Versamark Chalking "tutorial"

Did you ever just have one of those days?  I wanted to use the bits left of my kit to make some more things, so I was working on cards today.  The base came together quickly.  I have decided that I really love the green pattern with the black and white dots.  But what to put on the front of the card?   LOL  I tried paper piecing, stamping and coloring with markers, cricut cuts...I didn't like any of it.  Then, while putting away my markers, I spied .....

The last time I remember using them was over a year ago.  Shocking, isn't it?  LOL  Don't judge me...I bet you have stuff in YOUR stash that you have not used in at least that long.  LOL  Out of all of the chalks on the market, I really do love Pebbles Inc.  Why?  I'm glad you asked.  Okay, seriously, most chalks work pretty much the same, but with Pebbles Inc it is the packaging and delivery system that makes them better.  The chalks are in a sturdy tin case with a molded plastic cover that fits nicely over the tops of each chalk section.  That is important because chalk is notorius for breaking.  I have had this set for *cough* years and they have not even cracked (even with being tossed around in my scrapbook bag for crops).

The second part that I love (and, frankly, cannot do without), is the stick and the little puff balls.  Each color has 3 sizes of puff balls with it.  You use the stick to pick up the puff ball to apply the chalk.  Yes, you can use cotton balls, but they are too big and fluffy.  Q-Tips have been accuracy and control, but are too hard.  As Goldilocks would say, these little balls of fluff are just right.

You can use your chalk directly on your paper and it will work fine as a coloring, too, but if you want to have some fun, try some VersaMark.   I recently did a class that showed how to use differnt colors of embossing powder on one stamped image.  It was really cool, but I just could not get it to come out for me.  This is a similar concept, but with chalks.  Much easier and the results are great!

Pick a stamp (outline ones or solid ones, both will work fine) and stamp using your VersaMark Watermark/Embossing Ink.  If you get the tinted kind then it will be easier to see, but the regular kind will show up alright, too.

Use the stick (with the clip head) and pick up a cotton puff from the chalks.  Gently rub it across the chalk color of your choice and then pounce it up and down on the stamped area that you want that color.  Repeat as much as you need to with whatever colors you want.

It gives a very soft, almost watercolor type of effect.

Here is the infamous card that started the whole thing.  I used a very detailed flower stamp from Unity.  With the chalking method, I was able to "color" the image however I wanted.

Isn't it pretty?  I used my trusty OLD notch tool set to make slits on either side of the stems so I could tie a ribbon around the "flowers".

The butterfly was just stamped in black ink and colored in using only chalk.  It blends really well.