stenciled jeans...

WARNING...

this blog post may cause 

an ADDICTION...

seriously my friends...

this is a 5 minute transformation...

I bought these jeans because I thought those 2 blank rectangles were screaming to be stamped or stenciled...

I  grabbed jet black archival ink...

because...

archival inks are permanent when dry,

 so these jeans can be washed 

with no problem...

I had a hard time deciding

 which stencil to use...

I felt that with the design already on the jeans, it needed to be a more graphic pattern...

the hardest part of this little project was deciding which stencil to use...

checkmate?

add a stencil?

polka dotty?

or...

the alphabets?

here's the area on the left leg...

and now it's stenciled...

the alphabets won...

here's the blank canvas on the right leg...

and stenciled with jet black, using 

the large portion of 

the alphabet stencil...

I have this art "thing" about 3...

I'm sure you understand...

so the cuff looked like a perfect spot to add stenciled area #3...

since this area was smaller...

 I used the smaller section

 of the same alphabet stencil...

exactly what I wanted...

I thought about that bad 4 letter word...

IRON...

but I decided to blast the stenciled areas with the embossing gun to make sure the ink was 100% dry...

quick & E A S Y...

seriously this took me 5 full minutes!

Rick just snapped this...

remember the WARNING at the top of the post?

this is like the faux graniteware technique...

I REALLY

WANT to do more...

I just opened my closet & 

spied the cuffs on some jeans...

they're blank...

I am seriously thinking of stenciling polka dots or the checkmate just on the cuffs...

or maybe I'll use

 the ornate dots overlay stencil?

or maybe add a row of small hearts?

something subtle...

but they'll be customized & unique...

more ideas...

sew patches onto plain jeans, 

then stencil them...

I think adding some stitching with the stenciling would be cool...

but I've got a million things on the TO*DO list...

maybe some day...

have a spot on something?

it's most likely ink in this household...

just stencil or stamp right over it!

make sure to use archival ink, so that the stamping/stenciling is permanent...

THANKS SO MUCH

 for the awesome comments/emails

 about my 3 new archival inks...

and embossing powders...

I got to show them to the ladies 

at my class on Saturday...

they liked them too!

they begin shipping the week of April 27th

 from Ranger, in New Jersey...

so they will be available SOON!

your local stores can order them...

just let them know what you would like...

the colored links will transport you to online shopping...

I hope you'll try stenciling on your jeans...

it's really super simple & fun...

and it's another way to...

make art!

wendy

speaking of inks...

today's post is a little different...

I had a few questions, so I thought I'd talk about one of my favorite subjects today...

inks!

over the last 2 or 3 weeks, I've gotten some similar questions that I think originated in an on-line class or a discussion board...

***this is important...***

my answers all refer to Ranger's inks...

they are the inks I know & love 

& use exclusively...

I don't have other brands, 

so I'll be addressing the questions,

 based on what I know about Ranger inks...

specifically distress, archival & pigment inks...

the email below pretty much summed up the questions I got...

Can you clarify the use of inks? As a newcomer to the stamping world I'm confused. After reviewing the information, can you confirm that I understand this correctly. This is the summary of information we received.

Dye inks dry, are water based, which when the water evaporates, is why they dry.

Pigment inks are used for embossing because they never dry without being heat embossed.

What category do archival inks fall into? Those were not mentioned.

Distress inks blend. But my question, can they also be used for stamping?

And lastly, what is the preferred storage for inks? Upside down to keep the ink at the top?

***my answer...*** you really can't make a blanket statement to describe dye inks...

both distress inks and archival inks are dye inks... here's the BIG difference...

distress is a dye ink, that is water based...

archival inks are also a dye ink, but they are oil based...

distress inks are specifically designed to work with & be activated by water...

a unique feature is that the distress ink color stays true when water is added...

on the other hand, archival inks are formulated to be permanent & waterproof when dry...

so in the end, the "base" of the dye inks makes a huge difference...

they can either react with water or be waterproof...

both inks can be used for stamping and stenciling as long as you know how they will or won't react & what your desired outcome is...

this also explains why distress and archival inks work so well together...

if you think about a bottle of salad dressing, the oil & water don't mix...they will always separate...

so, if I stencil with archival ink, once it's dry, I know I can add distress over the top of it or mist it with water or perfect pearls mist (any water based product) & my archival image will not smear or bleed...

and it works just the opposite too...

if I'm stamping/stenciling with archival OVER a distress ink background, they won't mix...

the archival image is crisp & clear...

the distress background isn't bothered by the archival ink...

to clean up distress inks, water does the trick...

to remove archival inks from a stencil, since it's an oil based ink, water won't work...

but... 

cheapo rubbing alcohol works like a charm & removes the archival ink very easily...

also keep in mind that for techniques using distress ink, you'll use water or water based products...(like perfect pearls mists)...

for techniques using archival inks, rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol is the fluid of choice...

now for the other part of that question...

Dye inks dry, are water based, which is why they dry.

***my answer*** that's not 100% accurate either... 

it will depend on the surface the ink is applied to...

and if the DYE ink is distress or archival...

distress is designed to be used on porous surfaces...

surfaces that allow the ink to soak in...

that would be surfaces like cardstock, patterned papers, art parts, magic mat board, chipboard, grungeboard etc...

distress inks will air dry on those surfaces...

however, when they are used on a non porous surface, they will not dry and they will sit on the surface & wipe right off...

so distress inks CAN NOT be used on glass, metal, clearly for art or plastic...

archival inks can be used on the same porous surfaces as distress, but they can also be used on non porous surfaces, but they need to be blasted with the heat tool to dry them...

so, archival inks will work to color resin or metal embellishments, glass, clearly for art & plastics, but they need to be heat set to dry them...

archival inks can also be used over the gold metallic embossing paste and the silver metallic embossing paste to tint it & alter the metallic colors...just use the blending tool right over the dry pastes...magic!

next part of the question...

Pigment inks are used for embossing because they don't dry without being heat embossed.

***my answer*** yes, pigment inks can be used with embossing powders, but so can distress and archival...all 3 work very well...

as for "not drying", that depends...

if I stamp an image with glacier white ink onto a kraft tag, it will take some time, but it will eventually dry...

the drying time will be determined by the amount of ink I add, plus the humidity where you live...

in Arizona, drying will be quicker...

in HUMID Illinois in August...it will take lots longer...

other considerations...

is it a fine line image or a bold stamp that adds lots of the white pigment ink? that also makes a big difference in the drying time...

more ink = more time...

remember that you can always blast it with the heat tool to speed up the drying time of any of the inks...

next question...

What category do archival inks fall into? Those were not mentioned.

again...they are a dye ink, that's oil based...

and another...

Distress inks blend. But my question, can they also be used for stamping?

absolutely...YES! but keep in mind the info I provided above...

they can also be used for stenciling...

and the last question...

And lastly, what is the preferred storage for inks? Upside down to keep the ink at the top?

***my answer*** it does not matter...

whatever fits your storage system best is fine...

Ranger's ink pads are saturated with ink...so...

right side up is ok

upside down is ok too...

on the side...sure!

since we're talking about storage...

Ranger has awesome FREE printable labels...they are perfectly sized for your products...

it makes organizing a snap...

here's the LINK...

I hope I've clarified the basic "scoop" about DYE inks...

now if you stuck with me this far...

how about a GIVEAWAY?

I have a 

brand new marigold Stamp-It Stencil-It 

and the new borders stencil 

to share...

just leave a comment...

or if you prefer...

feel free to ask a question...

simple...

Rick will draw the winner 

Monday morning...

I'm off to unpack & organize 

a TON of class supplies...

it's super fun stuff we will need to...

make art!

wendy

ps...

the marigold SiSi 

is really fun to stamp several times & layer...

I like to stamp it on clearly for art that I covered with newsprint...

using my MOST fav...

paper adhesive in the WORLD...

glue n seal...

then plant the marigold 

in a mat mini flower pot...

NEW for CHA W14…day #2...

THANKS SO VERY MUCH 

for the sweet comments/emails & enthusiasm about day #1 new studio 490 stencils…

if you like them,  I think you'll REALLY like what you see next week…

I sure DO!

it's day #2 & I am beyond thrilled to tell you that we are adding 6 new ink colors to my designer series archival palette…

here's the official Ranger press release, showing the new BEAUTIFUL colors...

as with the first 6 archival colors, I had fun choosing more cottage garden flower names…

these new colors coordinate very well with my first 6 archival colors & they are awesome when used with the distress palette...

I did a quick stamping with the large splat stamp, to show you a closer look…and I can't wait to tell you about them…

top left is TREE BRANCH… a wonderful khaki/brown/tan, that is neutral, so that it works well with lots of colors, just like watering can archival does…I have pretty much used TREE BRANCH on every project…either for background stamping or for stenciling the main image…it's an every day go to ink color...

top right is DANDELION…OMG…I have been waiting for this since the first release…you will love this! it's just exactly what I wanted…I had such a hard time eliminating it from the first release…keeping the release to only 6 was very hard…

finally we have DANDELION…I think the photo below shows the awesome color better…

middle row on the left…LEAF GREEN…this is a brighter beautiful green & it's more of a kelly green…I talk more about it below...

middle row right…FORGET-ME-NOT…ok…I'll be honest…I got sweaty when I first opened this color…it is soooooo pretty & such a beautiful teal-ish color…paired with DANDELION, orange blossom, potting soil, TREE BRANCH, both fern green & LEAF GREEN…it's fabulous…

bottom row left…HYDRANGEA…this is a gorgeous purple-ish blue…it's awesome with DANDELION, LEAF GREEN, fern green, cornflower blue, orange blossom & wait til you see it used with TREE BRANCH…totally wonderful! I LOVE it for backgrounds & those skinny little bits flowers? PERFECTION!

bottom row right…this is CARNATION RED…it's a brighter beautiful cherry red…it too works well with all of the other 5 colors in this release & it's great with cornflower blue, fern green & orange blossom…every time I stamp it I say WOW! it really POPS! Rick wanted to tell you that it is his favorite…so that's right from the head of shipping & receiving! hmmm... now he's an ink expert! he'll probably want a raise! lol...

reinkers are available for these pads…yippee!

I'll be demoing how to use all 12 archival reinkers for making cool backgrounds at CHA & I will be posting some tutorials right after CHA…

archivals work well with stamps & I totally LOVE them with stencils too…

below are some of the colors used with the LITTLE BITS stencil (that I showed yesterday)  & the wildflower stencil…

the leaves are LEAF GREEN & the script background stamping is TREE BRANCH...

the large polka dots were stenciled with watering can archival…

and the new "add a stencil" is with FORGET-ME-NOT...

the 5 flower colors from left to right are

#1 CORNFLOWER & a bit of HYDRANGEA stamped with HYDRANGEA dots

#2 CARNATION RED

#3 DANDELION

#4 ORANGE BLOSSOM with HYDRANGEA dots with watering can

#4 FORGET-ME-NOT

designing inks is a totally different process than designing stamps, stencils & art parts. when the little package arrives it's exciting scary to see if they are exactly what I wanted…

YES! they are! phew! I'm in LOVE!

GIGANTIC thanks to Ranger, Tim & Jim, (the chemist) for making us more beautiful inks so that we can make art! 

you have made me so very happy!

I'm anxious to hear what you think about my 6 new babies...

I'll see you back here on Monday with more "new for CHA" products…

hmmm…I wonder what it will be…

I'll have to decide between

new stamps?

new art parts & new _____?

or new SiSi?

I just *MIGHT* post some peeks over the weekend on my FACEBOOK PAGE…

you can click LIKE to add it to your timeline…

I'd LIKE that!

have a GREAT weekend & I hope you can take some time for yourself to...

make art!

wendy

this is SO much FUN...

and like the Geico commercial says…

so easy…

even a caveman can do it! 

no…I haven't had a mojito yet…

just incase you're wondering…

I discovered a super simple…super fun…super quick way to create an artsy watercolor art journal page…

this is a page from my small journal & the page is manila card stock, cut to 3 1/4 x 4 ¾ inches......

grab the fern green archival...

and the leafy stamp…

then stamp the right side of the page first, then the left…without reinking, for a lighter second generation image…

this makes it look further in the background...

use jet black archival to stamp the sentiment & add some scattered straw & brushed corduroy distress inks to the page...

here comes the fun…

scribble a distress marker onto the craft sheet & pick up the color with the detail water brush…

RANDOMLY…start adding uneven flowers, by lightly taping the water brush wherever you want to add a flower…

YES…this goes thru "the uglies" before it gets cute…

but...trust me…

I started these flowers with the tumbled glass distress marker…

do the same thing with the broken china distress maker…

adding more flowers…

give it a quick blast with the heat tool...

now dispense a small amount of faded jeans distress stain onto the craft sheet & use the detail water brush to add darker dots to the flower centers…

I like the stain for the centers because the stain is undiluted…

and it really accents the flowers & makes them stand out...

getting better...

grab orange blossom archival…

this just might be my new fav color…

it coordinates well with everything…

use a blending tool or Cut N Dry foam to stencil the stripes borders…

I used the rusty hinge distress marker to color the flower…

below is the finished page…

I used potting soil archival to fill in some areas with the vintage mesh  background stamp...

I stenciled TIME with brushed corduroy, 3 times…

and used watering can archival for the very light postal mark…

that stamp is in the set called "art gone post" & it's LCS051...

to easily color tim's industrious border stickers…

I removed the sticker from the sheet & placed it on the craft sheet…

it stays nice & secure, but pops off easily & the adhesive is unharmed...

I rubbed the cornflower archival pad over the trim…

then lightly hit the edges with potting soil archival…

dry it with the heat tool…

such a quick way to alter & change them to any color you need...

***tip***

if you don't like the color…cheapo rubbing alcohol will remove the archival from the sticker & you can start all over again…

the sticker is not damaged!

the skinny industrious trim at the bottom is the divider piece between the stickers…colored the same way…

it's adhesive...don't waste it!

I stamped 2 flowers on manila scraps, colored them with the broken china distress marker & cut them out & glued them on…

the finishing touches are some remnant rubs for the 3 mini words...

and look at the butterfly rub…

you can alter the remnant rubs with ARCHIVALS!

yippee…

just swipe the craft nib onto the archival pad & color away…then dry!

this discovery made me very happy!

a little shading around the page edge, some glaze pen dots & some pen stitching…

done & FUN!

so much fun that I HAD to play again…

on the sample below, you'll see that I used distress watercolor cardstock…

same process as above…

but with a less distressed…

more clean & simple result...

this time I used the shaded lilac & dusty concord distress markers  for the flowers & I used dusty concord distress stain to create darker flower centers…

BE AUTHENTIC is stenciled with jet black archival & again…

the little remnant rub butterfly was colored with orange blossom archival…

I think I'll use the sewing machine to stitch a border, then add it to an art journal page…

but...

this would also make a fun EASY card…

or…

I could put it in a little frame & have a simple gift done…

with so many distress colors to choose from, there's something that can coordinate with any decor…

or anyones favorite color...

with the holidays fast approaching…

this makes a cool gift…

just sayin'...

and this one took 15 minutes tops!

Rick's comment…hey…that almost looks hand painted..

me…hello goofy…it was…

Rick…I'm going back to the barn…lol…

I like the combo of archival ink and distress…

my leaves/stems archival stamped image remained unaffected by  the water & distress…

using distress is an easy way to create an artsy watercolor effect…

the REAL star? the detail water brush!

I LOVE this thing…because the bristles are a nylon-ish material…the point is still perfect, even though I use this brush almost every day…

if you don't have one…you can tell Santa that this would look good in your stocking!

below is another older waterbrush project…

this is over on the Ranger site with a tutorial…

and this is where the idea came from for the flowers on todays post...

stop the press!

I have a tutorial posted today on the Ranger blog…

popover & find out how to create this…

ok...that's it…

back to more CHA stuff…

and scheduling for next year...

I hope you can find a few minutes this weekend to play and

make art!

wendy

ps…GO BEARS!

pps…one more thing…I've had several requests to participate in this number deal…

someone (actually 3 someones) sent me a number & I'm supposed to list that many unknown facts about me…oh boy…

this could be interesting & a potential blog post for next week…

stay tuned for some deep dark secrets!...