Friday 21 July 2017

Ink it! Stamp it! Blog Hop #3: Technique - Retiform

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Welcome to the Ink It! Stamp It! Design Team Blog Hop - we hop every month so be sure to pop back and visit us again!  Today our theme is Technique and I have chosen the Retiform technique to make a feminine and a masculine card.

You are currently at my page - Stephanie Fischer, The Crafty Thinker.  At the end of my post there is a full line of team members, please click on the name after mine in the list to continue the hop.
Retiform Technique, #inkitstampit, Beautiful You, Butterfly Basics, #thecraftythinker, Stampin Up Australia Demonstrator, Stephanie Fischer, Sydney NSW
Feminine version of a Retiform card featuring Beautiful You , Flourishing Phrases, Daisy Delight and Butterfly Basics

Retiform is one of those techniques that I love but seem to rarely use - in fact I think my last retiform card predated my blogging!  It's so easy and effective though that it seemed a good time to drag it out of the archives!

Method:  It's basically just masking and sponging!
  1. You may want to plan ahead of time the pattern you want to create with your sponging.
  2. Hold a piece of clean paper (I just use printer paper) in the position required. 
  3. Lightly sponge your chosen colour from the masking paper onto the cardstock. (ie place your inky sponge down onto the masking paper and gently slide the sponge onto the project)
  4. Remove the masking paper and place it back onto the project, lining it up on the crisp edge of ink you've just created.
  5. Repeat step 3
  6. Move the masking paper to the next position you want to create a line and hold in place.
  7. Repeat step 3
  8. Repeat step 4
When you have finished creating your pattern of lines, it's time to add some stamped images.

Tips: 
- This technique works really well with images that are larger than the space available so that they  look cropped.
- I'm a big fan of the monochrome so I like to use only one ink pad but this is not necessary.
  1. Choose the area where you plan to stamp.
  2. Protect all the adjacent areas of your project by carefully placing masking paper along relevant lines that you've created.
  3. Stamp your chosen image.
  4. Repeat steps 1 to 3
Masculine Card, Retiform Technique, #inkitstampit, Country Livin', Guy Greetings, #thecraftythinker, Stampin Up Australia Demonstrator, Stephanie Fischer, Sydney NSW
Using Soft Suede ink produces a lovely sepia effect in this Retiform card

For this masculine version, I basically repeated the same steps except that I started off by using a circular mask.  In order to sponge inside the circle and also to stamp inside the circle, I used the paper from which I had cut the circle to mask the rest of my project.

I used the same colour ink (Soft Suede) to watercolour the central image.  Whilst I combined several stamp sets, the overall theme is transport. The grass in the central image is from the High Tide stamp set.

I hope you've enjoyed this this technique and these cards and I welcome your comments. 

Thank you so much for joining us today. We hope you'll join us again next month for our 3D projects! I'm Stephanie Fischer and to keep hopping around see the list below to see who is up next with another great technique.

Thanks for visiting
'Til next time
Stephanie



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16 comments:

  1. WOW....such an awesome technique....am definitely going to have to give this a try....Thanks Steph

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  2. I've never heard of or seen this technique before. Thanks for bringing alive a new method for me! Super cards.

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  3. You have nailed this technique Stephanie! My fave is the male card with the centre circle, it has the old world effect with the monochrome colour scheme. I can honestly say I wasn't taken with this technique at all, but you have changed my mind. LOVE them both.

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  4. Awesome!! I love the different styles and how creative with the circle cut out too!

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  5. You have me thinking about this technique now! Love how you have demonstrated using different shapes, your male card is superb!

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    1. Thank you, Sue. Strictly speaking, I'm not sure the one with the circle is true Retiform (which is all about crossing lines and angles) but I like the twist!

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  6. Wow Stephanie, great cards. I really love the sepia look of the masculine card.

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  7. Amazing and super effectivem another technique i must try. Thanks for sharing. Your cards are stunning!

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