The Salt Technique

This card was made using the Salt Technique for the background. The DP is SU, the green CS is Aspen (from Archivers) and the image is from the new SU catalog, Harvest Blessings

Today we’re playing with SALT. If you’ve never tired the salt technique, it’s pretty cool and really easy. The only note is that you have to plan ahead as this needs to sit overnight before you use the paper.

You’ll need:
A sheet of Glossy cardstock
A full-size ink pad (you can use a small one, but it will take you a little more)
A brayer
At least 2 types of salt (I used Rock, Sea and Table salt)
A mister bottle with water.

Cover your work surface with a sheet of paper larger than your piece of glossy cardstock. I used a full 8.5x11. If you want to work with just your mat size, that’s cool.

Using your brayer and your ink pad, coat your brayer with the ink.
TIP: As you roll the brayer over your ink pad, roll it forward, pick it up and come back to your starting point and repeat several times until your brayer is covered. This allows your brayer wheel to get a clear spin and a complete coat.

Roll your brayer back and forth over your CS, just as if you were using a roller to paint your wall. You want a nice even coat. You will have to recoat your brayer a few times in this process.

When your CS is coated, spritz it with water. You want it wet but not ‘soaked.
Sprinkle the salt crystals randomly across your CS. I started with the larger crystals and worked my way down to the smaller ones.

Set it aside to do it’s magic overnight. As it dries, the salt crystals will absorb the ink, leaving you with this ‘mottled’ background affect.

I did this one with Tangerine Tango. It was the only large ink pad I had in orange. I wanted to do a sheet of orange and a sheet of purple (I used Concord Crush)

This is what it looks like when it’s dry:

Tip your paper up on edge and tap off the salt and discard. Next, take a soft cloth to gently wipe away any remaining salt. I did wind up with a couple splotchy areas but they were easy to cover up with a image mat as you can see from the card above.

Now your Salt background paper is ready to use!

Have Fun and be Creative!