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Messy Finger Mondays — Inky Backgrounds, Texture Techniques and Creative Mixed Media Fun

 





Messy Finger Mondays Are Officially Becoming A Thing


I think Monday’s class is slowly turning into what can only be described as Messy Finger Mondays — and honestly, I am absolutely loving it.


There is something so relaxing and creatively freeing about getting all of the waxes, mediums, inks, pastes, and messy crafty goodies out onto the desk and simply having a play. No overthinking, no pressure, just experimenting, layering textures, adding colour, and seeing where the creativity takes us.


This card was created during last Monday’s session, and I really hope you like it. It is definitely something a little bit different and perhaps a little outside of the comfort zone for some of you, but that is exactly why I wanted to share it.


I genuinely love so many different styles of crafting. One day I might be making tiny miniature projects, the next clean and simple cards, then elegant shabby chic florals, and sometimes I just want to add a little bit of grunge, texture, and messy mixed media into the mix too. Creativity should be fun, inspiring, and exciting, and I think it is important to explore different styles and techniques rather than feeling boxed into just one look.


For quite a long time, I mainly shared projects that worked around my downloadable collections and kits, but now that I have my Amazon storefront, it feels like the perfect opportunity to share even more of my different crafting styles, favourite products, tools, mediums, and creative experiments with you all.


One of the nicest things now is that you can actually see many of the products I am using, from waxes and mediums to tools, inks, embellishments, and all of the crafty bits and pieces that help bring these projects to life. It makes it so much easier to properly share inspiration, techniques, creative ideas, and product recommendations all in one place.

Sometimes it can genuinely be quite difficult to reply to every single Facebook comment asking what I have used on a project. The other day alone I must have typed out the same product list about twenty times on one post. Having my storefront now makes it so much easier for me to simply share the products, brands, and favourites I am using regularly, while hopefully making things easier for everyone looking for inspiration too


So if you start seeing a few more messy fingers, textured backgrounds, waxed embellishments, and grungy layers appearing… you now know why.




This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.


Supplies List:

The quirky dog image is from Graphic 45 you can find the set here - https://amzn.to/3Rz4twY

300gsm Black Card - https://amzn.to/4u5NBMH

Hunkdory Nesting Star Die - https://amzn.to/3R3Nxyy

Ranger Black Texture Paste - https://amzn.to/4fgheq6

Pebeo Gold Gilding Wax - https://amzn.to/4wkw4lH

Black and Gold flat backed gems are from my stash as was the washer embellishment i made, i coloured it with a black alcohol marker before rubbing on some gold wax.


Creating the look

I absolutely love getting inky and messy, although sadly it is not something I get nearly enough time to do. As my Monday group have been really enjoying these creative sessions, it feels like the perfect opportunity for us all to put on our craft aprons and embrace the mess a little more. Creating depth, texture, and interesting surfaces on card and paper is such an enjoyable and creative process, and I love experimenting with unusual bits and pieces to achieve different effects. From sponges and texture tools to the mesh bags onions usually come in, almost anything can become a crafty texture element.

I also love using my sewing machine to stitch lines, patterns, and textures directly onto cardstock, then highlighting those details afterwards with inks, waxes, or texture pastes to really make everything stand out. Another favourite way to build texture is with stencils, and one of my absolute go-to designers for stencils is Tim Holtz. The designs are timeless, incredibly versatile, and always fantastic quality. I have added a selection of my favourites to my Amazon storefront if you would like to take a little peek — you can find them here


Not too inky - Another firm favourite of mine is sprays. They are a fantastic way to add colour, texture, and artsy effects without quite as much mess, making them perfect for anyone wanting a gentler introduction into mixed media techniques before diving fully into texture pastes, waxes, and messy inks. Sprays are brilliant for creating layered backgrounds, adding colour to die cut pieces, highlighting embellishments, and building soft blended effects on your projects. I especially love how quick and easy they are to use while still giving such creative and artistic results. If you would like to explore some beautiful options, take a look at these fantastic sprays from Ranger.


I hope you have enjoyed today’s post. It is definitely a little different from my usual floral and shabby chic style cards, but I have really enjoyed sharing something a little more inky, textured, and artsy with you all. If you have enjoyed seeing this side of my crafting, please do let me know, and I would love to share more of our Monday projects and creative messy sessions with you


If you would like to visit my Amazon storefront you can find it here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/opulencebydesignca


There has been so much time, care, and creativity poured into curating my Amazon storefront, and I really hope readers of this blog will enjoy exploring the wonderful collection of crafty products, tools, mediums, embellishments, and inspiration I have gathered together. I have carefully organised everything into categories to make browsing easier and more inspiring


Happy Crafting As Always


Amanda ✂️


Shop & More Inspiration

You can find all of my downloads here:

https://shop.obyd.co.uk/


(The shop is listed in date order with the newest items at the top, and there are categories for toppers, backing papers, tea bag tiles, bunting kits, foiling downloads, digi stamps and more.)

If you don’t have a printer, I also have a selection of Printed Cut and Craft Books/Kits available worldwide on Amazon:

https://www.obyd.co.uk/books


For more tutorials and inspiration, visit my blog:

https://www.obyd.co.uk/blog


You can find my youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@opulencebydesign

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