When it comes to dot grid journaling, I rarely create a layout in black and white. I like my layouts to look bright, vibrant, and colorful.
To achieve the bright colors, I use Distress Inks.
The pages in my journal are thick and can withstand the use of inks (not all journals can). In other words, the ink does not seep through or bleed to the other side of the page.
I will say this, after the ink is applied, the page will curl a bit. That’s because the ink is slightly damp and needs to dry. Once the page is dry, close the journal and eventually the page will flatten. See this post and this post for an entire layout covered in Distress Ink.
For today’s layout, I’m using the Distress Inks in two different ways – stamping and stenciling. Check it out.
Supplies
- Journal
- Ruler
- Stencil
- Distress Inks (1, 13 and 15)
- Blending Foam and Tool
- Acrylic Block
- Ink Pad
- Circle Stamps
- Days of the Week Stamps
- Drawing Pen
Step One
For this week, I wanted a fairly simple layout in my journal. I didn’t want it overly crowded or busy. To achieve that look I used these circle stamps from The Sassy Club. After placing the stamps on an acrylic block, I inked them with Distress Inks (1, 13, 15). I layered the blue inks together to get a blended effect. A combination of two Distress Inks were done for each of the six stamped images. When blending, it’s important to apply the lighter shade first to the entire stamp. Then add the darker shade right on top in random spots.
Step Two
Next, I added the days of the week stamps from The Ink Blot Shop to the middle of each of the circles. I wanted the days of the week to stand out so I used a black stamp ink for that. I had the jitters this morning from drinking too much coffee, so instead of handlettering the month like I usually do, I stamped them instead. Then I drew a line with my drawing pen and ruler just to give the months a small amount of attention.
Step Three
The bottom of the layout looked a bit too bare, so I decided last minute to add more color. I used my blending foam and tool and applied the same blue Distress Inks from step one on top of the stencil (using the lighter shade of blue followed by the darker blue). It was the perfect end to a simple layout.
