I love a good ink – and this is my absolute favourite for various reasons. It’s subtle and effective and can be applied in a myriad of different ways. Yes it’s brown but in all its glory it can turn the best of projects into something a little grungy or make an old world element out of something new. It’s versatile and easy!

 

About Tsukineko Walnut Ink Crystals

Walnut Ink is a natural ink derived from walnut shells or husks, and can be used to dye or stain paper, chipboard, and even fabric! They must be dissolved in warm water in order to become ink. The more water you add, the lighter the ink but you have to remember to keep its consistency thick enough to prevent it from running. It is water soluble, so it easily washes off of your hands (and work surfaces), and can also be diluted with water to create different variations in the depth/strength of it depending on application and use.

 

About My Tags

I used Walnut Ink to colour my tags to change the colour and give it in aged look. My first lighter tag was lightly misted with water after a light colouring and then sprinkled with dry Tsukineko Walnut Ink Crystals and let it dry. The crystals added afterwards add darker patches making it more interesting. The second tag was misted again with a darker variation of crystals (less water in the mixture) and left to dry. These make wonderful gift tags or labels in your studio – with perfect vintage colouring.

 

Smile Card

I used AC smooth white cardstock for the base of my card and stamp a pretty Prima border using VersaMagic Ink. I added the green using watercolour paint. The new range of Celebr8 chipboard letters are so cute and make for a perfect title to this card. The letters were sprayed using Walnut Ink Crystals and left to dry.
I also used my ink to add tiny splatters to the background by removing the nozzle from my spray bottle and lightly tapping the front of it to transfer the ink onto my card. A beautiful fine mist breaks the starkness of the background and adds loads of interest.

A few other things you can do with Walnut Ink

• You can wipe it on papers to age them – this works really well with torn edges and a paintbrush
• You can dip your tags in walnut ink then let it air dry
• You can use the ink with a wax resist technique. You can write a date or draw a pattern on your tag or paper with a white or light crayon, then wipe across the paper with the walnut ink and this will reveal your pattern or writing dramatically. Remember to draw firmly with the crayon
• Putting your walnut ink into a spray bottle gives you added options. You can sprits it onto the paper for background colour, or use a template or stencil and spray over that template producing the words or shape in the walnut ink
• Or remove the nozzle from the bottle and ink splats to the backgrounds of your projects for a beautiful splattered effect
• Crumple your cardstock and apply walnut ink, the creases attract more of the ink

After colouring your paper or cardstock using Walnut Ink Crystals you can use other mediums to create added interest

• Water drops splattered or sprayed onto the ink will create interesting effects
• Straight ink crystals sprinkled onto slightly wet inked surfaces will create darker random spots
• Salt – apply salt to the wet walnut ink on your papers, this produces a resist effect
• Use bleach on the ink for a whitening effect

 

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Products Used

• Tsukineko Walnut Ink Crystals [TWI-001]
• Tsukineko VersaFine Ink Pad – Onyx Black [TVF-82]
• Celebr8 Matt Board Alpha Pack – Design 2 [C8 MB4202]
• Celebr8 Matt Board Alpha Pack – Design 4 [C8 MB4204]
• Prima Mixed Media Background Stamp [PM 910297]
• Other: tag, watercolour paint

Post by The Wholesaler’s Designer Jowilna Nolte.

We are very proud to introduce you to our first designer, Jowilna Nolte. Jowilna is a true creative and she will be sharing some of her passion and creativity with you.

Read more about Jowilna here.