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Friday Top 5: Distress Ink & Oxide Techniques We Love

  • 5 days ago
  • 3 min read


Distress Ink and Distress Oxides are some of our favorite products for adding depth, texture, and personality to handmade projects. Whether you’re creating cards, scrapbook layouts, junk journals, or mixed media pieces, these inks make it easy to experiment with color and layering in fun, creative ways.


This week’s Friday Top 5 features five Distress Ink and Oxide techniques we love — and they’re perfect for beginners and experienced crafters alike.


1. Ink Blended Backgrounds

One of the easiest and most popular ways to use Distress Ink and Oxides is for soft blended backgrounds.


Using blending brushes, layer multiple ink colors together to create smooth transitions and beautiful depth. We love combining soft purples, teals, pinks, and vintage neutrals for rich layered backgrounds that instantly make projects feel more finished.

The best part? No two backgrounds ever turn out exactly the same.


2. Layering Through Stencils

Stencils and Distress products are the perfect combination.


Blend Oxides lightly through a stencil for soft patterned backgrounds, or add texture paste over stencils for even more dimension and detail. Layering stencil designs over blended backgrounds creates interest without overwhelming your project.


This is one of the easiest ways to make cards, journals, and scrapbook layouts feel more artistic and layered.


3. Water Splatter Effects

One of the signature Distress techniques is adding water splatter to blended backgrounds.

After blending your inks, lightly flick or mist water onto the surface. Let it react for a few seconds before blotting with a paper towel. The water lifts the ink and creates soft oxidized spots that add texture, movement, and that classic distressed look.


Simple… but so effective.


4. Layered Embellishments & Die Cuts

Layering isn’t just about ink — adding dimensional elements makes a huge difference too.


Try layering:

  • die cuts

  • flowers

  • torn paper

  • labels

  • ephemera

  • sentiments

over your inked backgrounds to create depth and visual interest.


We especially love using foam adhesive to pop up focal elements and add even more dimension.


5. Splatter, Highlights & Finishing Details

Sometimes the finishing touches are what bring everything together.


Try adding:

  • white paint splatter

  • metallic splatter

  • ink flicking

  • darkened edges

  • shimmer or luster wax highlights


These little details help layered projects feel more complete, artistic, and full of personality.


A Few Helpful Tips

  • Start with lighter colors and slowly build intensity

  • Blend using soft circular motions for smoother transitions

  • Dry layers between techniques to avoid muddy colors

  • Don’t overthink perfection — layering looks best when it feels organic and creative


Distress Ink and Distress Oxides are incredibly versatile and make it easy to experiment with layering, texture, and color in a way that feels approachable and fun.

Whether you love soft vintage looks or bold colorful backgrounds, these techniques are a great place to start.


✨ Want to See It in Action?


This week we’re featuring some of our favorite Distress Ink and Distress Oxide techniques using blending, layering, stencils, and texture effects — and we’d love for you to try them along with us.


Stop in and see us, join one of our lives, or follow along on social media for inspiration, demos, and creative ideas all week long!


Give it a try and see how quickly your projects come to life 💜




💜 This Month at ScrappyShak

All month long, we've been focusing on Junk Journaling and Mixed Media — from tools and techniques to simple projects you can actually finish.

If you’re just getting started, you’re in the right place.

And if you’ve been crafting for years… it’s always fun to go back to the basics.



🎨 Join Us This Saturday!


We have lots of new products to show you and we always have great demos to show you!


It's a great way to learn something new from the comfort of your home - OR - pop in and see us - we'll be happy to show you in person!


👉 Join us on Facebook or YouTube at 9am EDT

OR

👉 Stop by ScrappyShak - we'd love to show you what we've been up to!



💜Ready to start creating?


💜 Shop all of your cardmaking needs at ScrappyShak: https://www.scrappyshak.com


We can’t wait to see what you create 💜




junk journaling supplies, scrapbooking tools, paper crafting ideas, ephemera packs, washi tape crafts

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