Instructions

Since the Distress Oxide inks are more opaque than the regular Distress Inks, you can achieve really vibrant designs with them. And they work great with many different techniques, like ink blending, stamping, and ink smooshing. I love how the colors stay true to themselves, without becoming muddied. Perfect for building up layered backgrounds.

I’ve got a full tutorial to share with all the steps, so let’s take a closer look.

Step 1: Begin by die cutting the largest Postage frame from Distress Mixed Media Heavystock. Nestle the middle-sized shapes from the Stitched Rectangles die set, and hold them together using Purple Tape. Die cut the frame from the Mixed Media Heavystock.

Step 2: Press Tattered Rose, Shaded Lilac, and Bundled Sage Distress Oxide Inks down onto a Non-Stick Craft Sheet. Spray the inks with water using the Distress Sprayer. Press the Postage panel down into the ink mixture, and twist it slightly to spread the ink around onto the cardstock.

Step 3: Dry the paper with the Heat it Tool. Continue to press the paper into the ink mixture and then dry it with the Heat it Tool, until you have achieved the look you are going for. Drying the paper carefully between each step will keep the colors vibrant and true.

Step 4: Place a layering stencil down onto the postage panel, and ink over the stencil pattern using a Mini Ink Blending Tool. Use the same colors of Distress Oxide as in the previous step, blending Tattered Rose over the pink areas, Shaded Lilac over the purple areas, and Bundled Sage over the green areas.

Step 5: Ink up a script stamp from the Reflections stamp set in Shaded Lilac Distress Oxide, and press portions of the stamp down onto the postage panel. Move the stamp to another section, and stamp again. Continue until the entire panel is covered.

Step 6: Press Bundled Sage Distress Oxide onto an acrylic stamping block, and spray the ink lightly with water. Using a wide paintbrush, flick the ink mixture off of the block and onto the paper. Dry with the Heat Tool. Repeat the process with Walnut Stain Distress Oxide, and then again with Picket Fence Distress Paint. Set the postage panel aside for now.

Step 7: Using just the edge of the Tattered Rose Distress Oxide ink pad, drag the pad across the Stitched Rectangle frame, creating stripes of color. Dry with the Heat Tool.

Step 8: Continue adding stripes using the Bundled Sage Distress Oxide pad. Fill in some of the remaining gaps with Picket Fence Distress Paint applied with a thin paintbrush.

Step 9: Cut some additional pieces for the background of the card. You’ll need Mixed Media Heavystock for the base of the card, and a slightly smaller piece for the second layer cut from Kraft-Core cardstock. Sand the Kraft-Core cardstock with the sanding grip to bring out a bit of the color underneath. Cut a 3” x 5.5” strip of the Heavystock, and trim a V-Notch from one end. Paint a light wash of Picket Fence Distress Paint around the edge of the card base panel and the two ends of the banner strip. Using the end of a pencil eraser, stamp polka dots onto the banner piece in Tattered Rose Distress Oxide. Since the center will be covered, you don’t need to worry about that section.

Step 10: We’re now ready to build the background. First, edge all the paper pieces with Walnut Stain Distress Oxide using the Ink Blending Tool. Adhere the kraft-core cardstock to the card base, and stitch around the edge, if desired. Add the polka dot banner strip down the middle of the card. Stamp a sentiment onto a thin strip of Heavystock paper using Walnut Stain Oxide. Cut a larger strip of green cardstock to layer underneath. Cut a V-notch into the end of each, and adhere them together. Place the sentiment strip behind the top left corner of the Stitched Rectangle frame, and then adhere the frame to the Postage panel. Tie a bow from cream twine, and adhere it under the sentiment using a dab of Ranger Multi Medium Matte.

Step 11: Using the Funky Floral #1 die set, die cut some flowers from Mixed Media Heavystock, and some leaves from green cardstock. Ink the flowers with Distress Oxide inks. Use a mixture of Shaded Lilac and Wilted Violet Oxide for the hydrangea blossoms, and Tattered Rose Oxide for the small flowers. Add watercolor detail to the flowers with the inks and water. Sand the green leaves lightly, and ink with Walnut Stain Oxide.

Step 12: Stack and adhere the flowers and leaves in the bottom right corner of the frame. I slightly bent the leaves before adhering them in place to give them a bit of lifelike dimension. I added a second hydrangea die cut over the first, adhering them together only in the center so that the edges could be lightly pulled up. Add enamel dots to the centers of the smaller flowers. Add foam tape to the back of the postage frame panel, and then adhere it to the center of the card.