One of the challenges of [C]lean [A]nd [S]imple card design is keeping some white space around your elements. This week’s challenge over at Less is More is CAS inking. We’re hoping that entrants will restrain themselves and keep roughly two-thirds of their card free of inking or texture as per the challenge rules. I created several inked pieces and chose two to go through to card stages:

Inking the Butterfly Birthday

• Carabelle Studio: ‘Collage Texte et Négatif’ SA60052
• Ranger / Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Spray: Seedless Preserves
• Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black
• Sentiment from discontinued Craftwork Cards clear stamp set

I sprayed the ink on a separate piece of card, spritzing with water, letting the drips run before drying and choosing the most interesting area to stamp over. The butterfly was stamped again on blank card and cut out and glued in place to give the effect of being masked.

Artist brush

• Darkroom Door: Artist Brushes DDRS187
• Ranger / Tim Holtz Distress Inks: Vintage Photo / Candied Apple / Spiced Marmalade / Mustard Seed / Twisted Citron / Salty Ocean / Chipped Sapphire / Wilted Violet
• Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black

I stamped the brush on a separate piece of card and blended the rainbow inks along the bristles. I coloured the handle with watercoloured Vintage Photo before drying everything and cutting it out. Glue into place onto a card blank and then mask off between brush edges and bottom corners of the card. Add blended inks again to create the painted area before splatting with clean water and blotting it back up again to leave the watermarks.