Hey there, it’s Jess Francisco from @lovejessco on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and the Archer & Olive Ambassador Team. If you’re looking for ways to add some fun color and detail to your spreads, look no further! I’m showing you how to use inks in your notebooks and using those techniques to create a stunning cover page that would be perfect for a Reading Journal, Nature Journal, or even a monthly cover page!
Supplies:
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Blending Tools & Foam Pads
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Stencils
Ink Blending
One of my favorite ways to add ink to my journals is with a technique called Ink Blending. You use an Ink Blending Tool to take ink from the ink pad and then apply it to your paper. This transfers the ink and gives your notebooks beautiful, colorful additions. I like to move the blending tool in a circular motion to avoid harsh lines in the blending. This can take a bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be an ink blending machine!
Adding Water?
Water can be a scary thought when it comes to your precious Archer and Olive journals. I’ve tested it out, so you don’t have to be the guinea pig!
Some inks are water reactive and can have cool effects when you apply water to them. For the page I’m creating I sprayed a little water into my hand, then flicked it on to the ink blended area. The ink I’m using is water reactive, so when I blotted up the excess water with a paper towel, some of the ink was lifted from the page for a distressed look. Before I added the water, there was zero bleed through on the page behind the ink blending. After adding some water, there was a small bit of bleed through, but not a ton. The more water you add, the higher the chance of bleed through.
Using Stencils
Now that you’ve got a beautifully blended background, you can stop here. OR, you can keep going! You can add additional layers of interest with stencils. All you need to do is lay the stencil over the area you’ve ink blended and apply ink through the stencil with the ink blending tool. You can move the stencil around to add color to different areas with ease.
Using Inks with Stamps
One of the most common ways to use inks in your journals is with stamps. That doesn’t make it any less cool! To use most stamps, you’ll need an acrylic block. You ‘pick up’ the stamp with the acrylic block - the smooth side of the stamp sticks to the block and allows you to stamp. Once the stamp is on the acrylic block, you tap the stamp gently against the ink pad, then press the stamp onto your paper. It can take some practice to get the application just right, so feel free to do some practice stamps on some scrap paper before you apply them to your page in progress.
Mix It Up
You can use these techniques individually or even mix and match to get awesome results in your notebooks. You use ink blending for headers or highlighting certain areas in your spreads. You can add pops of color with stencils or stamps. And, of course, you can combine them all for a more layered or mixed media effect. Have fun playing with all of the different combinations and find what calls to your creative heart!
FREE PRINTABLE
If you need a reminder of some of the cool techniques you can use inks for, download this free printable and glue it into your notebook! You can flip to the page when creative block strikes and you need a refresh.
VIDEO TUTORIAL
If you’re more of a visual person, check out my video. I share lots of tips and tricks on how you can use inks in your journals. You can watch it below or on the Archer & Olive YouTube channel.
If you’re looking for more inspiration, be sure to check out this great post of adding mixed media elements to your journals.
Mixed Media In Your Art Journal
Thanks so much for spending some time with me on the blog today. I hope you’re inspired to try out ink pads in your notebook. If you create something inspired by this post, be sure to tag me on social media (@lovejessco) as well as Archer & Olive (@archerandolive) so we can see what you’re up to!
See you next time!
Jess
Get 10% Off at Archer & Olive with code: LOVEJESS
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