Tuesday Tip Day - Versamark Pads

Good morning. Only a few more days until Christmas.  Have you gotten all your shopping done? I think I am as ready as I'll ever be. At least I hope so.  I'll probably still be remembering things I should have gotten or should have done, right up until Christmas.

I'm making some new goodies to eat this year, and if they turn out okay, I'll share the recipes with you here.

Now on to today's tips:  Using your Versamark Pads

• Use for adding discreet journaling lines to your scrapbooking.  The Versamark ink is sticky when you first apply it, but it dries like regular ink and loses it's stickiness. It's acid-free so it's safe for your scrapbook pages, and it works on all colored card stock.
• Use it in place of embossing ink.  Just stamp and emboss with colored or clear embossing powder.
• Use it for shadowing. This is a technique that works well with kaleidacolor pads and word stamps, but actually any type ink or stamp will work. Stamp the image with Versamark. Then stamp directly over it with your other colored ink. Because you seldom will be exact in the placement of the second stamping, you will make a shadow that gives a 3-D effect.  You can embellish on this by embossing with a transparent embossing powder. Metallic ink pads also give a stunning effect.
• You can use your Versamark pad to make a watermark.  This is great for tone on tone backgrounds. It will deepen the shade of colored paper wherever you stamp.  So, for every color of paper you own, you now have a complementary color of ink. 
• You can do the Poppin' Pastels technique. There are two ways to accomplish this effect on light colored card stock.
• Apply chalks to the area to be stamped, then stamp with Versamark and allow to dry (or use your heat tool to dry your paper faster). Then gently rub with a clean cotton ball.  You could emboss with clear embossing powder while the stamped image is still wet, and the image will jump out at you.
• Stamp first with Versamark, then rub the chalk gently over the stamped area and watch the image magically appear.
• You can do the Reverse Pastels technique. This time you will use brightly colored chalk to cover dark card stock. Then stamp with Versamark over the chalked area.  The ink will pull out the color of the paper from beneath the chalk. I like to emboss with clear embossing powder while the ink is still wet.  Be sure to clean your stamp before re-inking it, as the chalk you removed is now on the stamp, and you will dirty your Versamark pad.
• The Brayer Resist technique can be done with Versamark.  Stamp your image(s) onto glossy white card stock, using Versamark ink. Gently wipe away the ink using a lotion free tissue, wiping in a small circular motion. Ink up your brayer and roll it over the paper. Wherever the Versamark was stamped, the paper will resist the colored ink from your brayer. 
• Embossing on Glass - Use an anti-static bag on your glass to remove any static electricity. Use the Versamark to stamp an image onto a glass container. Emboss with detail gold or silver embossing powder. Fill your glass container with candy and tie a ribbon on it. Makes a great gift for a hostess.

I hope you get to try some of these tips. Leave a comment and tell us how it worked out for you, or, if you have other tips for using a Versamark pad, please share them with us.

I hope you have a very merry Christmas!