Designer Showcase: Heavy Inking

If it's Wednesday, it must be Designer Showcase time!  I really enjoy doing this weekly post. There is so much inspiration it keeps my mojo going. I hope it is doing the same for you!  This week we are going to keep the ink flowing too.  Our focus this week is on heavy inking.

Using inks on pages and projects has stood the test of time.  From the early crafting days of simple ink and stamps, it has evolved to be a more intricate detail to add clarity, texture and definition to your projects. There are so many wonderful ink products available whether it be pigment inks, chalk inks, fabric inks, embossing inks, permanent inks, alcohol inks, India inks, die inks. You can use the inks to stamp, rub, dab, paint, soak and even spray your project.  You get the picture.  Inks are here to stay and they are lots of fun to use!  So let''s drool over take a look at these great projects that the Contributing Artists have shared to inspire you with inks today.

Heather used some colored inks to enhance the edges of her papers in the layout above.  The wonderful shading of the ink pulls the grass from her photos into the design aspect of her layout.  It also adds just a touch of vintage to the look of the page which coordinates with that really cute border she created as a title. By selecting a brighter colored ink, Heather has really enhanced the bright happy look of her photos. Such an adorable project.

Cindy coordinated inks for stamping and enhancing the tag and card in her project.  Check out the muted subtle colors that the varying saturation of the inks give to the overall look.  A very sophisticated look with added dimension.

In this example Nancy has used inks to really change the look of her layout.  She started with the photos of her daughter in her brightly colored dance outfit.  She has paired the photo up with some shabby chic papers and elements and blended it all together with her inking.  She has also used the inking to give a worn, distressed look. I love the added ink to the layers revealed at the tears and curls.  Notice how well Nancy inked the corners, it really makes the papers look as though they are old and have been handled.  And some ink on the chipboard letters is just the right touch.

Vicky shares this beautiful layout with us.  She has created a really vintage shabby look by adding ink to enhance the distressing of her papers.  She also inked up the doily. This is really cool, it allows the doily to color to coordinate better with the papers she chose. It also mutes it and gives it texture.  Check out the chipboard flourish. Vicky had inked it and then added a bit of Stickles glitter glue. A great way to alter chipboard.

I hope this helps you break out those inks next time you want to add just the right finishing touch to your project.  Remember, we'd love to share your projects too.  You can send them (along with links to your blog or gallery) to me at scrappycath@gmail.com.