It’s OK not to have one of everything! {A card recipe: feel free to substitute:)

Hi friends, today I have acard background recipe for you: Distress Oxides + Color Burst + Gesso = Fun Inky Cards! It is so easy to fall into the “gotta have its!” when we see a new product that we jump in and buy a complete line before we take the time to think if it really suits us or if you have something already in your stash that will do the same thing. Many expensive mistakes can be avoided if we build our collection slowly and exhaust the possibility of a supply before trying something else. By proceeding in this way we can avoid the overwhelm of being confronted with a room full of media we don’t know how to use. Also we can avoid the regret that comes from spending money on a full set of something that we really don’t like. We all know how hard it is to let go of something we paid a lot of money for right? So with this theme in mind I want you to use what you have to create these fun inky backgrounds today. If I am using something you don’t have, find something similar. If you want to try the exact stuff I am using (like a Distress Oxide ink pad or gel printing plate) just try a couple of your favorite colors and see how they suit you rather than the entire line (trust me, they will be there when you decide if you like them or not.) I can hear the protests already “But it’s a better deal if I buy the entire set and if I end up buying the whole set then I’ll have two duplicates!” And yes, that is kind of true if you are really going to use every color, but more often that not you will probably only love half the colors in a line so why buy ones you won’t use that much? You are spending extra money, space and time to maintain these things. If you buy a complete set you might not bother to see how they work with the supplies you already own For instance the Distress Oxides work great with regular Distress ink and I’d never know that if I wasn’t limited in colors and wanted brighter hues. Full disclosure I ended up collecting the entire line (by purchase and gift) because they really suited me. I am waiting to buy reinkers until the pads are used up to make sure they still add value to my creative process. I think we all face the “fear of missing out” and we buy in a state of panic that we won’t be able to get something because it will be sold out or become more expensive but let me tell you if it keeps selling they will keep making it!

Speaking of fear in our cardmaking…If you are afraid when you create you will be leery of wasting supplies. We tend to collect and hoard and then we become overwhelmed or even worse we forget what we have. The gel printing plate I am using today was a “had to have it, yet to use it” item I bought when it first came out. Why have I been saving it? You can’t use it up. I put it in a drawer safe in the knowledge that I can access it whenever I like but never did. Crazy huh? Just think of the treasures we could find if we just shopped our stash! In today’s video I am going to show you how to mix up supplies and make interesting artsy backgrounds and also how to look at your rubber stamps in new ways to increase their versatility, I hope you play along!

Video!

This video is sponsored by Rubber Stamp Tapestry  use coupon code: FRUGALAUGUST17 – 10% off everything in the store. Coupon expires August 31, 2017. Become a Peg Stamp VIP & get an instant coupon for 20% off RST stamps here plus the deepest weekly discounts available! Offer expires August 31, 2017.

Supplies from Rubber Stamp Tapestry:

• Peg stamps- Dandelion Flurry, Shell Border, Seahorse Garden, Other Nautical Stamps, Celery Rose, Happy Puppy, Dragonfly Dancing
• Unmounted stamps- Butterflies and Ivy, Wrought Iron Planters 
• Distress oxide ink (Peacock Feathers, Peeled Paint, Salty Ocean, Abandoned Coral, Spiced Marmalade)
• Memento ink (Tuxedo Black)
• Make Up Sponges 

Other Supplies:

• White and black cardstock
• *This is the white heavyweight cardstock I use
• Mini Gel printing plates Gel Press Brand (Currently $8 cheaper!)  Gelli Arts Brand  *I have plated from both companies and they seem identical to me.
• Spray bottle of water
• Gadget Gears Die
• Metallic thread
• ATG gun and adhesive
• White Gesso 
• Color burst pigment powder (Lime green and Turquoise)
• Stencil (Polka Dot)

Directions: Watch the video and then grab the supplies you have and make some ink backgrounds! Don’t get overwhelmed, just have fun! After all, it’s just a piece of paper!

5 Do’s & Donts for inky backgrounds!

1. Do try making backgrounds using the supplies you already have. If a new product peaks your interest try one or two colors before purchasing the whole set to see if it suits you.

2. Don’t worry about making a mess or wasting supplies. You can use cheap white cardstock cut into quarters for your inky backgrounds. Then trim and mount the great ones to cards made of heavyweight cardstock.

3. Do use lots of adhesive when mounting the inky papers. You can even weight it with a book if it wants to warp.

4. Don’t overlook the cool stencils in your stash, you don’t have to use polka dots, take the idea and make it your own!

5. Do trusts your instincts and pick colors and images you like because it’s your art after all!

I realize you may think it’s funny that I am urging you not to go crazy over-buying supplies on a sponsored blog post but I love this hobby and for it to be sustainable we need to find value and get use from the products we buy. If we stock up but never use these treasures it is a total waste. We need to pace ourselves and learn what our own style is (not what the cool crafters on YouTube are doing) or we will end up with drawers full of supplies that we don’t really like. This blog post and video was inspired by some critical comments on my YouTube channel where some viewers complained about the colors I chose for various projects. It’s easy to swap a color for one you prefer and I want to give you permission to do that, or use a whole different product all together. You don’t need to copy a project exactly for it to be good or meaningful, in fact it’s better to add your own style and spice to it! Vive la différence! You do you and it will be fabulous! Thanks for taking the time to read though my long pep talk (rant?) and as always continue the discussion in the comments below. I am really enjoying our conversations lately! Have a great weekend and til next time happy crafting!