I thought it would be fun to challenge myself to use only magazine images and Distress water based dye ink to make backgrounds, papers and ephemera for a daily journal page! Collage ideas for using magazine collage with Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads in your mixed media artwork.

Challenge “Rules”

I am making a “challenge book” for myself where I use a technique per page (like the Embossing Mixed Media Page). So the challenge for this page was to use ONLY Distress Ink pads to make all of the paper, ephemera, etc and then to pair it with magazine pictures.

Now for me this was WAY out there! I am more of a painting collage, or even permanent dye inks kind of gal, but I was always seeing the cool stuff that the card makers were using with the Ranger Inks that allow for water reactivity!

I used ONLY distress inks for backgrounds, ephemera and stamping!

Magazine Collage Using Just Distress Inks Video

Products Used In Video

• Distress Ink Pads Faded Jeans – http://shrsl.com/2iqem (mini ink pad set)
• Twisted Citron, Blueprint Sketch – http://shrsl.com/2iqen (mini ink pad set)
• Pickled Raspberry, Peacock Feathers – http://shrsl.com/2iqeq (mini ink pad set)
• Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean, and Seedless Preserves – http://shrsl.com/2iqf0 (mini ink pad set)
• Dusty Concord – http://shrsl.com/2iqf6 (mini ink pad set) Walnut Stain – http://shrsl.com/2iqfc
• Distress Glaze – http://shrsl.com/2iqfd Stampers Anonymous Stamp Set – http://shrsl.com/2iqfh
• Strathmore Mixed Media Pad (from Michaels)
• Scrapbookers Foam Pad – https://www.scrapbook.com/store/sbc-d…
• Ranger Mini Ink Blender Tool – http://shrsl.com/2iqfm
• Big Shot Die Cutting Machine – https://amzn.to/3kJknzq (as an Amazon affiliate I earn commissions)
• Flower Petal Die – https://amzn.to/2RRZPIt Clock Die – https://amzn.to/300RSVM
• Art Glitter Glue – https://amzn.to/3hYHLXA
• UHU Glue Stick – https://amzn.to/2RQVpRY
• Embossing Challenge Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyt0C…

Magazine Collage, Magazine Art FAQs

I always get a bunch of questions when I do this kind of project, so here are a few that you may have today!

Distress Ink Pad Features

These distress inks are water reactive meaning you can blend them with water like I did on the flower petals or even “remove” some of the dye by using a stencil and some water.

I have to say that it was fun to be able to manipulate the background, but it was much less color saturated than when I use acrylic paint which can hold its pigment, even when diluted.

Paper Collage Art

Some may say that I “cheated” because I used “good paper” to make the pages in a junk journal (one of the collage artists I really love has STRONG feelings that junk journals should only be made of junk!)

But because distress ink is fancy, using it on really slick mailing pages would not have worked. It wouldn't have dried correctly and I would have had to fight it the whole way!

Could You Use Scrapbook Pages For This Kind of Journal Page?

I may do a scrapbook page challenge, but FOR SURE distress would work better on mixed media paper, tags or kraft stock than it would on printed scrapbook papers!

Can You Use Other Kinds of Things For Collage?

You can use WHATEVER you want to for collage! Papers, photos, magazine images, envelopes, anything!

The thing that bums me out about the gal with the “rules” is that I worry that you won't want to make art because you may be “doing it wrong”.

For sure I used the Distress Ink Pads in a way that card makers don't but that doesn't make it “wrong”.

You can use any of your supplies in any way you want!