AIR16 -- Nighty Night ChallengeThis challenge opens Saturday, June 11, 2016 and ends at midnight (your time) Sunday June 19.
The Challenge:Create two backgrounds featuring the Pillow-Top Technique and use one of them on a finished card that includes stamping. You may use all or part of your background piece. You may die-cut it, but the pattern must still be recognizable after die-cutting. This technique is a blast from the past. I learned it four years ago from a Stamp TV video tutorial by Gina K. (BTW, if you mess up your first piece, you can still post it and count it as one of the two backgrounds required for the challenge.)
It is fun and easy to make this background although I’ve managed to complicate it with my tips and tricks. Here’s Gina K’s video tutorial for the
Pillow-Top Background Technique.. She does this effortlessly without any special tools.
The first time I made one of these backgrounds, I just eye-balled it the way Gina K. did. I wasn’t very happy with my results. Check out the second background on this post:
My First Attempts. The second try seen on the finished card was better. Practice helps a lot.
The next time I made the background, I tried to make it easier to keep the spacing the same throughout the piece. I also made the lines a bit further apart (1/2”). I liked it much better. You can see that card and read my tips in this gallery post:
Two Days Later. If you don’t want to be confused, you might prefer to skip the tips. Lol.
Requirements:1. You must make a new card.
Don't forget to post two background pieces. (Only one needs to be used on a card.)2. Please post your card in the Artsy Inker Gallery set aside for AIR 2016. Begin the Subject line with AIR16. Use the keyword, AIR16-Pillow.
3. Please link your gallery post to this thread and share your experiences here.
4. You may combine this challenge with other challenges.
The names of participants who adhere to the requirements will be drawn from my old straw hat to determine who gets a small prize.
I hope you have fun with this and end up with a couple of cool backgrounds.
Daria
ETA: (07.06.16) I learned a lot while making my backgrounds and thought I'd share some more tips here in case anyone comes to this thread to learn how to do this technique:
1. I found I liked the effect best with lines that were not too far apart. I settled on a half inch space between them.
2. I also am now using a glass mat that has grid lines on it. That way, I can temporarily attach the cardstock to the mat so that the opposite corners line up with the same grid line and just move the piece of plastic. I mentioned this to Cindi, and she suggested putting the grid paper in a page protector if you didn't have a glass mat. Great idea!
3. The ink applicator that worked the best for me was Tsukineko's Ink Sweeper, the long, thin ink dauber. However, start out using what you are accustomed to. It will probably work best for you.
4. The hardest part for me was to use a light hand. No pressure. I tapped the ink onto the plastic along the edge and then very lightly transferred it to the cardstock. I had to keep reminding myself to go slowly and not to press down. It worked better to just go over it a couple of times instead of pressing down to apply ink.
5. I had great luck using Memories Inks Made for Hero Arts Shadow Stamps. Yep, that's what they were called. The colors are soft. The nice thing about this technique is you can make it what you want, whatever suits the mood of your card--pastel or bright, soft or vivid, serene or wild.
6. One more thing. My rejects, even the worse one, looked great when die-cut with an intricate die. I used a sentiment die.
Have fun.
Daria