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Location: originally from NY, but now live in the midwest
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Brayer help--is it me? or the brayer?
Ok, I have tried and tried, and basically, I just suck at using the brayer.
Am I using the wrong kind of brayer, wrong paper, wrong ink?
I don't want it too look like streaks of color, I want it to be a more subtle color change.
Any advice?
Thanks, guys,
Elisha
I am not 100% sure what your problem is but in my time with it unless I use a peice of paper theres always a slight line where the brayer goes over the part of the paper you already where over.
If you dont like that look just put some paper over the area you have done that you dont want the line of darker color
Using glossy paper works better -- it allows the ink to stay wet a bit longer to allow for better color blending.
When you are inking up the brayer, shift ever so slightly from side to side so there's not so much of a defined line between the colors.
Same when you are rolling -- shift a bit from side to side.
BIGGEST thing most people do wrong is not rolling enough. It's not just a couple of swipes back and forth and you're done. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth BACK and forth, lol. You may even want to re-ink your brayer and pick up more ink.
Then, let it sit for a bit. Don't just look at it and go "oh, ick!" and toss it. Let it sit for a bit. Go ahead and do whatever you were going to do with it. Lots of time once you've stamped on the piece and maybe trimmed it down, it looks MUCH different.
Most important, KEEP PRACTICING. You'll get the hang of it.
What Betsy said! You can't run the brayer over the glossy paper too many times! And do it standing up to get more leverage and keep doing it until any lines are gone. I have some wolves in my gallery done that way. HTH
I am in hope that someone has a Brayer technique resource guide. I need to know what kinds of things I can do with the brayer. I know how to use with Spectrum Pad...but what other things can I create with this gadget?
I'm not sure who the originator of this is. However, it is frequently
seen on many stamping sites, mostly SU! sites. I'd love to give credit to the person who created this or compiled this list. I just know that I never came up with any of these ideas. This is probably not new to many people here. But if so, I hope this helps.
Supplies: Brayer (rubber, lucite, foam rollers)
All other supplies will be listed with the description of technique
RUBBER:
1. Stripes: using markers, make stripes on your brayer (this works best if
you lie it on its back and turn the roller while holding the marker) all
the way around until the beginning and ending stripe meet. Roll brayer
across your paper in whatever direction you desire.
2. Squiggles (technical term): Repeat the same process as for Stripes
but make wavy lines instead of straight ones.
3. Confetti/Dots/Raindrops: Randomly make marks on your brayer with
your marker (you can use different colors) all over the entire roller.
Then roll away.
4. Plaids: Same as with the markers for Stripes except criss cross pattern.
5. Plaids: You could also outline the stripes for your plaids with the
smaller tip of your marker to make the plaid/stripes stand out more.
6. Plaids: Rainbow/Kaliedacolor plaids are made with the brayer being
rolled over a KC pad several times then brayering over your paper.
Repeat as necessary for the desired depth of color and surface coverage. Then
repeat the process in the opposite direction.
7. KC Backgrounds: Same as above just don't create a plaid design. This
works great for those scenery/landscape cards.
8. Reverse/mirror Image: Color your stamp, rubber side up and roll the
brayer over the image several times, then roll over your paper (works
great with trees, flowers etc)You can also add this technique to the above KC
backgrounds for a great scenic card.
9. Mirror Image: If you have an image that you want to face each other
say the Pig from Farm Fun.....you would brayer over the stamp like above and
then roll onto your paper then stamp the original pig image nose to
nose with the first.
10. Kissing: Brayer over a background stamp like Pindot Plaids then use
your other stamps like the Seasonal Solid and stamp onto the background
stamp then stamp onto your card stock - your solid stamp now has a
design and you have just multiplied your uses of one set.
11. Ghosting: Stamp an image on your card (say the Snowflake from
the "Snowflake" set) several times in clear embossing ink. (DO NOT EMBOSS)
Then brayer over your invisible images with regular dye pad and your
snowflakes will start to appear.
12. Resist: Works best with glossy paper, you will need to choose your
resist medium, ink, wax or other. I tried with the metallic pens (looked
different) What happens is that you color on the glossy card stock
with the pens anyway, or pattern then you use the same technique as the ghosting
by brayering over with a different color. The pattern that you drew or colored
will not let the brayered ink to absorb through the card stock therefore
comes the "resist". (this category could actually count for about 10
different ways to love your brayer as you are only limited by your
imagination on what you choose as your resist medium)
Others to try:
13. oil colored pencils (work best with regular matte finished papers);
14. crayons;
15. wax paper;
16. metallic pens;
17. ink;
18. resist ink;
19. emboss ink (try the emboss pens to write a hidden message);
20. rubber cement;
21. masking fluid;
22. white out/correction pen;
23. Gel pens;
24. wax resist sticks;
25. Deka paint (for fabric - much harder to do).
26. Another "Resist" able technique: crumple a piece of wax paper;
iron (on hottest setting/no steam) wax paper onto white card stock (be sure to
use an additional sheet of card stock between the wax paper and iron);
press for only 2-3 seconds - this will transfer the wax to both sheets of card
stock (if you iron too long the wax will be absorbed into the paper) Ink
your brayer and then brayer over card stock. The brayer will resist laying
color where the was paper has left its design (makes a great background paper)
27. Another variation to the above is to use your stylus tool and with
the wax paper on the card stock use the tip of your stylus to write your own
message or draw your own design - brayer over to reveal your design or
message.
28. Use your brayer for those big background stamps to get an all over inking.
29. You could also use the same technique as above for those bigger solid
images that you want to emboss. Brayer over the image with the emboss pad
for an even/smoother finish.
30. Put a piece of cheesecloth down and brayer over the cheesecloth for a
different effect.
31. Try the same as above with lace doilies.
32. Lace
33. Bubble wrap
34. Brayer over a leaf (two ways to do this: place card stock over leaf or
other nature finds and bring out the textured surfaces below; or use the
reverse/mirror image technique to pick up the pattern of your nature find.)
35. Joseph's Coat: Brayer with a KC pad and cover the entire area of your
card (glossy works best). Emboss your image with clear embossing
powder/ink on top of the area colored (this technique works best with the more solid
image stamps like the tent from Roughin It or the Kids Prints). Then ink
your brayer with Black or Navy (the darker the better) and cover the
entire card again with this new color. Let the overcoat of ink dry, then buff
the card with a paper towel to remove excess ink. What happens is that your KC
color will then shine through. Just think of a great landscape card with
stars in the sky and trees) WOW!!
36. Ink up your brayer with embossing ink and roll over the entire card then
emboss with clear powder
37. Brayer an intense/brilliant color on glossy card stock then use a
speckle background stamp and clear emboss ink,stamp then emboss with
Rainbow Razzle or other multi colored emboss powder. When you heat it
will bring out the beautiful play in colors.
38. Watercolor brayer: Ink your brayer with a rainbow pad or markers, then
spritz with a water bottle, then roll out for a very pretty watercolor look.
LUCITE/ACRYLIC:
39. Put rubber bands around your brayer for unique background
40. Wrap syran wrap around your brayer for another unique background
41. Try fabric netting or the netting from bags of oranges or marbles as above.
42. Cheesecloth another unique background
43. Try string
44. Yarn
45. Crochet yarn
46. Try the new Encore pads and rolling it out onto liquid appliqu� for a
faux suede look.
47. Use your acrylic brayer to roll out paperclay
48. Use your acrylic brayer to make sharp creases in your card stock
49. Crinkle up a piece of Mulberry paper, ink up your brayer with the new
Encore pads and give your Mulberry paper that guilded look.
50. Faux Suede - squeeze brown liquid appliqu� on wax paper or aluminum foil.
Roll the brayer until it is coated and smooth. Roll and even coat of
the liquid appliqu� on your cut out image (try the gingerbread man die cut)
let it set for a minute then heat. This will give you a nice suede feel.
Try it with different colors. But be sure to clean your brayer right away.
51. Use your acrylic brayer with pigment ink on glossy (takes a little
while to dry) don't roll use a quick sliding motion to brush the inked
brayer across the card stock, wiggle if you want (the brayer silly!)
You can make some awesome plaids or sunbursts.
52. Try the same technique above but tap the brayer around in different areas
for an all over colorburst.
FOAM:
53. Use your foam brayer for an all over airbrush effect.
54. Use your foam brayer with your stencils.
55. Use with the KC pads for rainbow effect.
56. Use your foam brayer with markers for an interesting look. I've heard
that you can make some great tortoise shell, leopard or gemstone looks on
glossy card stock.
57. You can also use the spritz technique with the foam brayer for a
I'm glad it helped. I wish I were stamping. I'm sitting here at work putting off paperwork! LOL. Hopefully tonight I will be able to. In the meanwhile, I'm off to do some work. I hate to. But guess I had better.