Tone on Tone a very simple technique for paper crafters

For our November technique share we have picked something that is really simple that beginners right through to avid crafters can so with minimum fuss and bother.  It is the tone on tone technique and you can achieve great results with #simplestamping and just one colour of ink or indeed a Versamark clear emboss pad.  

It's been so depressing weather wise in the UK that I've taken out my Butterfly Gala stamp set which I haven't used in a long while and some pretty Subtle collection inks and card stock.  

I first cut a matt layer for my card which is measured at 10cm x 14.3cm.  I made three of the same card in different colours.  I started with Soft Sea Foam.  Using a solid small butterfly stamp from the set I stamped randomly around the edge to add some detail. 

For my design layer I used another piece of Soft Sea Foam cut at 9.5cm x 13.8cm.

 

For this part I stamped the various outline butterfly duo stamps across the card making sure to stamp them going off the card as this helps draw the eye across the design.  In some cases I just ink the big or small butterfly to mix them up on the design even more.  They are all stamped in Soft Sea Foam ink hence the term 'tone on tone' which sometimes folk assume wont work, but you are in effect adding ink and therefore create darker shades of the same colour by adding this ink layer.  You can also create a similar effect using a clear Versamark ink pad which then gives a watermark effect.  This tends to work best on lighter colours though.  I also wanted to define the two layers of card so with this layer I swiped the edges of the card across the ink pad  a couple of times to add shading to the very edge of the card.   I then stuck the two layers together and stuck them to a base card of thick whisper white card.  

My next step was to stamp on whisper white card in Soft Sea Foam ink, a butterfly duo and use the matching punch to cut out the images.  I layered them with glue dots and Stampin' dimensionals.  They were added to the card along with a sentiment from the Stampin' Up! Butterfly Gala stamp set which I punched out with the Classic Label punch. 

A finishing touch was to stamp the same butterly duo onto the envelope flap.  Folk in Stampin' Up! never like to send naked envelopes and at the very least it brightens the post deliverers day and theat of the recipient.

Cards like this are very quick and easy, but you could jazz them up depending upon your time and supplies.  The nice thing too is that they work in just about any colour and can be a fabulous background for a more detailed design.  

Have a go and see what you come up with.  Remember too that you can buy all the supplies for these three cards in Zoe's Stampin' Up! online shop.

You can get more inspiration for this simple technique by visiting each of the thumbnails below.  Enjoy our Totally Techniques Design Team Blog Hop.  

Thanks for popping by Zoe xx

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