Batch cards with those 'filler' stamps

So, in my WOYWW post I had a lot of small stamped images.  I'd pinned a number of cards onto this Pinterest board, which had given me an idea how to make some use of those little 'filler' stamps that every set seems to include. Usually, most of my cards are made with a folded sheet of A4 card, so they always seem too tiny for me, and just hang around never getting used.

















All of these were done by double stamping the image. I used a pale and bright version of each colour, but you'd get the same effect by stamping the image, then stamping again with the ink left on the stamp.





 

  For this one, the grasses in the bottom card were stamped in Versamark, then heat embossed with White detail embossing powder. The shades of yellow & orange Distress Inks were sponged over the top, then the white image wiped over with some kitchen towel to take off any ink.

These three are done the same way, mounted onto a smaller card base- A5 folded.In the top two, I punched out parts of the images, using a Woodware punch, which measures about an inch & a quarter. I added some dry embossing detail to two of them, and the Dandelion heads have Diamond Stickles added.
Some have stamped sentiments, others have peel-offs, coloured with markers to match.Something else I have loads of, as I bought a lot of sentiment peeloffs in the days before I had many sentiment stamps!
 Its given me a dozen cards, and I have images left to do another half a dozen. All bright & cheerful, and I really like the Versamark & White Embossing powder technique.

Stamping with Acrylic blocks

I've seen this technique around, and wanted to give it a try. An acrylic block, dye based inkpads and a mister. You also need card to stamp onto, and it needs to be able to take water without buckling. I used it on watercolour card, and on some fairly thin, smooth card. The trouble with the watercolour card is that its not smooth, although such a thing is available. Mine isn't, but I did find that the back was smoother than the front.
All you do is apply inks to the block- you can use markers as well as inkpads.

I used Distress Inkpads- Mustard Seed, Wild Honey, Salty Ocean & Peacock Feathers.
Then spritz with water. How much you spritz is up to you, and the surface you are going to stamp on, I found. The watercolour paper takes up a lot of the water, so the result can be patchy if you haven't added enough.

On the other hand, on smooth card, you want less water. And you don't want that much water that the ink runs when you start to flip the block over to print.

First print, not too bad- you can spread the ink a little with a fingertip if its blotchy.










    I topped up the ink, and added a lot more water this time.

 Excess ink in the corner, from how much water I added. I soaked it up with a piece of kitchen roll.

Went a bit mad experimenting, and made a few more. I decided to trim them all down, and use as backgrounds that way. Not sure how successful this would be using it straight onto your card front- I think theres too much likelihood of the card warping as it dries.

So, its cool for a soft, watercolour-like finish, with softly blended colours, I shall try it with some other cardstock, to see if I can get a 'one-layer' card from it.

Supplies:
 Dye based inkpads/markers
 Spritzer bottle
Acrylic blocks
 Card, or watercolour paper.