Distress Ink Burn Technique

I was on the TTIC forums the other day (big surprise!) and we were discussing ways to distress paper. I had mentioned the Burnt Paper Technique developed by Ranger for Tim Holtz’s Distress Inks (cannot live w/out these!!!). Some of the girls didn’t know what it was… so I described the technique… but it’s always better to see pictures. So… here it is! So, let’s start with the colors. You need Antique Linen, Walnut Stain (or Vintage Photo), Fired Brick, and Black Soot. You can add a little Tea Dye too, if you’d like. 1. Tear the edges of your project (I will eventually put this little piece on a card)2. Start with Antique Linen, buffing the edge of your project with the pad, or if you’re comfortable with a sponge, you can use that. You will go in the deepest with the Antique Linen. All other colors will be less represented, if that makes sense. The sponge will give you a softer look too. I wanted to make what I was doing pretty harsh and obvious, for the purpose of this tutorial. 3. Take whichever of the 2 brown shades mentioned next. I used Walnut Stain. Work that into your edges, but allow the innermost portion of Antique Linen to show. I recommend working in a circular motion. 4. Take your Fired Brick and work that in, again, leaving the inner most portion of Antique Linen, and Walnut Stain/Vintage Photo showing. 5. Black Soot is last! You will use the least amount of Black Soot, but it will have the most impact. Don’t use too much (unless you want your whole project to have the burnt look). I did add just a wee bit of Tea Dye, but I usually don’t. Again, I did this a bit heavier so it’d show better in my pictures. I advise that you do not work with straight edges. If the paper really was burnt, you’d have curled and uneven edges. So, rip your paper!!! Experiment with this for yourself! Have fun!!!