Instructions

Hi everyone, it’s Audrey, and I’m so happy to be back on the Ranger Ink Project Page to share another project tutorial with you today. The summer months are here, and although I might not be making any actual trips to the beach anytime soon, I always love to decorate my home in a nautical beach theme for the season.

It seems like every time I do get to the beach, I come home with bags of shells that I’ve collected… and then never know what to do with. Well, that’s all about to change because today, I’m sharing a fun home décor project that is a great way to incorporate some of those found treasures we all like to collect.

I came across some old book-board covers in my stash recently, and thought they would make the perfect base for a home décor plaque. This piece displays perfectly in one of those small plate stands, but it could just as easily be propped without a stand. And if you don’t have any kind of similar board at home, try substituting tag-board, chipboard, foam core board, or even cardboard. I’ve got the complete tutorial to share, so let’s take a closer look.

Step 1: To begin, coat your base board with a thin, even layer of Multi Medium Matte adhesive. Trim a piece of patterned paper to fit the board, and adhere it to the board. Sand the edges to remove any excess paper.

Step 2: Tear some strips of Purple Tape or painter’s tape, and section off the center portion of the board with the tape. The torn edges are perfect for creating waves. Ink the water section of the board with Salty Ocean and Mermaid Lagoon Distress Oxide Inks using a Mini Ink Blending Tool. Leaving the tape in place, use your fingertips to dab Crackle Distress Texture Paste along the bottom wave line. Peel up the tape, saving it to use as a mask again later.

Step 3: Continue inking the background to create a beach scene, using Tumbled Glass Oxide to create the sky, and Brushed Corduroy and Gathered Twigs Oxide to create the sand. Use additional pieces of tape to mask off the areas, as needed. Dab more Crackle Texture Paste into random areas of the water to create the look of waves.

Step 4: Place the torn tape strip back across the wave/beach line, and cover the top of the plaque with scrap paper to protect it. Spray water onto the beach section using a Distress Sprayer. Blot the water droplets with a dry paper towel. Dab Brushed Corduroy and Walnut Stain Distress Ink onto a craft mat. Mix the inks with water, and pick up the mixture with a wet paintbrush and flick the ink over the beach area. Allow the ink droplets to dry. Cut a small piece of cheesecloth. Use it to mop up the remaining ink mixture on the craft mat. Set the cheesecloth aside to dry.

Step 5: Die cut the seashells from Distress Watercolor Cardstock. Ink both shells with Antique Linen Distress Oxide Ink.

Step 6: Using an oval die cut as a mask, add stripes of pink to the clam shell using Abandoned Coral Distress Oxide Ink and an Ink Blending Tool. Repeat the process on the conch shell using Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide Ink.

Step 7: Spray water onto the conch shell using the Distress Sprayer, and immediately coat the water droplets with Weathered Wood Distress Embossing Glaze. Heat set the glaze using a Heat Tool.

Step 8: Repeat the process on the clam shell using water droplets and Tattered Rose Distress Embossing Glaze.

Step 9: Die cut a variety of Holiday Greens branches from Distress Watercolor Cardstock. Watercolor the greens with Abandoned Coral, Cracked Pistachio, and Shabby Shutters Distress Oxide Inks. Gather some small seashells. Adhere the cheesecloth, shells and die cuts across the bottom of the plaque using Multi Medium Matte adhesive.

Step 10: Watercolor a piece of Distress Watercolor Cardstock with a mixture of Hickory Smoke and Black Soot Distress Ink. Die cut the sentiment letters. Die cut the letters for the word “sea” three times. Stack and adhere these letters together using Multi Medium Matte adhesive. Adhere all the lettering with Multi Medium Matte.

Enjoy!