Ever get stuck in a crafting rut? If you do, it's time to dig deep into your craft stash and play with an overlooked tool you may not have used in a while. Today's spotlight shines on the trusty (hopefully not dusty!) brayer. Brayers are made in a variety of materials but my favorite is the rubber brayer because it easily applies ink evenly and beautifully to craft projects. This week, roll up your sleeves and roll out the brayer as we explore a great way to create some fun subtle backgrounds.
It's easy to combine the use of stamp sets with brayering because you can add color to any project, layering stamp design on top of stamp design in a quick, random way. The brayer puts hearty coats of ink on any project for fabulous color depth. With each roll, the color becomes a lighter generation of the ink color until the paper is filled with a unique, layered creation. To create the Happy Day card, use the Two Step Backgrounds set (D1473) to create the subtle Spring Iris texture which complements the great paper flowers.
When using the brayer, any stamp set can be anchored to create the backdrop for a great project. The banner features the large flower from the Trellis stamp set (D1451) to create an exquisite look. Notice how the first and last pennants draw the eye inward by only using the brayer on a portion of the pennant? Love it!
Another great way to use the brayer is to combine two different stamp designs on the same background as shown on the Lovely card. To achieve this look, ink your stamp as normal then roll the image onto the brayer.
Once the brayer is inked, roll the image several times on your piece of paper allowing the ink to fade with each roll. Rolling in different directions and starting at different points will give the background design more interest.
Repeat the steps by inking a second stamp design and rolling it on the brayer.
Roll the brayer on the project again with the new image until the desired color and depth is achieved.
(Start humming the theme to "Rawhide" here): Rolling, rolling, rolling, keep your brayers rolling and enjoy everything you create!
Lovely projects. One of my favorite tricks with a brayer is reversing the direction of a stamp. Say the bunny has his nose pointing left. Ink the bunny,brayer the bunny and then roll the brayer on paper = the bunny's nose will be pointing right. Love my brayer! thanks.
ReplyDeleteoh Mary....good idea and one I need to share with a customer :) I need to dig mine out again.
ReplyDeleteIs that a new banner style I see in the photos??? Maybe in the next catalogue??
Jeanette, I would love if you could put share buttons under your wonderful posts so we could send them out into the social media world for everyone to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteMy brayer has been one of my least used tools, but I'm going to go dig it out. (Love the Rawhide lyrics. That song always reminds me of the Blues Brothers!)
ReplyDeleteTeresa
I love these ideas- I just used my brayer yesterday and love it!
ReplyDelete