.  Source: Cutoutandkeep.net The ATC movement started in 1997, by Swiss artist, M. Vanci Stirnemann. Stirnemann created 1200 cards by hand as part of an exhibit. On the last day, he invited others to create their own cards and trade with him during the closing reception. With that, the ATC movement took off and has spread around the world. Swaps continue to take place today in person and online. Stirnemann has been quoted as saying, “To me, the trade is the thing”.  Source: Carousel of fun ATCs, provided by Cindy Kelle The awesome thing about ATCs is that all skill-levels and mediums are welcome. Your ATC isn’t going to look like an ATC made by someone else because it is an original piece of art created by YOU! ATC Events Coming to P&P:Wednesday, August 24 - ATC Demo with Cindy (during Open Studio) Cindy will have four ATC designs, each featuring a different technique, for you to make. No need to bring anything, but please register so we can be prepared with materials. Click here to let us know you are coming. Saturday, August 27 – Introduction to ATCs with Cindy During this time you will have the opportunity to make five ATCs featuring different techniques (and different from Wednesday evening's demo), make a small a box to decorate and carry your ATCs in, and receive a handout with instructions. Starting September 7th and on the first Wednesday of each month Palette & Paper will host a monthly ATC swap. It will be held 6-7 pm during Open Studio. Make your creations and bring them to trade with others. You will have an amazing ATC collection in no time! Saturday, October 15 – Fabric Artist Trading Card with Sara That’s right, not all ATCs have to be paper! Join Sara as she shows you simple, beginning stitches to make a beautiful Halloween themed fabric ATC. To read more about these events and register, please visit our event pages. Are you getting excited about ATCs? Come in the Shoppe and check out these awesome Prickley Pear stamps we have in stock. They are the exact size of an ATC and a great way to inspire a background or theme. They are priced at $8, but don't forget the secret code word to receive a discount through August 27, 2016 on your purchase (hint: read your newsletter!)  Also, be sure to check out our ATC Pinterest Board with lots of inspiration to help kick-start those creative wheels and a handy diagram showing how to get 16 ATC bases from ONE piece of 12x12” cardstock!  See you soon at one of our ATC events or in the Shoppe stocking up on ATC supplies! |
Palette & Paper's blog is written by various creative team members.
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