Inking Edges: Stamp-free, ink-initiation for beginner scrapbookers.

Inking the edges of your photo mats can add a nice finishing touch.  Here are some things I've learned about ink:

• Ink pads don't necessarily only accompany stamps... I use ink pads often without bringing out the stamps.  Stamps are tricky, mean little buggers.  They look awesome but require lots of skill.  More on that in a minute.
• Ink pads are cheap and come in tons of colors.
• Ink is messy, messy, messy... so make sure to watch what else you touch and wash your hands --- otherwise you'll end up with smudges and smears.  Boo to smudges!

So without further ado, let me introduce you to this beginner scrapbookers take on "inking" techniques.  Inking the edges of the colored mats on this page gives it a nice popping-effect, especially in the case of red on red.  At the time I made this layout, I didn't have black ink (well, I bought an ink pad that looked black, but it turned out to be purple), so I used blue instead.  Gosh I'm good at improvising!

What you do is press the edge of the paper directly onto the ink pad.  This is going to give you a nice thin border of ink.  If you want the "sprayed" look (see below), gently press the surface of the paper onto the pad.  You can use your fingertips to press the paper onto the pad... light pressure for a bit of color, more pressure for more dramatic color.

I highly recommend testing this out a few times.

I also highly recommend waiting to adhere your photos until after you ink the edges.

Here's a close up of the title, which I stamped with individual letters...

I'd like to publicly congratulate myself on this majestic title.  It took me six (I'll repeat that: SIX) times before I got it right.  Stamps are soooo cool looking and in theory they're easy (especially now that they have clear stamps that you temporarily adhere to a clear block, making it easier to see where the image is going to end up).  So yes, how hard could it really be?  Well for me, the challenge comes in not knowing how hard to press and not knowing whether the ink will be even. 

Pleeeeease practice before stamping!  Impatient KeKe doesn't believe in looking before you leap.  Many-a-time I've skipped the directions on the hair dye box that suggest testing out the color on an "unnoticeable" strip of hair (consequently ending up sporting a hat for a few weeks).  But when it comes to ink and stamps, practice makes perfect.

Beginner scrapbooking tip:  Try making a layout using photos that don't have any people.  This layout is a compilation of photos (most were taken downtown San Francisco) that have funny sayings or misspellings.  You could do a layout of pictures of things you collect... I'm thinking about doing a layout of all my stilettos. =)