Different Ways to Use Small Ink Pads

Most of us have them. An almost endless supply of items we purchased, hopefully on sale, for our creative projects. We bring them home, perhaps use them for a few projects, then they seem to get tucked in a drawer or box with other abandoned items. Well, for me, it was the small colored ink pads. So many colors! I thought would have so much fun creating cards with them, but soon found that using black or dark brown inks worked best for creating my handmade cards. These small, colorful ink pads were rarely used. Until I found another use for them, quite by accident!

I wanted to make some fall cards and selected a leaf stamp. I inked it on my StazOn ink pad, only to discover that it was just about out of ink. I remembered my abandoned small ink pad drawer, and found a brown one. Once again, I used my leaf stamp, but it still didn’t stamp correctly. I thought the small ink pads had dried up after being stuck in a drawer for so long, so I took the ink pad and stamped it on a piece of paper. It had plenty of ink in it! (Turns out my leaf stamp is defective.) I stamped it a few more times, then a ‘creative moment’ happened ~ another technique!

using small ink pads — I discovered a new technique while checking the quality of my ink pads!

Since I had recently used the argyle pattern for creating cards for guys on a previous post you can see HERE, I decided to make this card using my newly discovered technique. I was even able to use some ribbon from my stash that I rarely used! Double stash bonus day!

I used small ink pads to create this 'argyle' card! — I used small ink pads to create this ‘argyle’ card!

I also had several small Dew Drop ink pads in my stash, and began thinking about what I could make with them. Well, they are shaped like flower petals!

using small dew drop ink pads to make flowers — I stamped several ‘petals’ on cardstock and cut them out to make a flower!

I arranged the cut out ‘petals’ and adhered them to make a flower. If you don’t like to cut many images, then you can also stamp your flower on paper. Adding a couple of cut-out petals on top of your stamped flower will give it a ‘fuller’ look. (Needless to say, I am a big fan of ‘popping’ things on my cards…I’m not a big fan of ‘flat’ cards.)

making flowers from small ink pads — I cut out the petal flowers made with the stamp pad, then adhered them to the center to make a flower!

This is one card I created using my ink stamped flower! Since I also had a small blue ink pad, I couldn’t resist making a blue flower card! I embossed it with polka dots and added a few sparkles with my gel pen.

making flowers for cards using small ink pads — I decided to use blue and white for this flower card, created with small ink pads.

I decided to layer a fabric flower over my ink petal flower to add a bit more dimension. A purple brad completed the look on this card.

making flowers from ink pads — I layered a fabric flower over my ‘ink petal’ flower!

Since I was making fall cards, I thought these ‘flower petal’ ink pads could also be used to make leaves! I remembered a cute stamp set from Darcie’s that I could use, and I created this card! I cut out one stamped ‘leaf’ and popped it to add more dimension. I also popped a couple of the leaves from the tree stamp.

using small ink pads to make leaves — I used the ink pad to create these ‘leaves’ to match my tree!

I spent some time thinking of other applications I could use for my little ink pads. But, since fall is around the corner, I need to get busy making some more fall cards!

Do you have any other ideas on how to use small ink pads? I do hope you will share your ideas with our creative blogging world. There are very few truly original ideas, and that is part of the fun of sharing and trying new techniques with each other! I also love to read your comments, and I respond back to everyone! Thanks so much! 🙂

Enjoy your Creative Day! ~ Vickie

Since we share things in our creative world, I shared this with Sew Many Ways Friday Linking Party!