Polished Stone Technique

[Susan T]

Can someone please explain to me what this technique is, how it's done, etc., I'm new to SCS and new SU Demo as well (since 12/03) Saw some great examples of this technique and would really like to try it. thanks, Susan

[kiki]

Welcome to SCS, the best website on the internet for stamp artists!!!!

Polished stone is a great technique.

Supplies Needed:

1 metallic re-inker (i.e. gold, silver, copper)
1-2 any color re-inker
white glossy card stock
rubbing alcohol
cotton balls
clothespin (I got this tip from somebody here on SCS after my fingers were brillliant blue!!!!)

On card stock, randomly place small drops of metallic inks. Saturate cottonball with rubbing alcohol, squeezing out excess. Clip to clothespin. Add one color of dye ink to cottonball. Pounce cotton ball on cardstock to blend colors. Repeat with second color on another cottonball if desired. Let dry! You now have a really unique background. Hope this helps.

[JanTInk]

There are lots of different ways of doing it. I'll tell you mine, in which I combined the best features of different people's methods to come up with my own, which I honestly thinks looks better than most of the polished stone I've seen.

You need:

Cosmetic sponge wedge
Clothespin (optional...use it to hold the wedge; keeps your fingers clean)
Rubbing alchohol (works better than isopropyl)
Two or three colors of reinkers
One type of metallic reinker
Glossy white cardstock

Get your cosmetic sponge wet, but not soppin' wet with rubbing alchohol. It should feel moist...somewhere between damp and dripping.

Put a couple of drops of reinker in each corner of the cardstock. Put some of each color in each corner. Pounce your sponge up and down in the colors, spreading it over the cardstock, leaving some areas white to light, and making other areas darker. It should look something like marble.

Once that is ready, put some of the metallic reinker right on the sponge. It should be a VERY small amount...just a dot. Now pounce this up and down on the cardstock, working to disperse the initial dot of reinker you will get the first few times. What should happen at this point is that the metallic will "spider" into the rest of the color on the cardstock. Don't overdo this effect. Simply go over the entire cardstock once and STOP if it looks ready.

Once it's dry, spray with a clear acrylic spray like Krylon Low Odor Matte Finish.

The difference between my method and others is that most people put the colored reinkers on their cotton ball or whatever and it ends up looking like a lot of little dots all over their cardstock. This way it spreads more evenly and if you have dots of color in the corners where you put the reinker, why you can just trim them off! Cotton balls I don't like because they leave shreds of fiber, plus they just can't hold the same amount of alchohol as a sponge wedge!

[cot10girl]

So glad you asked, Susan! Thanks for the instructions, Kiki! Can't wait to try it!

[kiki]

Thanks Jan, I'll try the cosmetic sponges next time...I always hated those little fibers from the cottonball!!!

[HeatherJ]

I LOVE the clothes pin tip, thanks!

I have also discovered the "Pinata" re-inkers that have the alcohol already in them. I also use the Krylon gold leaf pen, rather than a metallic inker, only because I have one and do not have the re-inkers.

HeatherJ

[Susan T]

Thank you all for being so helpful. I will be trying this method real soon. I'll have to try it both ways mentioned to see which one works best for me. Susan

[karixma]

I've tried both the 70% alcohol & the 90%. USE THE 90%!!!!! it makes the inks blend much more smoothly, they'll look more like marble or stone rather than "polka dots"!

[Susan T]

thank you Charisma

[Stampin SandyH]

I originally tried it by putting the reinkers on the cotton ball with the metallic reinker and daubbing it all over the cs. Jan, you are so right, it leaves dots. I am now going to try it your way with a cosmetic sponge and putting reinkers on the corners of the cs and then on the sponge. Thanks for the tip.

[MadgeRPh]

Will using a spray sealer prevent the card from smearing? I have picked up cards a month after I have made them and the ink still comes off on my fingers! Will sealer prevent this If so....any recommedations on which type is best??
Any advice is GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks
Sharon