Technique Tuesday - Playing with Glossy Cardstock

I love Stampin Up....love it but don't sell it. I have thought about it but to be honest, I'm not sure where or when I would fit it in. I started out with Stampin Up and still get excited when a new catalog comes out. Tonight as I was trying to decide which technique to blog about, I came across my hidden stack of glossy cardstock and decided to feature it. I love this stuff - it is so versatile and makes for a gorgeous technique!There are many different things you can do with glossy cardstock but here are two simple yet beautiful ways to use this fun product.

1. Alcohol Ink

This is so quick and easy...but remember that alcohol ink are NOT forgiving. Once it's there, there is no taking it back! Alcohol ink dries almost immediately and you can't blend it. I did this with denim, lettuce and cranberry. I always prefer starting with my darkest colour so that I don't do too much of it to begin with. Simply drip drops (ok, that sounds funny!) onto your glossy cardstock and watch it spread.... it will spread quite a bit so try not to make your drops too big. A hint to this is to not tilt your bottle upright after each drop but to keep it sideways and lightly tap it. Fill as much space as you want and continue on with each colour until you have your desired look. Here are my professional photos (!) and my final project!

2. ReInkers

Also quick and easy but a little bit more forgiving than alcohol inks. You can blend reinkers quite nicely and cover over what you have done if you aren't satisfied...and keep covering until you have it right. Simply take a sponge (or a cotton ball also works quite nicely) and drop a few drops of the ink onto it. I usually do 2 of one colour and 1 of another colour. Dab at your glossy cardstock and continue until you have your desired look. This is used quite nicely as a background. If you choose to do that, stamp on it with your image using Staz-On Ink (my daughter's favourite!!) as it will dry quickly and not interfere with your ink. I added Stickles and some small circles in Versamark Dazzle for a bit of sparkle :) Here are my fabulous photos once again and the finished project!