Today I have a new “Creative Background” Tutorial for you using Distress Stains and Water!

* Dip it Baby!

To create the background for this layout, I used the following three products:

1.  Core’dinations Core Impressions Cardstock (aka embossed cardstock with a rockin’ color core!)
2.  Ranger’s Distress Stain
3.  Water (and this one was free – whohoo!)

* So let’s get started!

* First, I grabbed my “Dusty Concord” Distress Stain and applied it all over my sheet of embossed cardstock. I went back over various areas of the cardstock – adding more stain so I would end up with darker patches of color.

* Next, I dipped a paintbrush in water and splattered it all over the page.  I also dipped an old toothbrush in water and ran my fingers across the bristles to create a finer water mist on the cardstock. You could just as easily apply the water using a spray mister and this technique also works on other types of cardstock that have been stained.

* This is me watching the water droplets dry on my cardstock…lol

* This is what it looks like after the water dries! Pretty darn cool if say so myself!!

* After it dried, which was like less than 2 minutes, I cut around the decorative edge of the cardstock. ( I saved the bottom strip of my cardstock where the Core logo and paper type are printed to use later) Then I grabbed my Core’dinations Sand it Gadget and sanded all around the edge of the cardstock allowing the gorgeous Pink Core to show through!

* I want to note here that I actually sanded over a few of the water spots and it was sooo cool because it still looked like it had been misted but the pink core was also defined!

* To complete the actual background, I simply adhered my sheet of water misted cardstock to a beautiful Basic Grey patterned paper and then started embellishing.

Here are a few close up shots:

* Remember how I said I saved the bottom strip of my cardstock after cutting it?

Well this is what I used it for! I flipped it over so the pink core side was showing and then I used a border punch on it. It made the perfect decorative trim embellishment and of course totally matched my layout because it was part of the original cardstock sheet!

* Supplies used to create layout:

- Core’dinations Core Impressions Cardstock
- Ranger’s Distress Stain
- Water / Paint brush / Old Toothbrush
- Patterned Papers: Basic Grey & Crate Paper
- Maya Road Zipper
- The Girls Paperie Letter Stickers
- Other Stickers: October Afternoon, Heidi Swapp, Crate Paper
- Pens: Staedtler Triplus Fineliners
- Rub On: Studio Calico

Creatively Yours,
April