Uses for stipple brush
 

Hello all you talented Ladies. I was wondering what to do with stipple brushes. A customer would like me to demo them in our stamp club.
I know that you can add color to a background by dabbing on with it. What else?

Linda:)

you can use them with Pearl-Ex to dust over Versa-mark. I'm pretty sure you should seal it afterwards, but I think even cheap-o hairspray will do the trick. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sure! ;)

I think the Versamark makes the PearlEx stick. If you used the PearlEx like chalk, you'd have to seal it. (Never tried that though.)

Jaron Winder actually used stipple brushes as a technique in his class at convention. One way is direct to the stamp. Ink your stamp first in a light color (like almost amethyst or lavendar lace), then use your stipple brush in a darker color in the same family (he used the new vintage violet) and "fade" the color in by starting at the top of the stamp stippling with more pressure, and then using less and less and then none on the bottom. We did this on headline alpha and when stamped it looked like one of those cool shirts where the colors blend into each other seemlessly. You can also just stipple lightly over the whole thing to get a two-tone look.

Another great way to use these is how they're originally intended -- for stenciling. Use the negative of the new On Board letters or accents to get stippled letters or shapes on your page. You could use anything as a template though, like punching out the new floral bouquet punch and stippling a background of those flowers. It creates a softer look than direct stamping.

Thanks for the tips on the stipple brush. I have them too, but have only ever used them for added color around the edge of a card or piece of background.

Does anyone have a picture of the card done with this tech of direct to the stamp??

Laurie

Thanks for sharing these tips Jennifer. Great idea with stippling on the stamps themselves.

Silly question from someone who does not own a stipple brush (but wants to). How do you clean them? Do you clean them or do you need to purchase a brush for every color :shock:

Linda

I clean my stipple brushes with baby wipes. I keep about 5 different brushes and try to use them by color "families" (not SU! colors, just colors in general--like one for greens and blues, one for reds, oranges, and pinks, one for yellows, and one for darker colors like grey, black and brown.) If you clean them well with baby wipes, though, you could probably use just one or two.

I have some examples in my gallery of stippling--the card with Canada geese is done with stippling through a stencil. The Oriental Elegance, the stippled hydrangea, the pictograph goat and some others are examples of stippling to create a halo effect or add background color.

HTH.

Doubt this is what you're looking for as I'm pretty new yet, and have been crazy nuts looking up ideas here........but I did my first workshop this last weekend, and used a ballet blue cs for my card "base", (sorry, don't know all the stampin' lingo, lol), and used the black ink with my stipple brush and did diagonal brush strokes across the whole card, and then put a torn piece of vellum on the front with eyelets, and stipple brushed that with the ballet blue ink......looked pretty cool if no one minds me saying so myself. Was a CASED card, (I gave credit where credit was due!! :D ) that I tweaked a bit with the stipple brush. Also used the stipple brush on my other project for using that used glitter and packing tape........the brush helped keep my glitter mess to a minimum. But guess what? I sold not one brush!! LOL

I only ever use mine to apply glitter. I like the idea of fading the color in. It's kinda like rock-n-roll. Except without the rockin' & rollin'. AND you could do it backwards if you want. Many flowers are darker in the middle than they are at the end of the petals. Hmmm, an idea!

Thanks for all your help. I think I can work on something for tomorrow night!

Linda:)

Radiant Pearl background
 

I use my stipple brush to make backgrounds using Radiant pearls. I use an
old CD as my paint tray, choose a couple of complementary colours and drop a small amount of radiant pearls on it. Using the stipple brush, just swirl it in the pearls to pick up a very small amount, then "pounce" it onto your cardstock. I usually use cut the cardstock into quarters and I start pounching in the middle of the cardstock with the lightest colour. Continue adding colours, working outwards from the circle. It makes an awesome background when completed.
Below is an example. Sorry my instructions aren't the best!

try masking or edging
 

I do two totally differnt techniques.
#1. Use the stipple brush to get gradual colour at the edges of a card, similar to how I have seen the sponges used. Start off the edge of the card stock and sweep the brush over at a low angle. Lift the brush up where you want the colour to end.
2. My favourite: stippled collage!
A. Choose 5 or 6 meduim or small stamps that co-ordinate. I like the vintage sets - especially some that just retired, but we have a few good ones left.
B. Tear a piece of ordinary typing/p-copy paper. Place over a light coloured piece of 3 3/4x5" card stock at an angle, covering most of the card, leaving about 10-15% showing. (you may wish to add a bit of repositionable adhesive to the torn piece)
C. Load up your brush with Dye ink (classic) and starting on the torn paper with the brush at a low angle, sweep across the card stock. Don't over do it at first, it is pretty easy to check underneath to see if you like it.
D. Now stamp one of the stamps over the stippling, if it is very small, stamp repeatedly,even overlapping the images.
E. Move the torn paper and repeat, you want the sections to overlap. I arrange the sections so a center section is left open for you to add a sentiment or main design.
F. Adhere to 4.25x5.5" card. I have put a torn layer in between the stippled layer and the card.

When I do technique 2, I tend to use deeper colours and vanilla confetti or naturals paper aloing with vintage images. It makes a great masculine card. I haven't tried it, but I imagine it woud look great with pastels and baby images.:)

Tip: Use those decorative edge scissors that are kind of out right now to cut the edge of the paper instead of tearing it.

Technique # 2 looks really neat -- and easy. Do you have any cards done that way in the gallery? Just wondering. I can almost visualize one.