I’ve been binge watching videos about Distress Oxide techniques and one first Tim Holtz then Jennifer McGuire shared really appealed to me. I ended up combining it with some other techniques and it’s produced some great card backgrounds.
This works best with Ranger gloss card stock (needs to be gloss) as photo paper tend to go sticky when wet. I did multiple layers of Distress Oxides using my craft mat and spray bottle, and added pattern with stencils to lift off colour, add colour, seal with Micro Glaze to protect the underneath colours or heat emboss the wet ink with clear embossing powder, and finally added flicks of colour with the Tim Holtz Splatter Brush.
Here’s what I ended up with once the layers were done:
As you use more and more layers and water the colours get very chalky, which is the point of the Oxides and it’s a lovely effect. Here’s the thing though – if you add a thin layer of Micro Glaze to the dry card then burnish it the colours brighten up and glow, and somehow all the individual layers show. It’s quite impressive. Here’s how they looked once I’d added the Micro Glaze and buffed them (not the same cards but you get the idea I hope):
(These photos were taken in bright daylight and there’s lots of shadows – sorry about that!)
Cath Sheard 