I attended a Stampin' Up! regional training day recently. In fact I was asked to do a ten-minute presentation - what a lovely compliment, but very nerve-racking! So since I have been playing with re-inker techniques over the last few months, I decided to show two really easy, but fun techniques that make you go "wow"!

The first re-inker techique I demonstrated is one that I recently taught in the 3-cards in 3-hours Workshop at the end of July. It is called the...

Embossed Re-inker Spread Technique

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral (wood: 115796). Card/Paper: Soft Suede (119982), Whisper White (106549), Watercolour Paper (105019). Ink: Soft Suede (115657), VersaMark (102283). Ink Refills: Real Red (103287). Accessories: White Stampin' Emboss Powder (109132), Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon (109070). Tools: Manhattan Flower Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (114517), Little Leaves Sizzlits Die (114511), Sizzix Big Shot (113439), Embossing Buddy (103083), Heat Tool (106586), Aqua Painter (103954), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430). Techniques: Embossed Re-Inker Spread Technique.

The rose on the front of this card is coloured using the Embossed Re-inker Spread Technique...

1. Stamp the large rose from the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set with VersaMark on to watercolour paper and heat emboss it with white embossing powder.
2. Using a water spritzer (an empty Stampin' Mist bottle works well), spray the watercolour paper until water pools in the embossed areas.
3. Picked up some ink (for this one I used Real Red) with an Aqua Painter or paint brush and touch the tip of the brush to the edge of the pools of water. The ink in spread, with the darker shade of your colour where you touched the water, bleeding outwards to a lighter shade. Once the image is coloured, leave it to dry.
4. Once dried, cut the flower out and add it to the front of your card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

You can also use this technique with two or more colours. This example (which was inspired by Alisa Tilsner) uses the smaller flower from the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set and coloured using Tempting Turquoise and Garden Green. The colours blend together resulting in a lovely paua-like effect.

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral (wood: 115796), Upsy Daisy (wood: 115898). Card/Paper: Garden Green (108605), Tempting Turquoise (108598), Whisper White (106549), Watercolour Paper (105019). Ink: Garden Green (102272), VersaMark (102283). Ink Refills: Garden Green (102059), Tempting Turquoise (101041). Accessories: White Stampin' Emboss Powder (109132), Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon (109070), Tempting Turquoise Stampin' Write Marker (100058). Tools: Embossing Buddy (103083), Heat Tool (106586), Aqua Painter (103954), Sponge Daubers (102892), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430). Techniques: Embossed Re-Inker Spread Technique.

The second re-inker technique I demonstrated is called the...

Polished Stone Technique

This technique uses Isopropyl Alcohol and re-inkers to create a marbled background and can be used to create your own patterned paper. It also works well with a solid embossed image and the Emboss-Resist Technique.

Stamps: Contempo Christmas (wood: 121498, clear: 120594). Card/Paper: Tempting Turquoise (108598), Night of Navy (106577), Whisper White (106549), Glossy White (106555). Ink: Night of Navy (102977), VersaMark (102283). Ink Refills: Tempting Turquoise (101041), Bashful Blue (105221). Accessories: White Stampin' Emboss Powder (109132), Night of Navy 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon (109036), White uni-Ball Signo Gel Pen (105021). Tools: Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (120175), Sizzix Big Shot (113439), Embossing Buddy (103083), Heat Tool (106586), Mat Pack (105826), Paper Piercing Tool (116631), Mini Glue Dots (103683), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430). Non-SU!: Isopropyl Alcohol, Cotton Balls. Techniques: Polished Stone Technique, Faux-Stitching.

The background of this card was coloured using the Polished Stone Technique...

1. Using Glossy White card stock, stamp the Christmas decoration from the Contempo Christmas stamp set with VersaMark and heat emboss it with white embossing powder.
2. Soak a cotton ball with Isopropyl Alcohol (which can be purchased off the shelf at any chemist) and add drops of ink. For this card I used two drops of Tempting Turquoise and three drops of Bashful Blue. Here's a tip, use less drops of darker colours and more drops of lighter colours.
3. Dab the cotton ball over the glossy card stock until you achieve the look you want. Stop when you have the marbled effect otherwise the colours will blend together and will either be all be one colour or muddy.
4. As the Isopropyl Alcohol evaporates, the ink dries. It is really quite quick, about 1-2 minutes. Once it is dry rub the excess ink off the embossing to reveal the image.

I made 28 of these easel cards as swaps for the training day...

While playing with the Polished Stone Technique, I decided to try applying the ink directly to the rubber of the stamp, then stamping. I used the solid daisy image from the Upsy Daisy stamp set...

Stamps: Upsy Daisy (wood: 115898). Card/Paper: Rich Razzleberry (119981), Tempting Turquoise (108598), Whisper White (106549), Glossy White (106555). Ink: Rich Razzleberry (115658). Ink Refills: Rich Razzleberry (115664), Tempting Turquoise (101041), Bashful Blue (105221). Accessories: Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon (109070), Tempting Turquoise Stampin' Write Marker (100058). Tools: Stampin' Dimensionals (104430). Non-SU!: Isopropyl Alcohol, Cotton Balls. Techniques: Polished Stone Technique.

This card uses two drops of Tempting Turquoise, three drops of Bashful Blue and one drop of Rich Razzleberry on a cotton ball soaked in Isopropyl Alcohol. I dapped the ink all over the rubber of the stamp, then stamped it onto glossy card stock. Once the ink dried, I cut out the images and mounted them into the front of the card.

I hope these cards and techniques have inspired you to think of Ink Refills as more than re-inkers, but tools that can create a bit of wow.