Technique Tuesday - Direct To Paper With ColorBox Inks

I learned this technique many years ago at a retailer's trade show in Boston, from Natalie of Magenta Rubber Stamp company.  It has remained one of my very favorite background techniques.  It always looks so elegant, and never comes out the same twice!
I made this set of note cards to show this Direct To Paper technique.  I will attempt to give directions, as I could not find a YouTube video, or even a picture tutorial on it, but I will walk you through it.  Some day I will learn how to do videos on YouTube!!  Anyways, here are the cards:

All four cards were made with the DTP technique.  Here's how it is done:

• Start with a piece of card stock cut to the size you want for your finished project.  The card stock can be any color. 
• Using ColorBox Cat's Eye ink pads, or the PetalPoint sections, choose three or four colors.  I use two or three of a color family.  In these cards, I started with a shade of green, then added a darker green, then a rust, then finally a burgundy.
• Rub your first color directly onto the cardstock (hence the name direct to paper).  Add the color intermittently on the card stock, not filling it all in.  Leave some open areas.
• Rub your second color in some of the open areas, then your third/fourth colors in any open areas.
• To soften and blend the colors, rub with a tissue after your colors are applied.  
• If it is still too rigid, I usually take my lightest color, and rub it over the whole piece, then rub it out with tissue.  This will soften the piece.
• On these cards, I stamped images with black die ink right onto the background.  Then I highlighted areas of the images with white colored pencil.  I use Berol Prismacolor pencils, as they have a nice soft lead.  Just add white along some edges and areas you want to highlight.  Finally, I stamped some elements with gold ColorBox ink.

Here are the cards individually (to see closer, click on each image)

And here's a close up of one of them that shows the detail:

I am entering these cards in the Hero Arts Blog challenge http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/ this month,  which is anything Autumn.  I used some of Hero's leaves, trees, and fall looking stamps, and chose rich fall colors.
I am also entering them in the Cuttlebug challenge http://thecuttlebugspot.blogspot.com/2010/09/desing-team-open-call.html , which was to emboss.  I love the Cuttlebug embossing folders, which is what I used along the edge of each card.  It adds just enough interest, without taking away from the image.  If you click on the images, you can see the embossing more clearly.  It really shows up much better person.

I hope you will try this technique.  The look is rich and elegant, and with a little practice you will be making some really pretty backgrounds.

Enjoy your week!

Blessings and peace,

lynda