Technique Tuesday - Shimmering Stippled Backgrounds

Last night I spent the evening "playing" with my inks and stipple brushes.  I use my stipple brushes a often when I want to add a touch of color here or there, and to create backgrounds.  As I was playing around with color combinations, and different effects, I thought about my stash of Perfect Pearls.  So, being the adventurous soul that I am, I opened a jar of gold Perfect Pearls, and proceeded to try different ideas with it and my inks and brushes.  Here's the finished card I made from the background I came up with:

Unfortunately, the photograph of the card does not show the shimmer of the Perfect Pearls over the entire card.  It's a soft, glowing shimmer, that's just so lovely.   You'll just have to try one for yourself to really see the beauty of these little jars of pure shimmer!

Here's how to create shimmery backgrounds with Perfect Pearls, inks, and stipple brushes:


- Choose white or ivory card stock, and two or three ink pads in colors that blend well and look good together.
- Dab a stipple brush onto the first ink pad, and tap the color onto the card.  Be sure to leave some areas open for the next color.
- Stipple the second color in the open spaces (and a third color if you like).  I use a different stipple brush for each color.  I have one for every color group (one for greens, one for pinks, one for blues, etc.)
- When you have the entire card stippled, you will have a background that looks as though it has been airbrushed.  You can stop there, and stamp on the background and develop your card from there.  OR, you can add the next step.
- Spritz the stippled background with a fine mist.  Use a stipple brush to stipple a dusting of Perfect Pearls over the entire background.  I just dipped the very tip of the brush in the pot, and tapped the pearls in the lid, then tapped into the lid a few times, then onto the card.  The fine mist of water on the card stock will hold the pearls on the background.
That's it!
To finish my card, I stamped the script background and the flowers, then added the verse panel, ribbon, and pearls.

 I use these really thick, full stipple brushes.  They hold lots of color, and it goes on really smoothly.  I used Adirondack inks on my card.







Tapping color from the stamp pads onto the card.

Fine mist spritz.

 Smaller stipple brush to apply Perfect Pearls.  I used gold pearls.

Try different color combinations when you create your backgrounds. Try different colors of Perfect Pearls.  Experiment, and see what lovely backgrounds you can make!!

Thanks for stopping by.

Blessings and peace,
lynda