The Tech 4 Stampers Blog hop theme this month is – your favourite technique. I really struggled with this as my favourite technique is usually the one I am doing at the time! I love all the different techniques we use: embossing, blending techniques, and ink techniques especially.

I am a messy crafter, usually found covered in ink stains and glitter and with stampin’ dimensional tops unknowingly hidden about my person. So it is fitting that the favourite technique I have chosen for this blog hop is a messy one – the splatter technique.

Here is the finished card. You can find the full list of products used at the bottom of this post. It uses the usual card base: Basic White 21cm x 14.8cm scored at 10.5cm, plus a Basic White panel 14.3cm x 10cm.

I die-cut the panel using one of the gorgeous split card texture dies. (I actually did two, which was good as I messed one up by not allowing the splattered ink to dry before adding it to my card base. Don’t make this mistake!)

To create the splatter effect I use two ink pads, Highland Heather and Old Olive. I picked up ink onto a stamping block by pressing the block gently into the Highland Heather ink pad.

I used a wet paintbrush to pick up the ink from the block and lightly tapped the loaded paintbrush against my finger to create the splatters across the card. The wetter the brush, the larger the splatters. Make sure you cover your work surface with kitchen towel – it is messy!

I cleaned the brush and then repeated this process with Old Olive. You can use more colours if you want but I just wanted the two. IMPORTANT NOTE: Let the inks dry thoroughly before making up the card!

(You can produce a less pronounced effect with smaller, more subtle dots using our Stampin Blends. Flicking the brush end of the blend against the point of the Take Your Pick tool gives a beautiful subtle tiny splatter background.)

On scrap Basic White I stamped seven flowers in Highland Heather, four large and two small. Then I stamped the leaves onto scraps of Old Olive cardstock.  I punched them all out using the flowers and leaves punch. A good tip is to check the punch and stamp the flowers and leaves at the angle needed for the punch on a strip of Basic White/Old Olive card. This avoids too much waste.

I coloured the flowers using the Highland Heather Stampin blends combo pack and used Daffodil Delight for the centres.I curled each flower by pressing it into my palm then added them to the card front as shown.

To finish the card I stamped the sentiment in Early Espresso onto a scrap of basic White and punched it out using the Double Oval punch. I added it to a punched Highland Heather scalloped oval.

A few iridescent pearl gems finished the card off nicely.

I hope you enjoyed this card and will try this technique. Thank you for joining me. Now please go and look at all the other amazing cards in this blog hop.

Product List