CRAFTING TIP OF THE WEEK (#130)Oh my bleeding...

No sillies...not my heart...my ink!

Have you ever had a problem with bleeding ink? I sure have. Now, I recognize there are times we want the ink to bleed so this tip is specifically for those times when we DON'T.

Here are a couple of things I discovered that help me:

1-Don't use too much ink when you are sponging over masks. Start with a little bit of ink then gradually add more as needed. This can be helpful because in using that as a guideline you can actually not only prevent bleeding through your mask but you can create a nice graded color effect (if you so desire). It's all about control & preference.

2-Instead of using spray inks over your masks, use acrylic paint. The trick here is to actually thin your acrylic paint slightly with water then apply in gentle, light, even strokes over your mask, from end to end.

3-If you don't want colors of inks you previously used on your masked project be sure to wipe off any excess ink on your mask & that it is dry prior to using another color of ink.

4-One last thing...to help you keep your mask in place which can also cause problems with bleeding- use removable adhesive on the back of your mask.

Hope this helps!