Create A Unique Look With Ink Smooshing

Hello again, friends! I’m back with another mix die set from Altenew. This time I’m using the Leaf Mix die set. I just completed a class through the Altenew Educator Program called Irresistible Inking Techniques. This class was all about using your inks in different ways. I took inspiration from the lesson on painting with your inks and decided to incorporate ink smooshing into my card design. With ink smooshing, you add water to your water-based ink and then press or “smoosh” your paper into that ink. You can create some really fun looks this way.

I started by cutting the base layer of the leaves from Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb cardstock and four different detail overlays from a metallic copper cardstock. You want to use a heavier weight of cardstock for ink smooshing so that it holds up to the watery ink. I cut six leaf bases in total so I could choose my favorites after applying the ink. You could also just do your ink smooshing on one piece of cardstock and then cut your leaves from that after it dried.

Next, I chose my ink colors. I knew I wanted a more autumnal palette so I chose the Altenew Fresh Dye inks listed below.

I pressed each ink pad directly onto my glass work surface and then spritzed each ink spot with water. Then, I pressed each leaf base into the individual colors, varying the patterns of the color on each leaf. I made sure the whole surface of the leaf was covered in color and then laid them aside to dry.

While the leaves were drying, I picked a dark green cardstock (Evening Evergreen Stampin’ Up) to use as my backdrop for the leaves. I cut it to 5 1/2 by 3 3/4 inches so it stretched across my card base but I still had room above and below to add some metallic copper detail. To add a little dimension to that strip, I ink blended some Pure Graphite ink across the top and bottom of that strip. That added a subtle color variation that would highlight my leaves.

Next, I added some ink splatter with my Tim Holtz Distress Spritz in Fossilized Amber. To do this, I simply spritzed directly onto my glass work surface and used a paint brush to pick up the color and then flick onto my green cardstock panel. Next, I cut two strips of the copper cardstock I used for the leaf detail and glued behind the dark green cardstock so it just peeked out from behind.

When the leaf bases were dry, it was time to add the metallic copper detail layer. I chose my favorite three leaf bases and adhered the detail layers with liquid glue. I curled each leaf slightly on both ends and then adhered just the center of the leaves on my green panel as shown above. That allowed the ends of each leaf to stick out just slightly from my card without using any foam tape. Then I adhered that completed panel to my A2 card base. I chose the color Sahara Sand from my stash of Stampin’ Up cardstock because it was a light color and I wanted that green cardstock panel to really stick out. I cut that to 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches and scored at 4 1/4 to make my A2 side-folding card base.

My sentiment is from the Beautiful Day stamp set. I used the same dark green cardstock and stamped in Versamark ink and then heat embossed with Brutus Monroe Gilded embossing powder. I trimmed that down to size and then cut both ends at an angle for interest. Then I used foam adhesive squares to pop it up in the center for my card front.

For the inside of my card, I wanted to coordinate it with the front so I cut a piece of the dark green cardstock to 5 1/2 by 3 7/8 inches. Then I cut a piece of Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80lb cardstock to 5 1/2 by 3 3/4 inches. I stamped the second sentiment from the Beautiful Day stamp set in Versafine Onyx Black ink and adhered my white layer onto my green layer with liquid glue. That was adhered to the inside of my card. To dress up the inside a bit, I grabbed another leaf base and the fourth detail layer I had cut previously. I attached the detail layer to my base with liquid glue and then adhered to the inside of my card in the bottom right corner.

That’s it for this card using the ink smooshing technique! I hope it inspires you to think of different ways to use your ink pads. Just play around with this technique and see what you get. Thanks for stopping by today. Now go get crafty!

**This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to shop, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps me to continue creating content for all of you. Thank you for your support! All products used in this post were purchased by me.

Products Used:

Supplies Used:

One Comment

Comments are closed.