Distress Oxide Inks: Using with Stencils

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!