Monday 15 February 2010

Using (not losing) my Marbles!

Returning to my session playing with marbles I'm adding pics to show some results for this fun background method, a few hints and tips and cards I made. The cards have an inner flap which folds behind the front when closed. 


Lay a sheet of A4 card in a shoe box lid (I didn't even bother lining it with foil as some people advise.) 
Pop marbles into a small plastic pot (I used 5 marbles.. one works but takes longer) 
Add  a couple of drops of a stamp pad re inker colour. (I tried a few different inks and they all worked well) 


Swirl the marbles round in the pot to coat them with ink then roll them onto the A4 card in the shoe box lid.
Quickly roll the marbles round all over the card in the lid in different directions. If necessary re ink them.
It's best to re ink a few times than to add too much ink initially.

Wash and dry the marbles and the pot before changing to a different colour.
One, two or three colours looks good but any more colours gets too complex.
Distress Inks and Color Box inks work well on normal card. 
Alcohol inks are effective but need to be on glossy card and, when using alcohol inks, work speedily or they will evaporate before the colour is applied to the card. 
The pic with the marbles shows that even one colour looks effective. The bottom pic used 3 colours of alcohol inks.



















Today I was jamming... not  Bob Marley style but making more blackcurrant jam from the fruit DH and I picked last Autumn. Fluffy will be very happy and I promise to save at least a jar for her!!! I froze so much of it, made some pies and compotes but the jam proved so popular and delicious that it has gone so quickly. Had to make more from the frozen fruit so now I've freed up some freezer space it will be easier to find stuff in there. It makes me content to see the results in my store cuboard.

7 comments:

Dotpat said...

Shall have to try that Jo looks fun

KAT said...

Love your background technique - I bet you felt like a kid again playing with those marbles!

cockney blonde said...

Love the cards Jo and love the look of the yummy jam, x

lisa said...

Don't they make great backgrounds? I love how you've stamped on top of them, they make such unusual cards. It's great just playing and seeing what you end up with isn't it?
That jam looks delicious. I'm not surprised the first lot disappeared.

Lisax

fluffy said...

Love the marble stuff, but am more excited about the jam at the moment; have got withdrawal symptoms here--we just scraped out the last of the blackcurrant jam the other day with our le creuset spatula!! Good to hear that the stocks have been replenished--just make sure you hide it from Pops! Ta Ma xx

sam21ski said...

WOW Fab backgrounds, will have to try that - TFS xxxx

Paul B said...

Oh wow this looks like such brilliant messy fun. Each piece as original & unique as the next. Very creative and free. Love what you've made with the backgrounds too. The purple and lime colours look especially nice together. Pxx